The resource availability hypothesis (RAH) and cross-cultural patterns: which one explains West African Cochlospermum species’ uses in Benin?

Abstract

Background Cochlospermum tinctorium and C. planchonii are two wide edible plants of sub-Saharan countries, e.g., Benin, widely used as food, medicine, dye, handicraft, etc. Unfortunately, the uncontrolled harvest of their rootstocks exposes them to local extension risk. To enhance knowledge on the determinants of their uses in Benin, this study aimed to (i) assess the use forms, use values, abundance and perceived spatiotemporal dynamics, (ii) determine how does local abundance or cultural patterns affect the use of Cochlospermum species, and (iii) assess local harvesting modes and conservation management practices. Methods In total, 756 Dialog Partners through 27 ethnic groups were questioned countrywide using semi-structured interviews. Questions refer to local taxonomy, specific uses, organs sought, harvesting modes and local conservation strategies; afterward, local abundance of each species was assessed. Ethnobotanical indicators were analyzed through citation frequencies to obtain quantitative data. Comparison tests and statistical analyses were performed using R program. Results C. tinctorium and C. planchonii are locally well known and involved into 83 specific uses, grouped into ten categories of which medicinal use was the main. The use values of C. planchonii (0.10 ± 0.19) and C. tinctorium (0.23 ± 0.20) varied significantly between the ethnic groups, and only C. tinctorium showed index of commercially value above 75% for some ethnic groups. The current abundance, about 84 and 97 tufts.ha−1, respectively, for C. planchonii and C. tinctorium was perceived with a decline of 81.09% (C. tinctorium) and 73.7% (C. planchonii) of informants. Moreover, the Spearman’s correlation and Kruskal–Wallis tests performed revealed that the use values of C. tinctorium and C. planchonii were significantly correlated on the one hand with their local abundance and on the other hand with the investigated ethnic groups. About 42.3% of women produced the powder as principal activity, while more than 57% produced it mainly at the end of farm work. However, the conservation management was practiced by very few informants and consisted of partial harvesting of rootstocks (41.8%, only in southern Benin), and fallowing of harvesting areas (3.97%, only in northern Benin). Conclusion Facing the declining abundance and increasing market demand for rootstock powder of Cochlospermum species, existing local conservation strategies should be promoted and the domestication process should be initiated for sustainable management of these important wild edible plants before these important resources disappear completely in the wild.

Parataxonomy and diversity of local varieties of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) and macabo (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) grown in Benin (West Africa)

“…This study provided a directory of vernacular names for local varieties of taro and macabo grown in Benin. This diversity of vernacular names, recorded for each of the two species across the country, testifies to their importance to local communities [ 21 ]. The name “toglin” attributed to C. esculenta by some ethnic groups, meaning water taro, highlights the species' preferred habitat.…”

The Importance of Being Diverse: The Idiosyncratic Ethnobotany of the Reka Albanian Diaspora in North Macedonia

“…Cross-cultural approaches are central to ethnobiology for better understanding of how local nature knowledge and perceptions change across diverse cultural areas, and several recent works, especially those emerging from non-Western scientific arenas, have helped in better understanding cross-cultural emic conceptualizations underpinning human attitudes towards biodiversity (see for example [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]). The Balkans in SE Europe represent a crucial hotspot of both biological and cultural diversities [11,12] and the region not only boasts one of the first ethnobiological studies ever conducted in the world (more than one century ago [13]), but also, during the two past decades, has hosted an impressive resurgence of studies focusing on folklore regarding plant biodiversity, especially among minority groups [12,14] and references therein.…”