Community Participatory Training Model for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants Biodiversity at Doijedee Mountain Tourist Attraction, Northeastern Thailand

Abstract

Recently, the biodiversity are changing and incessantly decreasing, especially the medicinal plants, and the problem related to the way of life of people. To solve this problem, knowledge of the people is very important and thus it is a must to build knowledge by various methods. Therefore, this research was aimed to develop the community participatory training model to conserve medicinal plants species diversity. The research framework was divided into two stages. The first stage was the development of the training model consisted of nine plans and the second was the application of the model and the data was collected from questionnaires of the knowledge levels, opinions and behaviors of biodiversity, in-depth interview and participatory observation. The period of 12 months was spent on research operation and assumption test by Paired t-test and F-test (Two-way MANCOVA). The results of the study were as follows: 1) The community participatory training model consisted of 6 plans namely a) problems affecting biodiversity study, b) problem analysis, c) data collection of pretraining, d) planning organization using up A-I-C, e) planning implementation and using Deming cycle (P-D-C-A) to analyze and improve in 3 spirals and each spiral was one month away, and f) data collection of post-training. Samples group both in general and with identified gender and age in post training had the knowledge levels, opinions and behaviors of the biodiversity increased significantly (p < .05). 2) After training, no difference was found in terms of knowledge levels, opinions and behaviors of the biodiversity of the samples group with different genders and ages. The gender and age factors did not influence the operational results (p > .05). 3) In terms of the result of follow-up, one month after the training, the samples group benefit from Doijedee Mountain tourist attraction and they still play the active role as community committee. In conclusion, the community participatory training model for the conservation for the medicinal plant species diversity model preserve from this operation and can enhance the knowledge levels, opinions and behaviors of the biodiversity and self-help group to preserve the medicinal plants biodiversity. Thus, it is necessary to promote this model to be applied according to the community’s potential.