Management of Wild Edible Fungi in the Meseta Purépecha Region, Michoacán, México

Eva Itzel Castro-Sánchez, Ana Isabel Moreno-Calles, Sue Meneses-Eternod, Berenice Farfán-Heredia, José Blancas and Alejandro Casas
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Eva Itzel Castro-Sánchez: Facultad de Biología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, General Francisco J. Múgica S/N A-1, Felicitas de Rio, Morelia 8030, Michoacán, Mexico
Ana Isabel Moreno-Calles: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro #8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Sue Meneses-Eternod: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro #8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Berenice Farfán-Heredia: Centro de Cooperación Regional para la Eduación de Adultos en Amperica Latina, Área Académica Desarrollo Sustentable, Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas # 525, Colonia Revolución, Pátzcuaro 61609, Michoacán, Mexico
José Blancas: Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad #1001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico
Alejandro Casas: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro #8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: Ethnoecology is the study of the relationship between humans and their environments and components, including fungi. México is an exceptional setting for studying the interactions between humans and fungi, since most of the native cultures have interacted with these organisms for thousands of years. The state of Michoacán is particularly relevant, since nearly 11% of the fungi species recorded in Mexico occur there, 139 of which are edible. The aim of this study was to analyze the interactions of the Purépecha native communities with edible fungi and their environment, the position of mushrooms in the local worldview, and the classification system, management forms, and social and environmental problems associated with their use. Semi-structured interviews at regional markets were conducted. We conducted participant observation, proof interviews in harvesting areas, and workshops with the communities. Ethnoecological information was recorded for 21 edible fungi species and the environments where people interact with these mushrooms. People called hongueros (fungi handlers) identified the following environmental problems: A loss of local knowledge, a decreasing consumption of fungi among young people, land-use changes, the illegal extraction of forest resources, deforestation, unplanned urban growth, uncontrolled fires, livestock raising, and agricultural intensification. These issues affect fungi diversity, distribution, and abundance. All these factors, in turn, affect decreasing economic incomes associated with this activity and changes in the diets of the local people. Information from this study will help local authorities and people of the community to design management strategies for maintaining the environment and fungi, strategies which aim to contribute to the sustainable use of both fungi and forests.

Keywords: ethnoecology; ethnomycology; San Francisco Cherán; Michoacán; Purépecha; Kosmos; Corpus; praxis complex (KCP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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