Ethnobiology
Multidisciplinary study of human-biota-environment relationships.
Ethnobiology examines how people, living things, and environments relate to one another. It draws on social, biological, and medical sciences, and its insights are used in conservation and sustainable development. Because it brings together many viewpoints, the field is well suited to studying the complex, ever-changing connections between human societies and natural systems.
The systematic study of local biological knowledge is commonly associated with the 16th century onward, as Europeans explored and colonized other parts of the world. These Europeans wanted to understand the new regions they entered and also looked for resources they could exploit—practices that today would be considered biopiracy. Crops like potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, maize, and tobacco entered Europe during this time. This local knowledge helped shape early modern biology. Georg Eberhard Rumphius used it to create his *Herbarium Amboinense*, which catalogued over 1,200 plant species from Indonesia; though compiled in the 17th century, the work was not published until 1741. In the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus relied on Rumphius’s work and corresponded with people worldwide while developing his biological classification system. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin, while on the *Beagle* voyage, paid attention to the local biological knowledge of the peoples he met.
Ethnobiology as a distinct practice only emerged in the 20th century, as part of broader efforts to document other cultures. At first, it was almost always a side activity to recording languages, folklore, or natural resource use. Roy Ellen described this early stage as listing the names and uses of plants and animals in non-Western or traditional populations, often as part of salvage ethnography—essentially, the descriptive biological knowledge of so-called primitive peoples. This first phase was largely utilitarian, focused on identifying native plants, animals, and technologies that might have value within dominant Western economic systems.
A second phase developed from the 1950s onward. Researchers now aimed to better document and understand how other peoples themselves conceptualize and categorize the natural world. According to Sillitoe, utilitarian studies gave way to more cognitively framed ones, especially those centered on classificatory schemes. Key markers of this phase include Harold Conklin’s 1950s doctoral d
- field
- Multidisciplinary (social, biological, medical sciences)
- known_for
- Study of relationships among peoples, biota, and environments; application to conservation and sustainable development
- emerged_as_distinctive_practice
- 20th century
- phases
- Phase I (1900s–1940s), Phase II (1950s–1970s), Present (1980s–2000s)
Lore & Background
Ethnobiology emerged as a distinctive practice during the 20th century, initially ancillary to documenting others' languages, folklore, and natural resource use. Its first phase (1900s–1940s) comprised listing names and uses of plants and animals in non-Western populations, often in the context of salvage ethnography, with a utilitarian purpose focused on identifying resources of potential value to Western economies. A second phase (1950s–1970s) shifted toward understanding how other peoples conceptualize and categorize the natural world, marked by Harold Conklin's doctorate on Hanunóo culture and plant relations, Claude Lévi-Strauss's book 'The Savage Mind', and André-Georges Haudricourt's linguistic studies.
Reader's Guide
Ethnobiology has evolved from an ancillary practice to a recognized field of inquiry taught in tertiary institutions worldwide, with its own methods manuals, readers, and textbooks. Its research has significantly impacted ecology, conservation biology, development studies, and political ecology. The field investigates usage of lifeforms, taxonomic systems, cosmological and spiritual significance, traditional ecological knowledge, and cross-cultural comparisons. Subdisciplines include ethnobotany (human-plant relationships), ethnozoology (human-animal relationships), and ethnoecology (perception and management of whole ecosystems). Ethical considerations are central, addressing intellectual property rights, informed consent, potential harm to informants, and the debt to societies from which knowledge is drawn, in light of both Western and indigenous ethical and legal standards.
Did You Know?
- Ethnobiology integrates perspectives from social, biological, and medical sciences, with application to conservation and sustainable development.
- The first phase of ethnobiology (1900s–1940s) was often utilitarian, focusing on identifying native plants, animals, and technologies of potential value to Western economies.
- The second phase (1950s–1970s) shifted to cognitively framed studies, including Harold Conklin's doctorate on Hanunóo culture and plant relations.
- Ethnobiology has its own methods manuals, readers, and textbooks, and is taught in many tertiary institutions around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ethnobiology?
Ethnobiology is a multidisciplinary field that investigates how human communities, living organisms, and their surrounding environments interact with one another. It draws on social, biological, and medical sciences to make sense of these intertwined relationships.
When did Ethnobiology become a distinct discipline?
Although the systematic recording of local biological knowledge dates back to the 16th century during European exploration and colonization, Ethnobiology crystallized as its own recognizable practice in the 20th century.
What are the three recognized phases of Ethnobiology?
Scholars generally divide the field's history into Phase I (1900s–1940s), Phase II (1950s–1970s), and the Present era (1980s–2000s). Each phase reflects shifting methodological and philosophical priorities within the discipline.
How is Ethnobiology applied in the real world?
Its research findings are channeled into conservation programs and sustainable development initiatives. Because the field integrates multiple scientific viewpoints, it is particularly effective at addressing the constantly evolving links between human societies and natural systems.
Why is Ethnobiology described as multidisciplinary?
Rather than staying within a single academic silo, Ethnobiology deliberately bridges social, biological, and medical sciences. This cross-field design lets it tackle the complex, ever-changing connections among peoples, biota, and environments that no one discipline could capture alone.
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