. Ethnobotanists use molecular biology, mechanical engineering, medical anthropology, and other skills to conduct their studies.

. An ethnobotanist's research might include testing the theories of a plant's origin, studying plants used by indigenous peoples in the hopes of discovering new pharmaceuticals, tracing the cultural consequences of a plant's extinction, or following the changes in a society's overall health because of a change in foods.

. Ethnobotanists may spend as much time living in remote villages around the world as they spend in modern laboratories.