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This discussion topic submitted by Deb Temperly (dstemper@alpha.delta.edu) at 2:21 pm on 3/19/01. Additions were last made on Saturday, May 4, 2002.

Frequently we read and hear that we need to save the rainforest in order to save plants that have medicinal value to humans. This is a very simplistic plea for saving the rainforest. Exactly how are medicinal uses studied? What roles do traditional healers play in the process of recognition of value of plant chemicals in medicine? Is it enough to save a few plants or shouldn't we also be conserving large enough tracts of land to allow traditional cultures to continue to flourish in order to save not just the plants but the historical context of the use of the plants? Currently there is increasing interest in the science of ethnobotany, which I will explore as part of this research topic.

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It is 5:13:46 AM on Sunday, October 12, 2008. Last Update: Saturday, May 4, 2002