Urbanization, modernization, and nature knowledge

Abstract

The process of urbanization and modernization has led to a growing approximation between local populations and urban environments. An important question in ethnobiology is to understand the effects that this process can exert on the knowledge of human groups regarding environmental resources. In this chapter, we discuss the effects of urbanization and modernization in local ecological knowledge, and we take the use of medicinal plants in local medical systems as an example to discuss the issue. Here, as well, we show evidence from studies demonstrating that urbanization processes negatively affect the knowledge of medicinal plants as well as the evidence to suggest that a negative effect on knowledge does not necessarily occur. In addition, we note certain mechanisms that are associated with the infl uence of urbanization on the knowledge of medicinal plants.