Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior
Biographic Data
| ID | 198139 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior |
| GIVEN NAMES | Washington Soares Ferreira |
| FAMILY NAME | Júnior |
| SIGNATURE | JÚNIOR W S F |
| AFFILIATIONS | Universidade de Pernambuco |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3128-0514 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 43 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 135 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 43 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
How symptom perception influences the selection of medicinal plants for the treatment of therapeutic targets in local medical systems
Understanding how people select medicinal plants in local medical systems is one of the central questions in Ethnobiology. Although characteristics of medicinal plant species, such as perceived efficacy, availability, organoleptic characteristics, among others, have been investigated, the influence of perceptions of therapeutic targets, particularly their symptoms, on this process remains poorly understood. We investigated whether therapeutic tar…
The Need for a Culture of Care and Safety for Ethnobiologists in the Field
Ethnobiology has made significant strides in its ethical engagement with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. However, the discipline has largely overlooked the multidimensional risks and vulnerabilities that researchers themselves encounter. Ethnobiological fieldwork is inherently intersubjective and requires deep emotional engagement, which can impose profound psychological burdens, particularly in contexts marked by structural violence. T…
Medicinal keystone species: Linking local medicinal systems and social-ecological systems in a One Health perspective
Local medicinal systems, sometimes referred to as "traditional", are characterized by a strong integration between human, animal and ecosystem health, of which the rich interdependencies are central tenets of the One Health perspective. Drawing inspiration from the concept of cultural keystone species, developed over the last twenty years to deepen understanding of the importance of certain non-human species in local societies and the reciprocal …
Recife Charter – Pathways for the future of ethnobiology
At the 5th International School of Ethnobiology in Recife (4–5 November 2025), researchers from Brazil and around the world gathered in a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose to envision the future of ethnobiology. This document presents the central agreements and commitments from this transformative meeting, affirming the imperative for an ethnobiology that is theoretically robust, socially relevant, and ethically responsible. The Recife C…
Upholding Ethical Accountability in Ethnobotany and Ethnobiology Research
The Role of exotic medicinal plants in the treatment of modern diseases: A study at public markets on a global scale
Can socioeconomic factors and the availability of medicinal plant resources influence people's perception of risk in relation to diseases
The contemporary challenge for ethical research involving the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities and afro-descendants and other marginalized, minority, or minoritized groups
The publication of ethnobiological data raises crucial ethical questions regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) and Afro-descendants and other Marginalized, Minority, or Minoritized Communities (AMMC). While ethnobiology as a discipline is rooted in ethical principles that emphasize respect and appreciation for these communities, the question remains: Is publishing ethnobiological data always respectful of knowled…
The Perception of Availability Explains the Use Value of Plants: Investigating the Ecological Apparency Hypothesis
Advancing ethnobiology for the ecological transition and a more inclusive and just world: A Comprehensive Framework for the Next 20 Years
This opinion piece, written by ethnobiologists from different parts of the world, emphasizes the importance of ethnobiology research in advancing contemporary biology, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and, especially, contributing to the ecological transition and more just and inclusive world. To achieve these goals, it is essential to develop research and collaborate with social groups that live in…
Do socioeconomic factors and local human preference determine the hybridization of knowledge in local medical systems
Our findings provide further evidence of the complementarity between different medical systems and demonstrate that socioeconomic factors can affect local knowledge and are responsible for differences in individual propensity to hybridize distinct medical systems
The influence of exotic and native plants on illnesses with physical and spiritual causes in the semiarid region of Piauí, Northeast of Brazil
Background Local medical systems (LMS) include native and exotic plants used for the treatment of diseases of physical and spiritual nature. The incorporation of exotic plants into these systems has been the subject of many studies. In this context, an analysis was conducted on the influence of the origin of plants on diseases of physical and spiritual nature in order to evaluate the therapeutic versatility of native and exotic species in these t…
Factors that influence complementarity and competition between medicinal plants and medicines of biomedical origin in an urban context
Intermedicality is understood as a space of interaction between different medical systems in a given location, which can result in competition or complementarity. In urban environments, intermedicality is common between the biomedical system and other systems. In these scenarios, it is important to understand the therapeutic strategies used by people to treat illnesses, to identify whether the treatment systems adopted lead to competition or comp…
How does bitter taste guide the utilization of medicinal plants in the semiarid region of Brazil
Background: In numerous cultures, taste plays a pivotal role in the selection of medicinal plants by humans. We investigated whether the bitter taste of plants, as perceived by people, influenced the selection of medicinal plants for treating specific ailments. Method: Using the free-listing technique, we documented local knowledge about medicinal plants across five communities within Catimbau National Park, Pernambuco, Brazil. Participants who w…
Different content biases affect fidelity of disease transmission along experimental diffusion chains
New evidence regarding the role of previous disease experiences on people’s knowledge and learning of medicinal plants and biomedical drugs
Background: What factors influence the knowledge and learning of medicinal plants and biomedical drugs? We investigated this question in a context of intermedicality, exploring previous experiences and the duration of diseases at the individual, family, and community levels. Methods: We conducted our study in a rural community in Northeast Brazil. We use individual semi-structured interviews to gather information on people’s knowledge and learnin…
Interactions between local medical systems and the biomedical system: A conceptual and methodological review in light of hybridization subprocesses
Local medical systems (LMSs) are complex and dynamic, encompassing local perceptions of diseases, prevention and treatment strategies, and evaluations of therapeutic responses. These systems are not isolated and interact with other medical systems, such as the biomedical system. The interaction between these systems creates a "contact zone", which some authors refer to as intermedicality, involving both competitive and complementary interactions.…
Patterns of Biological and Utilitarian Diversity of Plants Through a Dry Forest Precipitation Gradient
How Do Local Medical Systems Work? An Overview of the Evidence
Hypothesis Testing in Ethnobotany: 30 Years After Phillips & Gentry's Seminal Work
Perceived efficiency and local consensus as factors shaping medicinal plant knowledge
Environmental perception goes through physiological, psychological, and cultural filters and can influ- ence the selection and usage of species. Additionally, sharing cultural information is a crucial social strategy for our species' survival. From this standpoint, knowledge that aligns with the local context is typically the most widely "expressed" and/or "replicated" by individuals. Building upon this premise, our objective was to investigate w…
Local ecological knowledge and resilience of ethnomedical systems in a changing world – South American perspectives
Short-term temporal analysis and children's knowledge of the composition of important medicinal plants: The Structural Core Hypothesis
Background Measures of the importance of medicinal plants have long been used in ethnobotany and ethnobiology to understand the influence of social-ecological system factors in the formation of individuals' differential knowledge and use. However, there is still a gap in empirical studies that seek to understand the temporal aspects of this process. Methods To overcome this issue, we used the concept of the structural core of medicinal plants, a …
Evolutionary ethnobiology
Ethnobiology is a discipline that deals with understanding the relationship between human beings and biota. The strong interdisciplinary component of ethnobiology allows it to interact with different fields of knowledge. The evolutionary approach in ethnobiology is not completely absent, however it lacks systematization, which has been recently proposed. From this proposal, the evolutionary ethnobiology emerged. This approach studies the relation…
A Reply to Pierotti’s (2018) Review of “Evolutionary Ethnobiology”: Decolonizing Latin American Science
Evolutionary ethnobiology and cultural evolution: Opportunities for Research and Dialog
The interest in theoretical frameworks that improve our understanding of social-ecological systems is growing within the field of ethnobiology. Several evolutionary questions may underlie the relationships between people and the natural resources that are investigated in this field. A new branch of research, known as evolutionary ethnobiology (EE), focuses on these questions and has recently been formally conceptualized. The field of cultural evo…
Advancing ethnobiology for the ecological transition and a more inclusive and just world: A Comprehensive Framework for the Next 20 Years
This opinion piece, written by ethnobiologists from different parts of the world, emphasizes the importance of ethnobiology research in advancing contemporary biology, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and, especially, contributing to the ecological transition and more just and inclusive world. To achieve these goals, it is essential to develop research and collaborate with social groups that live in…
Local ecological knowledge and resilience of ethnomedical systems in a changing world – South American perspectives
Evolutionary ethnobiology
Ethnobiology is a discipline that deals with understanding the relationship between human beings and biota. The strong interdisciplinary component of ethnobiology allows it to interact with different fields of knowledge. The evolutionary approach in ethnobiology is not completely absent, however it lacks systematization, which has been recently proposed. From this proposal, the evolutionary ethnobiology emerged. This approach studies the relation…
Utilitarian redundancy in local medical systems - theoretical and methodological contributions
The utilitarian redundancy model (URM) is one of the recent contributions to ethnobiology. We argue that URM can be applied to access use-pressure on plant species, the resilience of socioecological systems (e.g., local medical systems), cultural keystone species, and the role of exotic species in social-ecological systems. Based on previous URM studies, we also emphasize the need to differ practical (considering plants and uses that are currentl…
Reflections on the theoretical advance in ethnobiology: Are We Pointing to the Wrong Direction
Over the past 30 years, a series of ethnobiological studies has presented and discussed theoretical scenarios, new hypotheses to be tested, as well as relevant research questions based on dialogue with different disciplines. However, the production of these articles of important theoretical relevance has not accompanied an increase in the number of studies that contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in ethnobiology. In this manuscr…
Does Forest Scarcity Affect the Collection and Use of Firewood by Rural Communities? A Case Study in the Atlantic Forest of Northeastern Brazil
Medicinal Plant Knowledge Richness and Sharing in Northeastern Brazil
Upholding Ethical Accountability in Ethnobotany and Ethnobiology Research
Factors that influence human behavior in biofuel use and their implications for biocultural conservation
A set of investigations has attempted to identify patterns in human resource use behavior to drive conservation strategies. However, it is still necessary to advance the understanding of the factors that influence human decision making in the use of resources, considering the perceived cost-benefit relationships. In this research, we assessed whether cost-benefit rationale may explain why certain resources are more used than others, as well as th…
Medicinal plants and animals of an important seasonal dry forest in Brazil
Research performed in recent years indicates that efforts are still needed to understand the advances in the Caatinga, an important dry seasonal forest, and identify its potential for bioprospecting.These efforts are also important for pinpointing the challenges that should be addressed in future research focused on identifying new candidates for pharmacological studies in this complex region.Thus, in this review, we present the main advances of …
How Do Local Medical Systems Work? An Overview of the Evidence
Hypothesis Testing in Ethnobotany: 30 Years After Phillips & Gentry's Seminal Work
Short-term temporal analysis and children's knowledge of the composition of important medicinal plants: The Structural Core Hypothesis
Background Measures of the importance of medicinal plants have long been used in ethnobotany and ethnobiology to understand the influence of social-ecological system factors in the formation of individuals' differential knowledge and use. However, there is still a gap in empirical studies that seek to understand the temporal aspects of this process. Methods To overcome this issue, we used the concept of the structural core of medicinal plants, a …
The role of individuals in the resilience of local medical systems based on the use of medicinal plants - a hypothesis
Some studies in the field of ethnobiology investigate the knowledge and use of biological resources, especially medicinal plants, to infer the resilience of local medical systems. However, little is known about the resilience of such systems in the context of the distribution of knowledge among individuals in the studied communities. For example, although a medical system is formed by a diverse set of species, the distribution of knowledge may be…
Reflections on the use of hypotheses in ethnobotany: A response to Leonti et al. (2020)
In this article, we examine the review by Leonti et al. (2020) on the use of hypotheses in ethnobotany and we argue that the authors presented two main argumentative deficiencies on their analysis: superficiality and epistemological exclusivism. We discussed the main criticisms of the diversification hypothesis, the utilitarian redundancy model and the availability hypothesis and reinforced the importance of using ecological and evolutionary scen…
Landscapes preferences in the human species: Insights for Ethnobiology From Evolutionary Psychology
According to evolutionary psychology, landscapes preferences by the human species are influenced by their evolutionary past. A set of psychological processes may have been selected to guide the selection of landscapes that offered advantages for the survival and reproduction of human groups in the past. In addition, these psychological mechanisms may also influence the current human behavior in landscapes preference. Based on this, Gordon Orians …
The contemporary challenge for ethical research involving the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities and afro-descendants and other marginalized, minority, or minoritized groups
The publication of ethnobiological data raises crucial ethical questions regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) and Afro-descendants and other Marginalized, Minority, or Minoritized Communities (AMMC). While ethnobiology as a discipline is rooted in ethical principles that emphasize respect and appreciation for these communities, the question remains: Is publishing ethnobiological data always respectful of knowled…
Perceived efficiency and local consensus as factors shaping medicinal plant knowledge
Environmental perception goes through physiological, psychological, and cultural filters and can influ- ence the selection and usage of species. Additionally, sharing cultural information is a crucial social strategy for our species' survival. From this standpoint, knowledge that aligns with the local context is typically the most widely "expressed" and/or "replicated" by individuals. Building upon this premise, our objective was to investigate w…
A Reply to Pierotti’s (2018) Review of “Evolutionary Ethnobiology”: Decolonizing Latin American Science
Is there a biological basis in the selection of medicinal plants in the human species? An initial approach based on chemosensory perception of taste
The ability to identify tastes associated with plant chemicals may have favored humans in identifying plant chemists with pharmacological activity throughout human evolutionary history. The genetic basis of taste perception influences people's varying sensitivity to perceive chemical stimuli of taste. This biological basis can play an important role in plant selection to compose local medical systems, given the argument in the ethnobiological lit…
Do socioeconomic factors and local human preference determine the hybridization of knowledge in local medical systems
Our findings provide further evidence of the complementarity between different medical systems and demonstrate that socioeconomic factors can affect local knowledge and are responsible for differences in individual propensity to hybridize distinct medical systems
How does bitter taste guide the utilization of medicinal plants in the semiarid region of Brazil
Background: In numerous cultures, taste plays a pivotal role in the selection of medicinal plants by humans. We investigated whether the bitter taste of plants, as perceived by people, influenced the selection of medicinal plants for treating specific ailments. Method: Using the free-listing technique, we documented local knowledge about medicinal plants across five communities within Catimbau National Park, Pernambuco, Brazil. Participants who w…
Human mnesic performance in a survival scenario: The Application of the Adaptive Memory Concept in Ethnobiology
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the human brain has evolved to retain information of greater adaptive value in a differentiated manner, being this information relevant for survival. These premises are part of a research field defined as adaptive memory. This article reviews the main studies related to adaptive memory, indicating its recent findings, as well as discussing the possible applications of the theme to studies in evolutionary et…
Resilience and adaptation in the use of medicinal plants with suspected anti-inflammatory activity in the Brazilian Northeast
The role of individuals in the resilience of local medical systems based on the use of medicinal plants - a hypothesis
Some studies in the field of ethnobiology investigate the knowledge and use of biological resources, especially medicinal plants, to infer the resilience of local medical systems. However, little is known about the resilience of such systems in the context of the distribution of knowledge among individuals in the studied communities. For example, although a medical system is formed by a diverse set of species, the distribution of knowledge may be…
Medicinal Plant Knowledge Richness and Sharing in Northeastern Brazil
The role of local disease perception in the selection of medicinal plants: A study of the structure of local medical systems
Landscapes preferences in the human species: Insights for Ethnobiology From Evolutionary Psychology
According to evolutionary psychology, landscapes preferences by the human species are influenced by their evolutionary past. A set of psychological processes may have been selected to guide the selection of landscapes that offered advantages for the survival and reproduction of human groups in the past. In addition, these psychological mechanisms may also influence the current human behavior in landscapes preference. Based on this, Gordon Orians …
Human mnesic performance in a survival scenario: The Application of the Adaptive Memory Concept in Ethnobiology
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the human brain has evolved to retain information of greater adaptive value in a differentiated manner, being this information relevant for survival. These premises are part of a research field defined as adaptive memory. This article reviews the main studies related to adaptive memory, indicating its recent findings, as well as discussing the possible applications of the theme to studies in evolutionary et…
Religiosity/Spirituality Matters on Plant-Based Local Medical System
A theoretical review on the origin of medicinal practices in humans: Echoes from evolution
Humans have been coping with diseases throughout the evolutionary history. The emergence of medical systems, which integrate knowledge and practices related to health management, can be assumed as one of the reactions of the human species to respond to the pressures of diseases. An intriguing question is related to the understanding of how these systems have emerged in our species. To answer this question, some authors created scenarios to explai…
Does Forest Scarcity Affect the Collection and Use of Firewood by Rural Communities? A Case Study in the Atlantic Forest of Northeastern Brazil
Evolutionary ethnobiology and cultural evolution: Opportunities for Research and Dialog
The interest in theoretical frameworks that improve our understanding of social-ecological systems is growing within the field of ethnobiology. Several evolutionary questions may underlie the relationships between people and the natural resources that are investigated in this field. A new branch of research, known as evolutionary ethnobiology (EE), focuses on these questions and has recently been formally conceptualized. The field of cultural evo…
Addressing Social-Ecological Systems across Temporal and Spatial Scales: A Conceptual Synthesis for Ethnobiology
Utilitarian redundancy in local medical systems - theoretical and methodological contributions
The utilitarian redundancy model (URM) is one of the recent contributions to ethnobiology. We argue that URM can be applied to access use-pressure on plant species, the resilience of socioecological systems (e.g., local medical systems), cultural keystone species, and the role of exotic species in social-ecological systems. Based on previous URM studies, we also emphasize the need to differ practical (considering plants and uses that are currentl…
Is there a biological basis in the selection of medicinal plants in the human species? An initial approach based on chemosensory perception of taste
The ability to identify tastes associated with plant chemicals may have favored humans in identifying plant chemists with pharmacological activity throughout human evolutionary history. The genetic basis of taste perception influences people's varying sensitivity to perceive chemical stimuli of taste. This biological basis can play an important role in plant selection to compose local medical systems, given the argument in the ethnobiological lit…
Medicinal plants and animals of an important seasonal dry forest in Brazil
Research performed in recent years indicates that efforts are still needed to understand the advances in the Caatinga, an important dry seasonal forest, and identify its potential for bioprospecting.These efforts are also important for pinpointing the challenges that should be addressed in future research focused on identifying new candidates for pharmacological studies in this complex region.Thus, in this review, we present the main advances of …
Reflections on the theoretical advance in ethnobiology: Are We Pointing to the Wrong Direction
Over the past 30 years, a series of ethnobiological studies has presented and discussed theoretical scenarios, new hypotheses to be tested, as well as relevant research questions based on dialogue with different disciplines. However, the production of these articles of important theoretical relevance has not accompanied an increase in the number of studies that contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in ethnobiology. In this manuscr…
Factors that influence human behavior in biofuel use and their implications for biocultural conservation
A set of investigations has attempted to identify patterns in human resource use behavior to drive conservation strategies. However, it is still necessary to advance the understanding of the factors that influence human decision making in the use of resources, considering the perceived cost-benefit relationships. In this research, we assessed whether cost-benefit rationale may explain why certain resources are more used than others, as well as th…
A Reply to Pierotti’s (2018) Review of “Evolutionary Ethnobiology”: Decolonizing Latin American Science
Reflections on the use of hypotheses in ethnobotany: A response to Leonti et al. (2020)
In this article, we examine the review by Leonti et al. (2020) on the use of hypotheses in ethnobotany and we argue that the authors presented two main argumentative deficiencies on their analysis: superficiality and epistemological exclusivism. We discussed the main criticisms of the diversification hypothesis, the utilitarian redundancy model and the availability hypothesis and reinforced the importance of using ecological and evolutionary scen…
Does Climatic Seasonality of the Caatinga Influence the Composition of the Free lists of Medicinal Plants? A Case Study
The free list is a key data collection tool in ethnobotanical studies. For this reason, it is currently receiving a great deal of attention regarding possible methodological limitations. To this end, we aim to investigate the influence of climatic seasonality of the Caatinga ecosystem on the composition of free lists of medicinal plants provided by people from a rural community located in the northeast region of Brazil. People were asked the same…
Local ecological knowledge and resilience of ethnomedical systems in a changing world – South American perspectives
Short-term temporal analysis and children's knowledge of the composition of important medicinal plants: The Structural Core Hypothesis
Background Measures of the importance of medicinal plants have long been used in ethnobotany and ethnobiology to understand the influence of social-ecological system factors in the formation of individuals' differential knowledge and use. However, there is still a gap in empirical studies that seek to understand the temporal aspects of this process. Methods To overcome this issue, we used the concept of the structural core of medicinal plants, a …
Evolutionary ethnobiology
Ethnobiology is a discipline that deals with understanding the relationship between human beings and biota. The strong interdisciplinary component of ethnobiology allows it to interact with different fields of knowledge. The evolutionary approach in ethnobiology is not completely absent, however it lacks systematization, which has been recently proposed. From this proposal, the evolutionary ethnobiology emerged. This approach studies the relation…
Different content biases affect fidelity of disease transmission along experimental diffusion chains
New evidence regarding the role of previous disease experiences on people’s knowledge and learning of medicinal plants and biomedical drugs
Background: What factors influence the knowledge and learning of medicinal plants and biomedical drugs? We investigated this question in a context of intermedicality, exploring previous experiences and the duration of diseases at the individual, family, and community levels. Methods: We conducted our study in a rural community in Northeast Brazil. We use individual semi-structured interviews to gather information on people’s knowledge and learnin…
Interactions between local medical systems and the biomedical system: A conceptual and methodological review in light of hybridization subprocesses
Local medical systems (LMSs) are complex and dynamic, encompassing local perceptions of diseases, prevention and treatment strategies, and evaluations of therapeutic responses. These systems are not isolated and interact with other medical systems, such as the biomedical system. The interaction between these systems creates a "contact zone", which some authors refer to as intermedicality, involving both competitive and complementary interactions.…
Biology (31 works) · Ecology (26 works) · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies (20 works) · Geography (19 works) · Ethnobiology (17 works) · Sociology (16 works) · Computer Science (12 works) · Medicine (12 works) · Psychology (12 works) · Medicinal plants (10 works)