Abstract:

Background: The authoritative international documents involving the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol, and The Shenzhen Declaration on Plant Sciences, emphasize the significance of recognizing the important role of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity. The role of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity in the conservation and sustainable development of biocultural diversity has attracted increasing attention. Ethnobotany, as the most important discipline and direction for the study of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, has made a series of research progress in recent years. It has greatly promoted the completion of the sixth priority area of the “The Shenzhen Declaration on Plant Science”.
Progress: This paper reviewed recent ethnobotanical research progress after “The Shenzhen Declaration on Plant Science”, mainly from the aspects of cognition, utilization, conservation and management of plants. It presented the research status in ethnobotany and provided information for future ethnobotanical development.
Perspective: The recently obtained results show that ethnobotany research can solve some current hot issues. The study of ethnobotany has demonstrated that this discipline can greatly promote the protection of traditional knowledge, plant culture, and biocultural diversity, especially in the protection of landrace and endangered languages.

Key words: The Shenzhen Declaration on Plant Science, ethnobotany, traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, plant culture, biocultural diversity