Mmipe George Mokgehle

Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Biodiversity Conservation Mmipe George Mokgehle

The study was carried out to assess and document the indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable use of indigenous plants in the Dikgale culture as the area has diverse flora that are still exploited to fulfill some of the basic needs such as plant medicine, fodder for livestock and household utensils. The plant species exploited for these purposes are under a serious threat due to competition of harvesting that resulted in their over-use. Traditional knowledge systems such as taboos and restrictions on the harvesting and use of plant materials play a substantial role in sustainable use of important plant species. Cultural beliefs about human relation with the natural environment such as the natural vegetation is a source of human's livelihood, and for this reason, humans have to take care of the environment for their continued use of resources, are still observed such that indigenous plant resource users observe taboos regulating the harvesting and use important species such as Marula, Ximenia sp. and Gynandra sp