Diversidad, patrones de uso y valoración socioeconómica de las palmeras en los Bosques Neotropicales

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología. Fecha de lectura: 02-02-2016Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 02-08-2017Esta Tesis Doctoral se basa en datos de campo recopilados durante 20 meses en cuatro países (Colombia, Ecuador, Perú y Bolivia), tres ecorregiones (Amazonía, Andes y Chocó), tres grupos humanos (indígenas, mestizos y afroamericanos), 41 etnias amerindias, 68 comunidades y 2201 informantes entrevistados. La autora de esta Tesis realizó trabajo de campo en Perú y Bolivia. En el Capítulo 1 se presenta una introducción general acerca de la importancia del conocimiento tradicional y los patrones de distribución en sociedades rurales, así como se destaca la importancia de las palmeras como grupo modelo de estudio. Por último se presentan los objetivos de cada uno de los capítulos que conforman la Tesis Doctoral. En el Capítulo 2 se presenta el protocolo estándar utilizado para la toma de datos etnobotánicos de las palmeras y los factores socioeconómicos de los informantes. En el Capítulo 3 se analizan los datos recopilados en campo acerca del uso medicinal y veterinario de las palmeras, con una amplia revisión bibliográfica de los últimos 60 años en el noroeste de Sudamérica. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que los usos medicinales y las especies de palmeras más importantes se comparten a escala regional y con ello cubren las necesidades básicas de subsistencia de la población. En el Capítulo 4 se analizaron las relaciones entre el conocimiento tradicional a nivel personal y a nivel de hogar y 14 factores socioeconómicos previamente identificados como importantes para la población, para evaluar su poder predictivo a escala regional a nivel de ecoregión, país y grupos humanos. Los resultados muestran que la asociación del conocimiento tradicional en el uso de las palmeras es muy local. Aunque se encontró una mayor relación entre las localidades de las tierras bajas (Amazonía y Chocó) en comparación a las de los Andes, los patrones obtenidos no permiten realizar generalizaciones o extrapolaciones regionales, incluso dentro una misma ecoregión. En el Capítulo 5 evaluamos comparativamente los procesos de transmisión del conocimiento tradicional en el uso de las palmeras a escala de ecoregiones, países y grupos humanos en 25 localidades del noroeste sudamericano. Analizamos el conocimiento etnobotánico de las palmeras dividiendo la población en cinco generaciones de edad e identificamos los usos que son ampliamente compartidos (por todos los grupos de edad) y los que los únicos (exclusivos de una generación). Los resultados indican una alta variación en los procesos de transmisión del conocimiento etnobotánico de las palmeras, principalmente relacionados con las características socioeconómicas locales. En la mayoría de las localidades, los usos más ampliamente mientras que los que fueron mayoritariamente únicos se incluían en Medicinal y veterinario, Utensilios y herramientas y Cultural. En el Capítulo 6 se analizaron los factores socioeconómicos que están relacionados con el conocimiento tradicional de dos especies de palmeras (Euterpe precatoria y E. oleracea) con notable importancia comercial en comunidades amazónicas de Perú y Bolivia, y que ambas se conocen con el nombre local de "asaí". Los resultados de este trabajo indican que el mayor uso de E. precatoria, que es nativa en ambos países, lo realizan los mestizos, debido a que la especie tiene importancia económica por la venta del palmito y los frutos. Sin embargo, el uso de E. oleracea, que es introducida en la región por su gran importancia económica con la venta del palmito, está más homogéneamente distribuido en la sociedad. Finalmente, en el Capítulo 7 se resumen las principales conclusiones de la Tesis Doctoral

Wine, Beer, Snuff, Medicine, and Loss of Diversity - Ethnobotanical travels in the Georgian Caucasus

Photo Essa

Ethnobotanical knowledge is vastly under-documented in northwestern South America

A main objective of ethnobotany is to document traditional knowledge about plants before it disappears. However, little is known about the coverage of past ethnobotanical studies and thus about how well the existing literature covers the overall traditional knowledge of different human groups. To bridge this gap, we investigated ethnobotanical data-collecting efforts across four countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia), three ecoregions (Amazon, Andes, Chocó), and several human groups (including Amerindians, mestizos, and Afro-Americans). We used palms (Arecaceae) as our model group because of their usefulness and pervasiveness in the ethnobotanical literature. We carried out a large number of field interviews (n = 2201) to determine the coverage and quality of palm ethnobotanical data in the existing ethnobotanical literature (n = 255) published over the past 60 years. In our fieldwork in 68 communities, we collected 87,886 use reports and documented 2262 different palm uses and 140 useful palm species. We demonstrate that traditional knowledge on palm uses is vastly under-documented across ecoregions, countries, and human groups. We suggest that the use of standardized data-collecting protocols in wide-ranging ethnobotanical fieldwork is a promising approach for filling critical information gaps. Our work contributes to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and emphasizes the need for signatory nations to the Convention on Biological Diversity to respond to these information gaps. Given our findings, we hope to stimulate the formulation of clear plans to systematically document ethnobotanical knowledge in northwestern South America and elsewhere before it vanishesThis study was funded by the European Union, 7th Framework Programme (contract no. 212631), the Russel E. Train Education for Nature Program of the WWF (to NPZ), the Anne S. Chatham fellowship of the Garden Club of America (to NPZ), and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid travel grants programme (to RCL

Short Report: Rotavirus Prevalence in the Primary Care Setting in Nicaragua after Universal Infant Rotavirus Immunization

Nicaragua was the first developing nation to implement universal infant rotavirus immunization with the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5). Initial studies of vaccine effectiveness in Nicaragua and other developing nations have focused on the prevention of hospitalizations and severe rotavirus diarrhea. However, rotavirus diarrhea is more commonly treated in the primary care setting, with only 1-3% of rotavirus cases receiving hospital care. We measured the prevalence of rotavirus infection in primary care clinics in León, Nicaragua, after introduction of the immunization program. In the post-vaccine period, 3.5% (95% confidence interval = 1.9-5.8) of children seeking care for diarrhea tested positive for rotavirus. A high diversity of rotavirus genotypes was encountered among the few positive samples. In conclusion, rotavirus was an uncommon cause of childhood diarrhea in this primary care setting after implementation of a rotavirus immunization program

Plant and fungal use in Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Pshavi, Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

In this study, we documented traditional plant use in Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Pshavi and hypothesized that (i) plant use knowledge in general would be higher in isolated high elevation communities, and that (ii) use of home gardens would be much more restricted to lower elevation settings. Fieldwork was conducted in Khevsureti, Pshavi, and Tusheti. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 74 participants. In the present study, we encountered 317 plant species belonging to 203 genera of 80 families being used in the research region. Of these, 197 species were exclusively wild-harvested, 73 were grown in homegardens, and 47 were both grown in gardens and sourced in the wild. The ordinations in plant-space and in use-space were significantly fit by elevation of informant community, and community itself. Age and gender did not significantly fit the distribution of informants across either plant-space or use-space, respectively. Number of use-reports was highest across all communities in the food and medicinal use-categories, and informant consensus. Species with especially high use-diversity (UD) tended to be woody species although. Species with high use-value (UV) were mostly managed/domesticated species from home orchards, gardens, or farms. Plant species, and uses, found in our study, showed clear relations to the wider Eurasian cultural complex. The species number found was, however, far higher than in any published study from either the region or the wiser Mediterranean and Eurasia. The maintenance of home gardens in Georgia serves as socio-ecological memory. While the great variety of plant species used in the Georgian Caucasus might provide a reservoir for food security climate change is starting to affect both natural floristic diversity and gardens both in the Caucasus as well as continent wide

Orígenes, evolución y retos de la etnobiología boliviana

Altres ajuts: Fundació Autònoma Solidaria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) por el financiamiento del Fons de Solidaritat (convocatorias de 2015, 2017, y 2019) para la realización de las Jornadas de Etnobiología en Bolivia.Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MLa etnobiología estudia las relaciones que diferentes sociedades entablan con la naturaleza analizando conocimientos, usos y percepciones. Bolivia es un país con una gran diversidad biológica y cultural. En las últimas dos décadas, Bolivia ha iniciado un proceso político de defensa de la identidad y la gobernanza indígena que incluye la revalorización del conocimiento ecológico local. Esta coyuntura proporciona una oportunidad excelente para el desarrollo y la consolidación de la investigación etnobiológica en el país. En este artículo, documentamos los precursores biológicos y antropológicos de la etnobiología boliviana y analizamos la evolución de la disciplina usando tres estudios de caso emblemáticos: los dos primeros muestran la confluencia de un proyecto de carácter biológico y uno de carácter antropológico hacia la etnobiología, y el tercero ejemplifica los beneficios del enfoque participativo. La última sección aborda algunos de los grandes retos de la etnobiología en Bolivia, centrándose en tres aspectos que permitirían asentar unas bases fuertes para su desarrollo: i) la identificación de vacíos documentales y la creación de una línea de base; ii) el desarrollo metodológico con énfasis en la interdisciplinariedad, iii) la internacionalización; y iv) la generalización de la investigación participativa potenciando el diálogo de saberes. La etnobiología puede contribuir a la resolución de problemas ambientales contemporáneos, pero este potencial no puede realizarse sin una mayor inclusión de los pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales.L'ethnobiologie étudie les relations que les différentes sociétés établissent avec la nature, en analysant les connaissances, les usages et les perceptions. La Bolivie est un pays présentant une grande diversité biologique et culturelle. Au cours des deux dernières décennies, la Bolivie a initié une politique de défense de l'identité et de la gouvernance autochtones, qui comprend la réévaluation des connaissances écologiques locales. Cette situation offre une excellente opportunité pour le développement et la consolidation de la recherche ethnobiologique dans le pays. Dans cet article, nous documentons les précurseurs biologiques et anthropologiques de l'ethnobiologie bolivienne et nous analysons son évolution à partir de trois études de cas emblématiques : les deux premières montrent la confluence d'un projet biologique et d'un projet anthropologique vers l'ethnobiologie, et la troisième illustre les bénéfices de l'approche participative. La dernière section aborde certains des grands défis de l'ethnobiologie en Bolivie, en se concentrant sur quatre aspects qui permettraient d'établir une base solide pour le développement de la discipline : i) identification des lacunes documentaires et création d'une base de référence ; ii) développement méthodologique mettant l'accent sur l'interdisciplinarité, iii) internationalisation ; et iv) généralisation de la recherche participative qui permet de renforcer le dialogue des connaissances. L'ethnobiologie peut contribuer à la résolution des problèmes environnementaux contemporains, mais ce potentiel ne peut être réalisé sans une plus grande inclusion des peuples autochtones et des communautés locales.Ethnobiology is the study of the relationships that different societies establish with nature, through the anlysis of knowledge, uses and perceptions. Bolivia is a country with great biological and cultural diversity. In the last two decades, Bolivia has initiated a political process in view to defend indigenous identity and governance, which includes the revaluation of local ecological knowledge. This situation provides an excellent opportunity for the development and consolidation of ethnobiological research in the country. In this article, we document the biological and anthropological precursors of Bolivian ethnobiology and we analyze its evolution through three emblematic case studies: the first two show the confluence of a biological and an anthropological project towards ethnobiology, and the third one illustrates the benefits of the participatory approach. The last section addresses some of the major challenges posed by ethnobiology in Bolivia, focusing on four aspects that are necessary to lay a strong foundation for the development of the discipline: i) identification of documentary gaps and creation of a baseline; ii) methodological development with a focus on interdisciplinarity, iii) internationalization; and iv) generalization of participatory research, which helps initiate a dialogue between various types of knowledge. Ethnobiology can contribute to the resolution of contemporary environmental issues, but this potential cannot be realized without a greater inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities

Taming the pandemic? The importance of homemade plant-based foods and beverages as community responses to COVID-19

Household responses to COVID-19 in different corners of the world represent the primary health care that communities have relied on for preventing and mitigating symptoms. During a very complex and confusing time, in which public health services in multiple countries have been completely overwhelmed, and in some cases even collapsed, these first-line household responses have been quintessential for building physical, mental, and social resilience, and for improving individual and community health. This editorial discusses the outcomes of a rapid-response preliminary survey during the first phase of the pandemic among social and community contacts in five metropolises heavily affected by the COVID-19 health crisis (Wuhan, Milan, Madrid, New York, and Rio de Janeiro), and in twelve rural areas or countries initially less affected by the pandemic (Appalachia, Jamaica, Bolivia, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Georgia, Turkey, Pakistan, Cambodia, and South Africa). We summarized our perspectives as 17 case studies, observing that people have relied primarily on teas and spices (“food-medicines”) and that there exist clear international plant favorites, popularized by various new media. Urban diasporas and rural households seem to have repurposed homemade plant-based remedies that they use in normal times for treating the flu and other respiratory symptoms or that they simply consider healthy foods. The most remarkable shift in many areas has been the increased consumption of ginger and garlic, followed by onion, turmeric, and lemon. Our preliminary inventory of food medicines serves as a baseline for future systematic ethnobotanical studies and aims to inspire in-depth research on how use patterns of plant-based foods and beverages, both “traditional” and “new”, are changing during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our reflections in this editorial call attention to the importance of ethnobiology, ethnomedicine, and ethnogastronomy research into domestic health care strategies for improving community health

Community Diarrhea Incidence Before and After Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in Nicaragua

We estimated the incidence of watery diarrhea in the community before and after introduction of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine in León, Nicaragua. A random sample of households was selected before and after rotavirus vaccine introduction. All children < 5 years of age in selected households were eligible for inclusion. Children were followed every 2 weeks for watery diarrhea episodes. The incidence rate was estimated as numbers of episodes per 100 child-years of exposure time. A mixed effects Poisson regression model was fit to compare incidence rates in the pre-vaccine and vaccine periods. The pre-vaccine cohort (N = 726) experienced 36 episodes per 100 child-years, and the vaccine cohort (N = 826) experienced 25 episodes per 100 child-years. The adjusted incidence rate ratio was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40, 0.91) during the vaccine period versus the pre-vaccine period, indicating a lower incidence of watery diarrhea in the community during the vaccine period

Etiology of Childhood Diarrhea After Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction: A Prospective, Population-based Study in Nicaragua

Nicaragua was the first developing nation to implement routine immunization with the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5). In this RV5-immunized population, understanding infectious etiologies of childhood diarrhea is necessary to direct diarrhea treatment and prevention efforts