PJB-2023-46
Comparative food ethnobotany of communities of Balochi, Brahvi and Pushtoon inhabiting arid environment in Balochistan Province, NW Pakistan
Shazia Kousar
Abstract
The human population inhabiting the arid environment develops adaptation to cope the environmental harshness which directly link with their local ecological and ethnobotanical knowledge. This paper was aimed to assess the wild edible plants’ diversity, and status of associated traditional knowledge among three ethnic group of Balochistan Province. The field trips were carried out in 2018-2020 employing purposive sampling techniques for respondents. In-depth open ended, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. One hundred and ninety five (195) people (100 Pushtoons, 50 Balochis and 45 Barahvis) participated in the survey. It yielded 140 wild food plants in 44 families and 105 genera. Brassicaceae (15 spp., 10.17%) was the most represented family followed by Asteraceae (14 spp., 10%), Apiaceae (9 spp. 6.42%) and Lamiaceae (8 spp., 5.71%). Maximum plants were gathered form dry mountain slopes i.e. (63 spp., 45.7%) followed by agricultural fields (35 spp. 25%) and plain areas (30 spp., 21.24%). Eight (8) used categories were determined i.e. eaten fresh (47 spp. 33.57%), as vegetable (46 spp., 32.85%), vegetable and salad (15 spp, 10.71%), salad (14 spp, 10%), beverages only (8 spp, 5.71%), and flavor (7 spp, 5%). leaves (54 spp., 38.57%) were the most used part followed by fruits (44 spp, 31.42%), tubers (13, 9.28%), bulb (11, 7.8% species), whole plant (8, 5.7%), flowers (4, 2.8%), seeds (4, 2.8), shoots (3, 2.14) young stem (2, 1.42). Effect of age and gender was observed in addition to inter-cultural knowledge heterogeneity. Seventy five (75) species (53.57%) were cited for mutual utilization and the rest 65 (46.42%) was used differently. Pushtoons hold significant traditional knowledge and exclusively utilized 44 (31.42%) plant taxa. Similarly, the Pushtoons and Balochis shared 13 (9.28%), Pushtoon and Barahvi (2 species), and Balochi and Barahvi (2 species). In quantitative analysis Portulaca oleracea, Amaranthus viridis Allium umbilicatum, Pinus gerardiana and Asphodelus tenuifolius were the most familiar edible plants to local communities as they scored higher RFCs i.e. 0.30, 0.25, 0.25, 0.17 and 0.15 respectively. Jaccard index (JI) discovered that 13 species were already reported in aligned areas for their food value whereas 92 plant species were reported for the first time. Among these new reports Ferula costata, F. oopoda, Ferula assa-foetida, Allium zhobicum, Asphodelus tenuifolius, Sonchus oleraceus, Menoicus linifolius, Capparis decidua were mostly reported species from the region. Increasing environmental hostility, frequent flood hits, persistent drought, resource scarcity, unprivileged socio-economics, outmigration and mass displacement due to mega developmental projects causing the fragmentation of existing knowledge. The establishment of these wild edible as crops in the region would be a game changer for food security, socioeconomic development and nutritional supplements for agro-pastoral people and far flung people.
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