As Proficient as Adults: Distribution of Children’s Knowledge of Wild Edible Plants in an Arid Environment in Madagascar

sophisticated local ecological knowledge (LEK) (Brand & Cherikoff, 1985; Cruz García, 2006; Golden et al., 2011). Knowledge about wild edible plants (WEP) is particularly valuable for small-scale societies that rely heavily on their environment for their livelihoods and are therefore vulnerable to abrupt environmental changes (Diaz et al., 2019). Indeed, knowledge of WEP constitute a safety net during food crises by providing alternative sources of carbohydrates and micronutrients that contribute to enhancing daily diet diversification (Golden et al., 2011) and hydration (Brand & Cherikoff, 1985). For instance, among the Baka of Cameroon, frequently consumed WEP, such as Gnetum africanum Welw. and yams (Dioscorea L.) provide an important source of protein and increase dietary diversity, especially in the lean season (Dounias, 1996; Gallois et al., 2020). Many plants with water storage properties, such as the bamboo and liana in the Amazon or kurrajong and yam roots in Australia, are known for their thirst-quenching properties (Brand & Cherikoff, 1985; Cámara-Leret et al., 2017). While plant biodiversity in tropical rainforests and