This study recorded and analyzed traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in the Turkestan Range in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, where ethnobotanical knowledge has been largely under-documented to date. Data was collected through participant observation and both semi-structured and in-depth interviews with 10 herbal specialists. A total of 50 medicinal plant taxa were documented, distributed among 46 genera and 27 botanical families. In folk medicine they are applied in 75 different formulations, which cure 63 human and three animal ailments. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices were calculated to analyze traditional knowledge of the informants and to determine the cultural importance of particular medicinal plants. Ziziphora pamiroalaica, Peganum harmala, and Inula orientalis obtained the highest use value (UV). The best-represented and culturally important families were Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Apiaceae. Gastro-intestinal system disorders was the most prevalent ailment category. Most medicinal plants were gathered from nearby environments, however, species with a higher cultural value occurred at distant rather than nearby collection sites. The findings of this study proved the gap in documentation of traditional knowledge in Kyrgyzstan, indicating that further studies on the traditional use of wild plant resources could bring important insights into ecosystems’ diversity with implications to human ecology and bio-cultural diversity conservation in Central Asia.

Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae), known as bitter kola, is a multipurpose tree indigenous to West and Central Africa. This highly preferred species is called “wonder plant” because all of its parts can be used as medicine. Its seeds, the most valued product of the tree, are commonly eaten to prevent/cure gastric disorders and for their typical astringent taste. There is a vast evidence that bioactive components of the seeds can serve as alternative medicine to treat/prevent severe illnesses such as malaria, hepatitis and immune-destructive diseases. Despite the species’ pharmaceutical potential and its high preference by West and Central African communities, G. kola is still at the beginning of its domestication process. Even though, there are numerous scientific articles published on species‘ biological activities, it is a difficult task to find basic information on its diversity, distribution, genetics, silvicultural management or botany. Therefore, in this very first review published on G. kola, we summarize all relevant information known about the species, target some of the challenges connected with its cultivation and propose a leading direction for future research and domestication process.

Eight staple rice cultivars consumed in Kyrgyzstan were evaluated for physical properties in this study. The dimensions of investigated grains correspond to 5.29–6.99 mm for length, 2.52–3.10 mm for width, and 1.88–2.13 for thickness. Equivalent diameter was in range of 3.14 – 3.47 mm, surface area took 25.35–31.90 mm². The sphericity analysis values varied from 0.480 to 0.559, aspect ratio from 0.39 to 0.55, volume of the grain was measured in range from 16.25 to 22.02 mm³, bulk density values were 0.77–0.87 g/cm³, and solid density from 1.17 to 1.41 g/cm³. The porosity of grain was equal to 28.27–39.83%, thousand kernel weight correspond to 19.67 to 27.15 g, rupture force of grain was measured in range of 63.47–155.50 N, color characteristic varied in parameters L*, a* and b*, 37.58–72.19, –0.22–10.17, and 9.65–21.12, respectively. Optimum cooking time ranged from 19.33 to 33.00 min. The water uptake ratios for 30 min of soaking were 1.21–1.28, 1.18–1.45, and 1.14–1.57 for 30, 45, and 60°C, respectively. While the water uptake ratios for 60 min of soaking were 1.22–1.42, 1.19–1.54, and 1.25–1.75 for 30, 45, and 60°C, respectively. Optimal cooking time showed that imported varieties needed lower interval for full grain cooking compared to the local Kyrgyz varieties. It was found that Kyrgyz rice varieties staying more firm after cooking as compared to imported varieties and therefore more suitable for the local traditional dish such as plov.

Forest degradation and forest loss threaten the survival of many species and reduce the ability of forests to provide vital services. Clearing for agriculture in Angola is an important driver of forest degradation and deforestation. Charcoal production for urban consumption as a driver of forest degradation has had alarming impacts on natural forests, as well as on the social and economic livelihood of the rural population. The charcoal impact on forest cover change is in the same order of magnitude as deforestation caused by agricultural expansion. However, there is a need to monitor the linkage between charcoal production and forest degradation. The aim of this paper is to investigate the sequence of the charcoal value chain as a systematic key to identify policies to reduce forest degradation in the province of Bié. It is a detailed study of the charcoal value chain that does not stop on the production and the consumption side. The primary data of this study came from 330 respondents obtained through different methods (semi-structured questionnaire survey and market observation conducted in June to September 2013–2014). A logistic regression (logit) model in IBM SPSS Statistics 24 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA) was used to analyze the factors influencing the decision of the households to use charcoal for domestic purposes. The finding indicates that 21 to 27 thousand hectares were degraded due to charcoal production. By describing the chain of charcoal, it was possible to access the driving factors for charcoal production and to obtain the first-time overview flow of charcoal from producers to consumers in Bié province. The demand for charcoal in this province is more likely to remain strong if government policies do not aim to employ alternative sources of domestic energy.