Ergua Atinafe has joined the TRIBE Lab team as a PhD researcher since January 2026. She holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Plant Science from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Before joining CZU, she worked for more than 11 years in a positions of Botanical Researcher and Research and Plant Collection Team Leader at the Plant Research and Conservation Department at Gullele Botanic Garden (GBG) in Addis Ababa. Throughout her professional career, she has been involved in botanical and ecological research, biodiversity assessment and ethnobotanical studies and plant collection management. Her research activities have included studies on species distribution, vegetation structure, plant diversity, phenology, and conservation. She is experienced in botanical field research, research management, and multidisciplinary collaboration with national and international institutions, including Ethiopian Forestry Development, Horn of Africa Regional Environmental Centre and Network, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and the National Museum of Natural History of Luxembourg.

On TRIBE team, Ergua is continuing her PhD research focused on the interdisciplinary study of Juniperus procera through genetics, ethnobotany, and ecological modelling. Her research aims to improve understanding of the relationships between species genetic diversity, distribution, ecology, and cultural importance to contribute to its conservation and sustainable management in Africa. She also plan to participate in preparation and implementation of other TRIBE’s projects.

Gond Adivasis are one of the oldest Indigenous communities in India that rely on foraging wild edible plants for food security and biocultural practices. Our recent study published in the journal Ethnobotany and Economic Botany (IF: 1.9, 5 Year IF: 2.1, Q2 in Plant Sciences) investigated the local names of wild edible plants used by Gond Adivasis and tested if they serve any functional purpose in the process of foraging. We documented plant uses and analyzed local names through ‘Folk Taxonomy’ to determine how the Gond Adivasis classify wild edible plants, what their names mean, and how they apply during foraging.

Our results show that Gond Adivasis follow a clear hierarchy and local names act as biocultural indicators detailing plant traits such as plant habit, habitat, morphology, phenology, and taste. The findings show that this folk knowledge is actively used to meet the daily food security of the people, making their traditional knowledge stronger and more resilient against future changes.

The study has been conducted by our colleague Nishanth Gurav (TRIBE team Ph.D. student) in frame of his Ph.D. thesis Ethnobotany of wild edible plants used by Gond Adivasis in Bastar region, Chhattisgarh, India. 

This line covers landraces, wild useful plants, neglected and underutilised crops, plant genetic resources, domestication, management, characterisation, utilisation, and conservation.