Ethnobotany in the State of Piauí, Brazil: Status and Contributions

Abstract

Human dependence on the potential that plants provide has driven research into this interaction, just as knowledge and use of plant species is passed from generation to generation. Plants play a substantial role in human life, whether as a source of food, medicine, shelter, decoration, construction and others. In this context, the objective was to analyze the scientific production on the use of plants by local/traditional communities in the state of Piauí and point out the main uses by these communities. Therefore, a literature review was carried out in the SciELO, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, CAPES Journal Portal and Google Scholar databases. Were reported 111 scientific articles in which the year of publication ranged from 2004 to 2023, with emphasis on 2015 and 2017. The surveys were carried out in 67 municipalities, with a concentration in the North of the state. Parnaíba was the municipality that had the highest number of publications (n ​​= 18). Around 62% of publications were related to the use of plants as a medicinal resource. However, communities also used them as food and feed, energy, materials and labor, supporting identities, and physical and psychological experiences. It is suggested that researchers take new views on the uses that plant species can provide, mainly taking into account the economic and cultural contexts, as the importance and use of plants vary between local communities.