Abstract Paper : Ethnobotany of Piper spp and species diversity of the Piper plants in Papua

Ethnobotany of Piper spp and species diversity of the Piper plants in Papua
By Konstantina M.B Kameubun (1), Michael Muehlenberg(2)

1) Biology Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Cenderawasih University (UNCEN), Jayapura, Papua
Email: brigitabio@yahoo.co.id, kkameub@gwdg.de
2) Department of Conservation Biology, Georg-August University Goettingen, Germany
Email: mmuehle@uni-goettingen.de


Abstract
Study of the ethnobotany of Piper species and diversity was carried out in five areas in Papua: Jayapura, Merauke, Mamberamo, Wamena, and Raja Ampat. The aim of the study is to inventory the species of the genus Piper in Papua, to find local community knowledge about the use, the conservation, and the cultivation of Piper in Papua.

By own field surveys and interviews with the local communities in the different regions of Papua 18 species of Piper could be recorded. It is expected that the number of original species of Piper plants in Papua will increase if the survey area is extended. Three species are introduced, 9 species are used by the people in Papua and 1 species serves as a foodplant for fruit-eating birds.

The Papuan community uses Piper plants for medicines, foodstuffs, dowry, drink ingredients, spices, and as ornamental plants. Both, Piper methysticum Forst. and Piper betle L. , are cultivated by local communities and show a variation at the species level. The taxonomic status and the genetic structure of the two species (P. methysticum and P. betle) are investigated by genetics analyses using the methods of Microsatellite and AFLP.

Key words: Ethnobotany, Piper, diversity, Papua