Abstract

RICHERI, Marina; CARDOSO, María B  and  LADIO, Ana H. Soluciones locales y fexibilidad en el conocimiento ecológico tradicional frente a procesos de cambio ambiental: estudios de caso en Patagonia. Ecol. austral [online]. 2013, vol.23, n.3, pp.184-193. ISSN 1667-782X.

Local solutions and flexibility in traditional ecological knowledge against environmental change processes: case studies in Patagonia: In this paper we analyzed two case studies of Patagonia showing perception of rural people about environmental changes and local solutions that reflect flexibility of traditional knowledge and practices regarding the use of plants that are substantial to their daily life, like firewood and medicinal plants. We studied, through randomly semi-structured and free interviews, the perception of environmental changes in the use of firewood and medicinal plants in descent Mapuche-Tehuelche and creole's small communities of the highlands of the province of Chubut (Lagunita Salada and El Escorial) and Río Negro (Pilquiniyeu of Limay). The current use of 45 medicinal species (46% exotic) species and 27 firewood species (18% exotic) was recorded. Results show that people, as far as possible, apply their traditional knowledge and innovations such as peri-domestic afforestation, greenhouses and utilization of useful species of exotic origin that indirectly reduced pressure on native resources. These solutions indicate local resilience and self-processes that have been developed in a short period of time, articulating traditional ecological knowledge with new socio-environmental circumstances.

Keywords : Woody plants; Medicinal plants; Social and environmental resilience.

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