Changing Landscapes: Impacts of Environmental Change on Knowledge and Use of Medicinal and Edible Wild Plants in the Communities of Point au Chien and Isle de Jean Charles in Southern Louisiana.

Coastal erosion is altering the ecosystem of coastal Louisiana, including its human communities, through massive land loss and encroaching salinity. These natural and human-initiated processes are threatening communities’ ability to remain in the places where they have lived for generations. This study examines changes in medicinal and edible wild plant knowledge and use in two Native American communities in southern Louisiana in the context of rapid environmental change. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with community members in order to access individual knowledge of medicinal and wild edible plant species. Subsequently, recorded information was compared to historical records on plant use to gauge how use and knowledge have changed in the region. The study found a considerable decline in plant use and associated knowledge. Furthermore, this study records local peoples’ perceptions of the causes of decline in use of medicinal and edible plants, along with their experiences of coastal erosion.