ethnobotanical

Ethnobotany is a multidisciplinary field that studies how people in different cultures perceive, use, and manage plants. It covers medicinal, food, ceremonial, ecological, and practical applications and integrates ethnography, botany, pharmacology, chemistry, and linguistics.

The term was coined in 1895 by John William Harshberger. The field grew through fieldwork documenting traditional plant knowledge, practices, and ecological context, with later contributions from scholars such as Richard Evans Schultes.

Methods include fieldwork, interviews, participant observation, and the collection and documentation of plant specimens, local names, preparation methods, and cultural meanings. Collaboration with communities is common, and ethical engagement is emphasized to respect local knowledge.

Topics range from traditional medicine and pharmacopoeias to edible plants and food systems, as well as plant domestication and resource management. Ethnobotany also addresses conservation of biodiversity and associated knowledge, and it informs approaches to sustainable livelihoods, agroforestry, and cultural preservation.

Ethical considerations are central: informed consent, benefit-sharing, protection of indigenous knowledge, and adherence to international frameworks such as the Nagoya Protocol. Researchers emphasize co-creation of knowledge, respect for cultural rights, and avoidance of biopiracy, striving to protect linguistic and cultural diversity while advancing scientific understanding.