Ethnobotany - the study of people's classification, management and use of plants - attracts people from various academic disciplines. Ethnobotanists and local people face the challenging task not only of recording knowledge of the plant world, but also applying the results of their studies to biodiversity conservation and community development.
One of their goals is to ensure that local natural history becomes a living, written tradition in communities where it has been transmitted orally for many years. They are working against time, because indigenous knowledge of the environment is fast disappearing in the face of worldwide destruction of natural areas, and transformation of traditional cultures.
This book provides a detailed overview of this emerging discipline. Aimed primarily at researchers who are beginning field studies, it gives clear descriptions of the skills and methods most commonly employed by ethnobotanists. It will also be of interest to experienced field workers who wish to review new concepts and techniques drawn from botany, anthropology, economics, ethnopharmacology, and other disciplines.
The book begins with advice on data collection and hypothesis testing, and ends with practical ideas on fieldwork ethics and the application of research results to conservation and community development. Illustrated with experiences of colleagues from around the world, it demonstrates that the key to excellent results is close collaboration with local people, conservationists and specialists of various academic fields.
