Ethnobotanical Factors Influencing the Use and Management of Wild Edible Plants in Agricultural Environments in Benin

Abstract

This study investigates how the socioeconomic status of local people interacts with cultural, botanical, and economic features of wild edible plants to shape the floristic richness and management options of these resources. We interviewed husbands and their wives in 60 households from three ethnic groups in central Benin. We found that ethnicity affected the composition of managed species at the community level. Within communities, the richness and composition of species managed by households were shaped by the age of heads of households and land ownership by women. Within households, gender affected the richness of managed species and a gender specialization for specific groups of species was observed. The intensity of management practices used by locals depended on the level of knowledge they had on the species’ propagation and seed conservation combined with their use importance. In any case, they tended to adopt the most intensive strategies to secure the most importantresources.