Abstract Detail

Economic Botany Section

Georgian, Elizabeth [1], Emshwiller, Eve [2].

A Tale of Ethnic Minorities, Rhododendron, and Conservation in Yunnan, China.

We investigated the uses of rhododendrons by eight ethnic groups from northwest Yunnan Province, China in order to determine the extent of sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge. Approximately 200 interviews were conducted with members of the Bai, Dulong, Lisu, Naxi, Nu, Tibetan, and Yi ethnic minorities and with the Han majority. Using cluster analyses, comparisons were made of the interview responses to questions about rhododendron to discern the extent of sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge for each ethnic group. Comparisons were made of the interview responses from the Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi ethnic minorities as they live seperately from each other and are sometimes monolingual. The Dulong, Lisu, and Nu ethnic groups tend to intermarry and can often speak or understand other minority languages, thus the reponses collected from these three ethnic groups were compared. The final comparison conducted was between the Bai minority and Han majorty as they have lived in close contact for many years. The Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi had separate ethnobotanical knowledge of rhododendron, while the Bai, Dulong, Han, Lisu, and Nu had variable and shared ethnobotanical knowledge of rhododendron. Among the eight cultural groups compared here, factors such as the sharing of langauge, living in close proximity, and sharing of markets leads to the sharing of knowledge among different ethnic groups.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
2 - University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany Dept, 321 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

Keywords:
Yunnan Province
rhododendron
ethnic groups
shared knowledge
China.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 1
Location: Napoleon Ballroom/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 9:45 AM
Number: 1007
Abstract ID:89
Candidate for Awards:Economic Botany Section best student paper