Abstract:

Ethnobotany is a relatively young field of science. It is a study of the direct interrelationship between people and plants for whatever purpose. The research content of ethnobotany concerned with traditional knowledge and experiences on use of plants by human being, including the history, the present status, the characteristics of economic, medicinal, ecological, and cultural uses of plants. The methodology of ethnobotany can be summarized as three stages; ( 1 ) recording, description and inventory; (2) explanation and analysis; and (3) application, This paper discusses the mordern three approaches that are being used in the study of plant resources, those are, ( 1 ) systematic approach; ( 2 ) ethnobotanical approach; (3) integrated assessment approach. Based on the comparison and analysis of three approaches, the author is focusing his surveying on the application of ethnobotany in the exploitation and utilization of plant resources. The author thinks that, as a scientific field and method ethnobotany is highly significant to the exploitation of plant resources, particularly to the multi-national ethnic culture rigions.

Key words: Ethnobotany, Traditional knowledge, Plant utilization pool, Diver-sification, Simplification, Human involvement, The main-stream culture, Systematic approach, Integrated assessment approach