Ethnobotanical knowledge of children in selected communities in plateau state, Nigeria: Drivers of children’s plant knowledge and the conservation implications for the future of biodiversity

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of primary school children in six selected communities of Plateau State, Nigeria and to determine the drivers of their knowledge including methods of knowledge acquisition and transmission. Six different rural communities from Plateau State Nigeria were  selected for the study; two schools in each community (total, 156 respondents). Data was collected through a mixed methods approach, using focus group plant identification exercise, picture identification activity, and oral interviews. Data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and frequencies. Results revealed that children had a relatively low knowledge of plants (30.3%), although this was mostly indigenous plants. A greater  proportion (40.6 %) of children held no ethnobotanical knowledge, 19.5 % could identify both exotic and  indigenous plants, while a further 9.6% identified only exotic species. Furthermore, the results revealed that parents, mostly mothers were the major transmitters of plant knowledge. We conclude that children’s ethnobotanical knowledge of plants was relatively low, and that there is a need to deliberately encourage local involvement of children in practical plant learning activities to help improve their plant knowledge if they are to become effective and knowledgeable custodians and stewards of our future biodiversity.