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| Methods
Figure 2. Working on sample plot
interviews and questionnaires. Preparation of the final reference list of plants with
their corresponding local-language names took considerable time because of the
mixture of Vietnamese language and Pahy language used by the local people.
Some specimens identified to one species had several local names (e.g. Ageratum
conyzoides) and other specimens with one local name belonged to different species
(e.g. Fibraurea tinctoria and Bowringia sp.). A. conyzoides was given two local
names (Cá hỡi and Sắc par abon) by different informants at different sites along
with different uses. (Being bad for soil, Cá hỡi has few uses, while Sắc par abon
was mentioned as potential fertilizer for sweet potato, although another informant
said that it is actually not used by villagers). Catimbium brevigulatum, which was
recorded in seven plots, had four different local names (A kai, A xây cỡ, Betre,
Papan). Although informants were reliable and persistent in their ways of naming
species, both gender and different experiences caused variation and the mixture of
different languages (mainly Pahy and Vietnamese) was sometimes confusing for
the researchers. The ethno-botanical survey was conducted simultaneously in the
field, where we had in total 12 informants, normally two or more at the same time
with both genders represented. This was important to ensure the broad sampling
of knowledge about uses and sites. As an example, genus Bowringia, which was
present in four plots in two land types (secondary forest and primary forest), had
no use according to five informants, whereas two informants said it was used as
firewood and its roots could be sold.