Abstract Book - 3rd International Symposium on Medicinal Plants ...

6.3 Medicinal Plant Collection in Southwest China: An Ecological and
Societal Analysis
Huber, Franz K., and Seeland, Klaus
Society, Environment and Culture, Institute for Environmental Decisions, ETH Zürich,
Sonneggstrasse 33, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
<strong>Abstract</strong>: During repeated fieldwork in two research sites in SW China (Muli County, Sichuan
Province and Jianchuan County, Yunnan Province) between 2004 and 2011, a total of 177 rural
households have been visited and a survey on socioeconomic background of the households and
the use of natural resources, in particular medicinal plants and mushrooms for subsistence and
cash income, has been conducted. Neither market accessibility, nor household education level or
amount of agricultural field area significantly correlates with the amount of income from the
collection of medicinal plants. In our field sites in Southwest China, medicinal plant collection is
thus not a livelihood strategy for the remote and marginal population only, but a secondary income
source for the majority of households. However, there is a negative correlation between the total
household cash income and the share of income from medicinal plants, indicating that medicinal
plant collection plays only then a significant role in people‟s livelihoods when other, more
rewarding income sources are lacking. Due to the highly fluctuating market for medicinal plants,
the collection of medicinal plants is generally driven by middlemen and traders, largely
disregarding local ecological knowledge and social institutions related to the use of natural
resources, and thus posing risks to vulnerable plant populations. In the wake of China‟s economic
opening however, the rural population is more and more participating in the national economy,
both as consumer and as provider of labor. The decreasing dependence of the rural population on
income from medicinal plant collection seems to constitute a means of conservation for medicinal
plant populations in Southwest China. However, recently increased living standards also pose a
threat to these resources as a backup income source, in case of economic slow-down.
Key words: Collection, ecology, medicinal plant, southwest china, societal analysis.
6.4 Clımate Change and Ethnobotany of East Medıterranean Part of Turkey
Ozturk Munir 1 , Altay Volkan 2 , and Salih Gucel 3
1 Ege University, Science Faculty, Botany Department, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. 2 Mustafa Kemal
University, Faculty of Science & Arts, Biology Department, Antakya, Turkey. 3 Institute of
Environmental Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia,The Northern Cyprus.
<strong>Abstract</strong>: Ethnobotanical data forms were prepared as follows; Date: --Research area
(District/Village):---Informants name:--Age: --Addresses/Telephone number: --1.Local name of
plant: --2. Part of plant:--3. Usage purpose of plant:--4. Dosage: --5. How to use it (powder, pulp,
tea, etc.) --Internal□ External □ 6. Usage period of plant: --7. Side effect of plant :---- These were
distributed among the local inhabitants in the different cities of East Mediterranean part of Turkey.
The material was also collected from earlier published data. The herbal medicines coming from
the mountainous areas of this region are in particular very important, because these are already
under threat due to several abiotic stresses. Species belonging to the genera Digitalis, Galanthus,
Artemisia, Primula, Hypericum, Aconitum, Paeonia, Thymus, Lupinus, Rhus, Rosa, Salvia,
Origanum, Nigella, Matricaria, Carum, Carthamus, Allium, Equisetum, Pinus, Chenopodium,
Glycyrrhiza, Sanguisoraba, Hedera, Inula, Tussilago, Fraxinus, Thymbra, Quercus, Tamus,
Asparagus, Colchicum, Cyclamen, Rumex, Smilax, Celtis, Rumex, Crithmum, Nasturtium, Ajuga,
Alyssum, Aubrieta, Cirsium, Ziziphora, Aethionema, Centaurea, Cephalaria, Phlomis, Scabiosa,
Scutellaria, Verbascum, Micromeria, Prangos, Gundelia can loose the race, and trees like
Aesculus hippocastanum and Salix alba may face local endangerment. The rich plant diversity
here includes a huge number of endemics as well. Ethnobotanically important species are passing
through a critical stage. Situation may become more dangerous for the species growing at high
altitudes. Climate changes can affect the chemical composition, secondary metabolites together
with other compounds, the morphological and phenological behaviour and theirby the survival of
these valuable bioresources in the East Mediterranean. Ethnobotanical surveys are needed for
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