The Heritagescape of Kichwa People of Nizag Built upon Traditional Plant Usage along a Chimborazo Variant of the Andean Road System or Qhapaq Ñan

Carlos Renato Chávez Velásquez, Alba Maritza Sinaluisa Pilco, Luis Felipe Lema Palaquibay, Paola Alexandra Velasteguí Arévalo, Juan Enrique Ureña Moreno, Alden Mauro Yépez Noboa, James Brandon Latimer and Fausto O. Sarmiento ()
Additional contact information
Carlos Renato Chávez Velásquez: Faculty of Natural Resources, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Alba Maritza Sinaluisa Pilco: QHAPAQ ÑAN: Research Project, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Ecuador & Investigation Institute, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Luis Felipe Lema Palaquibay: External Researchers, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Paola Alexandra Velasteguí Arévalo: External Researchers, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Juan Enrique Ureña Moreno: Faculty of Natural Resources, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
Alden Mauro Yépez Noboa: Archaeology Program, Faculty of Human Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
James Brandon Latimer: Neotropical Montology Collaboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Fausto O. Sarmiento: Neotropical Montology Collaboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA

Geographies, 2024, vol. 4, issue 3, 1-26

Abstract: To document the dynamics of biocultural heritage, we studied traditional uses of plants on a segment of the Andean Road System, or Qhapaq Ñan , within the central Andes of Ecuador, home of the Kichwa community of Nizag . Here, residents preserved a rich diversity of plants within their agricultural fields, or chakra , of the Andean landscapes, upholding a culture steeped in traditional knowledge. Wild and domesticated plants are a cornerstone for the community, prompting the development of ethnobotanical management strategies with a conservation approach. The diverse plant uses aim to revalue their culture, fortify their self-identification as an indigenous community, and ensure the transmission of ancestral knowledge. This research aims to ascertain the ethnobotanical applications of this venerable community. Employing participatory action research, semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 community informants to gather ethnobotanical data on the flora applied within their territory, spanning categories such as food, agriculture, crafts, living fences, construction, fuel, ornamental, environmental, technological, and medicinal services. The findings indicate that age, rather than educational level and gender, significantly influences the variation in plant usage knowledge. In total, 142 plant species were cataloged, comprising herbs (58%), shrubs (23%), trees (15%), and climbers (4%). The most represented families were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae. Notably, 96% of these species provide some type of environmental service or fulfill a niche within the socioecological system. Medicinal uses were reported for 89% of the plants, while 56% served agricultural purposes, primarily in fertilizer production and forage. Additionally, 44% of the plants are utilized as food, typically consumed fresh. Among the medicinal plants, leaves are the most used part (58%), prepared as infusions and poultices. The prevalent ailments addressed include respiratory and urinary system conditions, with Borago officinalis , Carica pentagona , Vasconcellea pubescens , and Origanum mejorana being the most frequently employed plants.

Keywords: heritagescape; ethnobotany; wild plant; Kichwa people; Qhapaq Ñan; traditional knowledge; conservation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q15 Q5 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7086/4/3/29/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7086/4/3/29/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jgeogr:v:4:y:2024:i:3:p:29-562:d:1455417

Access Statistics for this article

Geographies is currently edited by Ms. Fannie Xu

More articles in Geographies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().