Background Since time immemorial, Africans have gathered plant re- sources to meet their livelihood needs [1]. These resources include amongst others food, fodder, construction mate- rial, and fibres for clothing [2]. This heavy dependency on plant resources is largely conditioned by various factors that include their accessibility and socio-cultural value [3]. Even today, studies [4-10] have noted the dependency of a large part of the African population on gathered plant resources [11]. Africans in the rural Limpopo Province of South Africa are still very dependent on their local environment to meet their daily livelihood needs [12]. However, there is still a dearth of recorded information about communal use of plant resources, as well as its management by, and
perceptions of adopted management strategies by local communities. According to Ramakrishnan [13], local peo- ple’s perceptions of, plant biodiversity and its management influence the type of interactions they have with their sur- roundings, which ultimately play an important role in local conservation efforts [14]. Therefore, the aim of this study was to document the use of plant resources by people in two rural villages of the Limpopo Province, and explore perceptions towards adopted management of these resources. Findings of this study will assist to define the “plant-people relationship” that is important for the ultimate sustainable utilization of plant resources in the Limpopo Province.
Methods Study area The study was conducted in two villages situated