2025-04-01 HUMAN ECOLOGY 2025 53(卷), 2(期), (279-293页)
We examine how age, occupation, and energy expenditure in collecting plants affect knowledge of plants in early, young, and mature forests. We selected 84 informants from three rural communities in the Brazilian semi-arid region to gather sociodemographic data and detailed information on the purpose, frequency of use, and time invested in plant collection. The results indicate that age and occupation significantly impact the variety of species identified as applicable, varying according to the forest's successional stage. We observed decreased visitation frequency and time spent collecting across the forest's successional stages. Visitation frequency influenced plant knowledge exclusively in early forests, while the time spent collecting significantly shaped knowledge in young and mature forests. These findings highlight that forest succession, combined with social factors, shapes the interaction between humans and plants, underscoring the need to incorporate ecological and social aspects to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of plant knowledge.