Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The
paper presents the first ethnobotanical application of Ellenberg
indicator values, which are widely used in European plant ecology. The
aim of the study was to find out if Ellenberg values (indicating habitat
preferences) differ for wild food and medicinal plants used in
north-eastern Istria (Croatia). We used Ellenberg-Pignatti values (the
version of Ellenberg values used in this part of Europe).
METHODS:
Fifty
semi-structured interviews were carried out among local key informants,
asking which wild food and medicinal plants they used.
RESULTS:
The
mean number of food and medicinal plants mentioned per interview was
30. Altogether, 121 species were recorded as food or medicine used or
previously used in the study area. Thirty-one species are used
exclusively as food or everyday drink, 50 species are used exclusively
as medicine and 40 species are used for both food and medicine. There
were no significant differences between Ellenberg values for food and
medicinal plants, apart from the Nitrogen indicator value - the plants
used exclusively as food had a significantly higher index than those
used in medicine. This probably stems from the fact that plants with
soft fleshy shoots are attractive as food and they are more likely to
come from nitrogen-rich ruderal habitats.
CONCLUSIONS:
Food
plants and medicinal plants are collected from a variety of habitats
and no clear difference between the two categories of plants was
detected, however further testing of Ellenberg values in ethnobotanical
studies could be interesting.
KEYWORDS:
Ellenberg indicator values; Ethnobotany; Ethnoecology; Ethnomedicine; Medicinal plants; Phytoindication; Quantitative ethnobotany; Wild edible plants; Ćićarija
