Plant Preservation and the Content of Paleobotanical Samples: A Case Study

1981 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Hally
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Plant Utilization ◽  
Functional Nature ◽  
Plant Processing ◽  
Early Historic

Paleobotanical samples recovered from the floors of three domestic structures at an early historic (A.D. 1550-1700) site in northwestern Georgia are here compared. Several factors-excavation procedures, duration of structure occupancy, functional nature of structures, nature and timing of structure abandonment-which probably contributed to inter-sample variability are discussed. Consideration of the frequency of individual plant species in the samples and of the ethnohistorical evidence for aboriginal plant processing leads to the conclusion that most variability can be attributed to whether or not structures burned and when during the year burning occurred. The analysis demonstrates that the manner in which plant parts become carbonized has a major impact on the accuracy with which paleobotanical remains reflect actual plant utilization.

The use of plant wax alkanes as marker substances in studies of the nutrition of herbivores: a review

1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 913 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Dove ◽  
RW Mayes
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Marker Substances ◽  
Pulse Dose ◽  
Sampling Procedures ◽  
Plant Wax

This review discusses the potential use of plant wax components, especially n-alkanes, as markers for estimating herbage intake, estimating the botanical composition of consumed herbage and studying digesta kinetics. Previous approaches to making these measurements are discussed briefly. Attention is drawn to the fact that current methods for estimating intake do not adequately allow for differences between individual animals. It is also suggested that the markers currently used to estimate botanical composition or study digesta kinetics are inadequate. The nature of the chemical constituents of plant waxes is briefly discussed and the concept of using alkanes to estimate intake is introduced. Particular emphasis is given to the fact that although the recovery of alkanes in faeces is not complete, intake can still be estimated using a pair of alkanes (one natural, one dosed) provided these have similar faecal recoveries. The accuracy of estimation of intake is discussed in terms of: obtaining a representative sample of herbage; alkane dosing and faecal sampling procedures; validity of the assumption of similar recoveries for the natural and dosed alkanes; sample preparation and analysis. Published comparisons of estimated and actual intakes are presented, with the conclusion that satisfactory results are obtained if intake is estimated using natural C33 alkane and dosed C32 alkane. The use of the different patterns of alkanes in herbage species, as a means of estimating botanical composition, is then discussed. Results are presented showing this can be done successfully with herbage mixtures or oesophageal extrusa. Procedures are then described for making the corrections for incomplete faecal alkane recovery, necessary to estimate the botanical composition of the herbage consumed by the free-grazing animal. This allows the quantification of the intake of individual plant species by individual animals, and it is suggested that this can be achieved without the need for oesophageally-fistulated (OF) animals. Differences in alkane levels between plant parts within a species are then discussed. It is suggested that these can lead to error in the estimation of intake, if OF animals should consume plant parts different from those consumed by the test animals. However, it is also suggested that differences in alkane levels between plant parts can be used to quantify the intake of these parts, in a manner analogous to the estimation of the intake of individual plant species. The usefulness of alkanes in studies of digesta kinetics is then discussed, principally in relation to the natural alkanes, which remain intimately associated with plant particles in the gut. It is suggested that natural alkanes could prove excellent markers for studies of particle breakdown and digesta flow. The preparation of natural 14C-labelled alkane, for use as a pulse dose in mean retention time studies, is also discussed.

Evidence for Berry and Maize Processing on the Canadian Plains from Starch Grain Analysis

2006 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Zarrillo ◽  
Brian Kooyman
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Prunus Virginiana ◽  
Starch Grain Analysis ◽  
Plant Use ◽  
Wild Plant Species ◽  
Plant Utilization ◽  
The World ◽  
Starch Grain ◽  
Plant Processing

The ethnographic and ethnohistoric records from the Northern and Canadian Plains indicate that a variety of plants were utilized by past peoples. These accounts provide two important insights into plant use in this region where very little archaeological evidence exists for plant utilization. First, plant processing tools are most likely to be unmodified lithic tools that may escape our recognition. Second, a variety of plants, which can be identified via starch grain analysis, were processed with these tools. This project analyzed the residues from two unmodified lithic grinding tools, identified as possible plant processing tools, for starch grains. Our results indicate that not only were a nuinber of wild plant species, such as choke cherry (Prunus virginiana), saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) and likely prairie turnip (Psoralea esculenta), processed with these implements, but so too was maize (Zea mays). These results not only provide important insight with respect to identifying a tool class, plant use, and trade within our study area, but also provide an exceptional window into the use of wild plant species, an aspect of human history that is poorly understood in many regions of the world in addition to the Northern Plains.

scholarly journals Ethnobotany as A Science of Preserving Traditional Knowledge: A Case Study of Herbal Uses of Plants in Trans-Himalaya (Ladakh), India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiekh Marifatul Haq ◽  
Eduardo Soares Calixto ◽  
Zubair A. Malik ◽  
Ripu M. Kunwar
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Medicinal Use ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background - The sixth anthropocene mass extinction in the last 540 million years indicates that human activities including illegal trade is the fundamental threat to the endangered species, their habitats and to the global biodiversity as well. In this context, it is paramount keeping in view the role of hotspot regions in the conservation of biodiversity and their varied potential of ethnobotanical services.The present study quantified the traditional ethnobotanical usage and people’s choices of plants and evaluated the composition, distribution, trade and conservation of plants in Ladakh region, India.Methods - During 2018-2019, ethnobotanical documentation of the plants growing in Ladakh (a part of trans-Himalaya), India, was carried out to collect information regarding different usages of plant species growing in the region through open and close-ended questionnaire surveys and interviews. Multivariate ecological community analysis was used to find the relationship between ethnobotanical usage and plant species.Results - Floristically, a total of 103 species belonging to 80 genera and 38 families were reported to be used as medicine, food, fodder, fuelwood, fragrance, dye, flavor and oil. Asteraceae was the largest family with 20% species, followed by Ranunculaceae (10% species) and Fabaceae (7% species). Three plant usage clusters were determined at a vertical distance value of 0.4 where the clusters are distinctly separated. Preference analysis showed the highest priority of local people for medicinal use of plants followed by fodder and fuelwood. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves followed by roots and flowers. Local Amchis and elderly people had great familiarity with medicinal plants and their ethnic usage. The plant species harvested were sought for self-consumption (65%) and for commercial purposes (35%).Conclusions - The present study provides unique information regarding the ethnobotanical knowledge in Ladakh region and baseline data for future researchers, policymakers, public, land managers, and the other stakeholders to develop scientifically-informed strategies for conservation of natural resources and sustainable use of plant diversity in hotspot regions like trans-Himalayas and other similar biodiversity-rich sites.

Medicinal plants and sustainable livelihood in Pauri district of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India.

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (06) ◽  
pp. 4589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vardan Singh Rawat
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Sustainable Livelihoods ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Total Plant

The present study was conducted in the Thalisain block of Pauri Garhwal to document the medicinal plants used by the local communities. 53 plant species distributed in 38 families were documented. Of the total plant species 49% were herbs, 26% trees, 23% shrubs and 2% climbers. 16 different plant parts were used by local communities for different ailments. Medicinal plants were widely used by major sections of the community against common colds, cough, skin diseases, snake bite, fever, joint pains, bronchitis etc. Women and local healers called vaids have a vital role in environmental management due to traditional knowledge and use of plants as medicine with undocumented knowledge. It has been observed as one of the best option of sustainable livelihoods for the residents of the area.

scholarly journals Geographic source estimation using airborne plant environmental DNA in dust

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Lennartz ◽  
Joel Kurucar ◽  
Stephen Coppola ◽  
Janice Crager ◽  
Johanna Bobrow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Dust Sample ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Settled Dust ◽  
Great Utility

AbstractInformation obtained from the analysis of dust, particularly biological particles such as pollen, plant parts, and fungal spores, has great utility in forensic geolocation. As an alternative to manual microscopic analysis of dust components, we developed a pipeline that utilizes the airborne plant environmental DNA (eDNA) in settled dust to estimate geographic origin. Metabarcoding of settled airborne eDNA was used to identify plant species whose geographic distributions were then derived from occurrence records in the USGS Biodiversity in Service of Our Nation (BISON) database. The distributions for all plant species identified in a sample were used to generate a probabilistic estimate of the sample source. With settled dust collected at four U.S. sites over a 15-month period, we demonstrated positive regional geolocation (within 600 km2 of the collection point) with 47.6% (20 of 42) of the samples analyzed. Attribution accuracy and resolution was dependent on the number of plant species identified in a dust sample, which was greatly affected by the season of collection. In dust samples that yielded a minimum of 20 identified plant species, positive regional attribution was achieved with 66.7% (16 of 24 samples). For broader demonstration, citizen-collected dust samples collected from 31 diverse U.S. sites were analyzed, and trace plant eDNA provided relevant regional attribution information on provenance in 32.2% of samples. This showed that analysis of airborne plant eDNA in settled dust can provide an accurate estimate regional provenance within the U.S., and relevant forensic information, for a substantial fraction of samples analyzed.

Field Observations of Oviposition by a Specialist Herbivore on Plant Parts and Plant Species Unsuitable as Larval Food

2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1478-1486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole D. Benda ◽  
Cavell Brownie ◽  
Coby Schal ◽  
Fred Gould
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Larval Food ◽  
Specialist Herbivore ◽  
Plant Parts

Plant induced spatial distribution of nematodes in a semi-natural grassland

Nematology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Viketoft
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Nematode Communities ◽  
The Family ◽  
Natural Grassland ◽  
Nematode Fauna

AbstractThis study describes the nematode community in a semi-natural grassland and investigates if certain individual plant species can cause a spatial structure in the nematode fauna. Nematode communities were analysed in soil under Trifolium repens, Festuca ovina and from randomly taken samples. Seventy-nine nematode genera were identified. Some of the species found have not previously been reported from Sweden. Multivariate analysis separated the nematode communities associated with the two selected plant species from each other, and several individual nematode genera differed in abundance between the plant species. Trifolium repens supported greater populations of the plant feeder Tylenchorhynchus and the bacterial feeders Eucephalobus, Chiloplacus, Eumonhystera and Panagrolaimus, but fewer numbers of the bacterial feeder Achromadora. Soil under F. ovina contained more nematodes from the family Alaimidae. A comparison is given with other studies from grassland systems in Sweden.

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