Ethnobiology of Uzbekistan

Natural resources and associated biological diversity provide the basis of livelihood for humans, particularly in rural areas and mountain regions around the world. Over centuries, indigenous peoples, traditional societies and local communities have developed their own specific knowledge regarding plant use, management, and conservation. The history of plant use by humans as food and to treat diverse ailments dates back to ancient civilizations. Even though the advent of allopathic medicine has somehow minimized the role of medicinal plants in favor of synthetic drugs, a number of modern drug discoveries have been based on medicinal plants used by indigenous peoples.

Ethnobiology is the burgeoning interdisciplinary scientific field which covers all sorts of interactions between plants and people, and Central Asia is recognized as a plant diversity hot spot. The mountains and valleys of this region are rich in unique medicinal and food plant species. Local communities residing in the mountain regions of Central Asia possess unique knowledge of surrounding resources, which is the result of many years of interaction with and selection of the most desirable and pervasive plant species present.

In this context, this book provides comprehensive information on cross-culture variation in the traditional uses of plants, fungi, and animal species as food, medicine, and for cultural purposes among the diverse communities of Uzbekistan. The key areas of focus include plant diversity in Uzbekistan, cross cultural variation in traditional uses of plant species, high-value medicinal and food plant species, and threats and conservation status of plant species and traditional knowledge

Richly illustrated with over 200 color illustrations First comprehensive volume on the ethnobiology of Uzbekistan Covers medicinal plants, fungi, animals, and local cultural traditions, plus other key traditional knowledge

Auteur

Olim K. Khojimatov In 1990, Olim K. Khojimatov worked as a research trainee in the laboratory "Flora and taxonomy of vascular plants" of the Institute of Scientific Research of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, since 1996 - a researcher at the laboratory "Cadaster and Plant Resources." In 1998 Olim defended his PhD. thesis in the specialty "Botany" on the topic: Medicinal plants of a basin of River Pskem (Tashkent region of the Republic of Uzbekistan). Since 1999, he worked as a senior researcher at the Cadaster and Plant Resources laboratory of the eponymous institute of scientific research. In the course of scientific activity, Olim K. Khojimatov successfully participated in projects within the framework of several state scientific and technical programs. In particular, he worked on the flora of medicinal plants in Tashkent, Dzhizak, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya regions, and Karakalpakstan. The scientific results obtained from these projects are given as recommendations to the Ecology and Environmental Protection State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, employees of the reserves of the republic national parks and forestry.

In 1994-1996 Olim was granted the Japanese government MONBUSHO scholarship and studied at Nagoya University and Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical Universities. From 2000 to 2004 he worked at the Japanese universities of Kyoto and Tokushima.

In 2008, Olim successfully defended his Doctor of Sciences dissertation in the specialty "Botany-03.00.05" on the topic: Medicinal plants of South-West Tien-Shan ridges, He compiled and analyzed a list of the medicinal flora of the Uzbek part of the Western Tien Shan, numbering 705 species belonging to 351 genera and 91 families. Valuable ethnobotanical information concerning the use of medicinal plants of the study area in folk medicine by the local population has been collected. The result of the work was the development of instructions for the collection, drying, and storage of plant raw materials, as well as cartographic schemes of commercial thickets of 65 species of promising medicinal plants. The recipes were developed, and 4 kinds of healing herbal teas were introduced into production: "Jeludochniy", "Muzhiza", "Kakhkhorin" and "Uspokoitelniy"

During 2017-2020, Olim. Khojimatov held the post of head of the laboratory "Plant Resources" of the Botanical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Currently, he works as a leading researcher at the Cadaster and Monitoring of Rare Plant Species laboratory. His scientific direction is related to the study of medicinal plants, ethnobotany, and resources.

Olim K. Khojimatov is the author of more than 225 scientific and popular articles and theses, including published five monographs, three textbooks, one patent, and a copyright certificate. In addition, he participated in two foreign grant projects as a botanist. Under the leadership of Prof. Khojimatov, one doctor of science (DsSc), three doctors of philosophy (Ph.D.), and one graduate student in biological sciences obtained their degrees. Currently, Olim K. Khojimatov consults one Doctor of Sciences (DSc) and three Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) on scientific dissertations in biological sciences

Dr. Yusufjon Gafforov is a senior researcher at the Mycology Laboratory of the Institute of Botany, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences. He holds a PhD in Mycology and Botany from the Institute of Botany and an MSc in Biology from Namangan State University, Uzbekistan. His research interests focus mainly on mycology, phytopathology, ethnobiology, plant protection and molecular biology. He conducted postdoctoral studies at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, at the Institute of Botany, Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, as well as thana

Contenu
Preface.- Ecosystems, Biodiversity of Uzbekistan and Its Global Value.- The peoples of Uzbekistan and their traditions.- A Brief History of Ethnobiology in Uzbekistan.- Diversity of Medicinal Plants, Fungi and Animals Use in Uzbekistan.- Plants and Their Folk Medicinal Uses in Local Communities.- Fungi and Their and Folk Medicinal Uses in Local Communities.- Animals and Their and Folk Medicinal Uses in Local Communities.- Folk healers (Tabib's) Knowledge and Communication about Traditional Uses of Ethnobiological Species in Uzbekistan.- Distribution Map of Medicinal Plants, Fungi and Animals (or Ethnobiological Species) Use in Uzbekistan.- Appendix.- Table.- Photo Gallery.- References.- Index to Medicinal Plant Species.- Index to Medicinal Fungal Species.- Index to Medicinal Animal Species.