Wisdom in periodic markets and traditionally used edible & medicinal plants in Jingdong intermontane region, Southwest China.

backgroundMountains, shaped by geophysical barriers and environmental gradients and with biodiversity, serve as critical hotspots of co-evolved biocultural diversity and traditional ecological knowledge. Within China's Hengduan Mountain Range, the Wuliang and Ailao Mountains (Yunnan Province, southwestern China) are global biodiversity conservation priorities. Jingdong Yi Autonomous County, encircled by mountain ranges, possesses exceptional biological and biocultural resources. Meanwhile, local traditional markets emerge as ethnobiologically vital nexus, sustaining socioeconomic interaction while serving as reservoirs of genetic resources with associated traditional knowledge. Therefore, this study aims to (1) Systematically document edible & medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge in Jingdong County, and identify culturally significant species for local communities. (2) Explore the multidimensional functions of traditional markets and clarify their key contributions. (3) Clarify how and why traditional markets can further enhance local wisdom preservation and community resilience.

methodsThe ethnobotanical surveys were conducted both in the large periodic traditional markets across three seasons in Jingdong County to document utilized plants and associated traditional knowledge. Additional ethnobotanical investigations were conducted in 7 towns and villages to gather supplementary information on some key cultural and economic plants. The species of significant importance to local people were identified using the Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) method, and comparisons among local ethnic groups, previous investigations were conducted with the Jaccard similarity index (JI) to identify specificity and commonalities. For each documented species, the vernacular names, growth form, source, consumed parts, processing method, and the effectiveness, and additional use(s) of utilized plants were recorded. The original disease records were standardized according to the WHO International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-3).

resultsThe ethnobotanical surveys documented 226 taxa (including species and varieties) from 84 families and 187 genera, with Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, and Fabaceae being the most frequently represented families. Of these, 59 taxa were primarily used as edible plants (EP), 70 taxa as medicinal plants (MP), and 97 taxa as medicinal food plants (MFP). For edible purposes, leaves were the predominated part and were typically stir-fried. For medicinal use, the main preparation method was decoction or alcohol maceration, and the primary used part were roots. A total of 47 human ailments mentioned by informants were classified into 13 ICPC-3 categories, with the "Immune System" category being the most numerous. The utilization of MFP and dietary regimen concepts reflects the rich biocultural diversity and survival wisdom of local people. A quantitative analysis using RFC demonstrated that plants such as Aralia gintungensis and Trachycarpus fortunei were important to local communites. Similarity analysis revealed that the difference between the Yi and Han people was minimal (JI = 0.62), whereas the plant species sold at the market and those used by village herbalists differed from each other (JI = 0.09). Additionally, in such remote areas, traditional markets serve as a critical nexus that connects livelihood support, knowledge transmission, and resource preservation.

conclusionThis study presented 226 taxa of edible and medicinal plants utilized by local communities in Jingdong, showcasing the rich biocultural diversity of this intermontane region. Additionally, the study analyzed how local traditional markets in remote mountainous areas function as essential hubs for socioeconomic interaction and living reservoirs of plant resources with their traditional knowledge. Our findings highlight the need to enhance attention and resource allocation to local markets, thereby enabling markets to mobilize their potentials in foresting the synergy between conservation and sustainable development through a bottom-up approach for the indigenous peoples and local communities.