The history and prospects of ethnobotanical studies of the nomads of Asia

• Published in: Сибирский лесной журнал
• Main Author: B.-Ts. B. Namzalov
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch Publishing House 2019
• Subjects: species of the useful plants; natural systems; nomadic ethnoses; ethnoecology; resources of plant world; Forestry; SD1-669.5; taiga
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15372/SJFS20190402; https://doaj.org/article/a7cc5451350a4be190ab7ca0061ae16f

In this work on the example of nomadic ethnic groups – «owners and keepers of the Siberian taiga» – raised the problem of interaction between ethnic communities and natural systems in the historical retrospective and global time scale. The conditions and factors that allow traditional environmental management are shown. At present, there are countries and regions, especially in the central territories of Inner Asia and the Circumpolar Region where traditional management has been preserved, and nomad livestock products are still important and have prospects in providing the population with clean organic products. There is a close connection of ethnoses with the environment. The ethno­ecological analysis shows various forms of relationship of human population with the environment and allows estimating the influence of ethnic communities on their modern relationship. These studies include a wide range of problems of the interaction of ethnoses with nature, allows to solve the problems of life support of indigenous people and maintain traditional culture. The range of the problems of traditional management is very extensive, they do not only incorporate nomadic animal husbandry but also national selection of plants. In this regard, the studies of the unique gene pool food plants and the experience of traditional cultivation of species become quite urgent. The range of the problems includes «ethnobiology», «ethnobotany», «ethnoecology» and «traditional environmental management» with novel approaches to ethno­botanical research as perspective directions of the study of biological resources of the planet.