The Development Of Ethnobotany In Inner Mongolia

The research of Ethnobotany in Inner Mongolia was first proposed by Professor Chen Shan in 1984. Institute of Ethnobotany, Inner Mongolia Normal University, was established in 1996. Based on the research work at the institute, this emerging subject has spread and developed rapidly around Inner Mongolia and even the whole Mongolian Plateau. The development of the subject over the last 20 years has made Ethnobotany a distinctive subject on botanical resource and cultural diversity in Inner Mongolia and it has an important impact on the development of botany in Inner Mongolia. Based on the interview with the witnesses of Professor Chen Shan and Professor Khasbagan, and analyzing the academic works, the present thesis studies the development history of ethnobotany in Inner Mongolia, aiming at explaining the law of the subject.The research results shows that Inner Mongolia is one of the regions where ethnobotany were studied firstly in China. Inner Mongolia has made a great contribution to the spreading of the subject in China. Professor Chen Shan, among others, is one of the representatives. From the development history of the subject in Inner Mongolia, this thesis comes to the conclusion as follows:(1) Inner Mongolia Normal University is still the center of the research in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and even in North China; (2) ethnobotany researchers with their traditional Mongolian knowledge are the backbone of the research team of subject, for they obtain obvious advantages in researching their ethical culture; (3) as the research of ethnobotany Inner Mongolia is tightly associated with the local environment, and the diversity of plants and cultural, the research has distinctive regional and ethical characteristics; (4) for the research achievement over 20 years being published in Mongolian, Chinese and English, the academic exchange has been regional, national and global; (5) as the academic essays are widely quoted, the success of academy is highly praised among the academia; (6) pay more attention to cultivating talents and try to build academic plats such as Institute of Ethnobotany Inner Mongolia Normal University; (7) with the sufficient potential of the subject in Inner Mongolia, it should be developed to the research of application as soon as possible; (8) it is suggested to research the sectors from the same points for the traditional ethnobotany knowledge is required to be protected and reasonably exploited according to Convention on Biological Diversity and Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; (9) the researching region should be expanded to more places, not only to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, and Gansu Province where there are Mongolian populations in China, but also the connection with Mongol Republic and Russia should be strengthened.