Review on Two Decades Development of Ethnobotany in China

Authors PEI ShengJi

Journal Acta Botanica Yunnanica , 2008,4:30

Abstract This paper presents and discusses on two decades development history of ethnobotany in China.Ethnobotany appeared as a scientific research subject in 1896 in USA,ethnobotany as discipline to study with in China was begun in 1982;and in 1987 the first ethnobotany research department was established at the Kunming Institute of Botany,Chinese Academy of Sciences.After twenty years development,ethnobotany in China has been developed from basic,or desecriptive research into applied phase,immense progress has been made in sustainable plant resource use,biodiversity conservation and rural regional-coordination development.However,ethnobotany as discipline in China is remarkable in establishement of theoretic framework;identification of research areas;methodological development and set-up appropriate approaches for basic and applied ethnobotany.This paper presents and discusses development history of ethnobotany in China;advances in research and field-site development;discipline development and training of young scientists;theoretical innovation and development,and promotion of ethnobotanical research and training in China,which are largely based on the works that have been done and development facts presented at the Kunming Institute of Botany,Chinese Academy of Sciences.Meanwhile suggestions for further development of Chinese ethnobotany in three aspects are proposed in the paper.