The Importance of Cultural Taboos in Native Plant Resources Conservation

The motivation for this study is conservation of indigenous plant resources achieved by community-based practices in the form of taboos observed to regulate the collection and use of the resources. This paper examines the role of taboo observation to limit the exploitation of indigenous plant resources in Limpopo Province of South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used in the investigation. The study sample was made up of 410 participants sampled through random and snowball techniques. The main study focus was on the significance of cultural taboos observed to conserve useful indigenous plant species. The results revealed that indigenous plant users observe a number of cultural taboos that regulate the collecting season, harvesting techniques, and usage of plant resources. Restriction on striking the fruits, gathering of immature grass, and over-harvesting of plant materials are among the collection taboos. Restrictions on the collection of grass in spring show participants' ecological knowledge of the plants' seasonal availability. Taboos regulating the use of plant materials are observed to ensure the sustainability of the species for food security. Failure to follow any of these taboos is said to invoke supernatural intervention in the form of tragedies such as hail, thunderstorms, and cattle barrenness. These indigenous knowledge systems for native resource conservation might be included into natural resource conservation strategies to improve sustainable use and management of native plants, thus sustaining the livelihoods of the local communities.