Nontimber Forest Product Use in Two Human Populations from Northwest Patagonia: A Quantitative Approach

The ancestral tradition of gathering nontimber products in the Andean forests of Patagonia seems to be on the verge of disappearing. Edible wild plant knowledge and differential patterns of use have been compared in two populations of different economic and cultural backgrounds—a small rural Mapuche community (Rams), and an outlying population (El Frutillar). The first is located in an herbaceous steppe far from the nearest Andean forest while the second is located outside the town of Bariloche, near the forests of Nahuel Huapi National Park. Semistructured interviews and related ecological variables were compared in both communities. In the past, both communities utilized nontimber forest products from the Andean Temperate forests. However, today, cost and benefit trade-offs appear to affect when and what edible resources are collected. The people from El Frutillar gather fewer wild plants in spite of the high plant abundance and the notorious food scarcity they suffer. The Mapuche people use more nutritious resources, more native species, spend longer traveling to the gathering site, and longer handling time preparing edible plants.     

Patterns of use and knowledge of wild edible plants in distinct ecological environments: a case study of a Mapuche community from northwestern Patagonia

The multiple use of distinct ecological environments in the search for wild resources has been practiced since ancestral times in aboriginal communities inhabiting northwestern Patagonia. This paper examines the actual use and knowledge of wild edible plants in a Mapuche community presently settled in one of the most arid areas of Patagonia, far from the temperate forests where their ancestors used to live. The difference between knowledge of and use of wild plants is analyzed emphasizing that these differences could contribute to the understanding of eroding processes believed to be occurring in the community. These objectives are studied quantitatively by utilizing ethnobotanical indices, partially derived from ecological theory. Our results indicate that the Paineo dwellers still utilize multiple ecological gathering environments and have thorough plant knowledge of both native and exotic species. The Andean forest, more than 50km away from this community, is the environment from which the Paineo dwellers know the greatest total richness and the highest diversity of wild edible plants, followed by the Monte–Steppe species and lastly, those growing around their homes. The transmission of wild edible plant knowledge in the Paineo community diminishes with age, and the forest plants are the most vulnerable to loss. Our results have shown that the knowledge and consumption of wild edible plants follows a pattern according to ecological conditions of the gathering environments, as well as the cultural heritage of the Paineo people.     

Comparison of wild edible plant diversity and foraging strategies in two aboriginal communities of northwestern Patagonia

We have compared edible plant richness, diversity and differential patterns of use in two Mapuche communities of Argentina. The populations of Rams and Cayulef are located in a herbaceous steppe, far from the temperate forests of northwestern Patagonia where their ancestors lived in the past. Ecological concepts and methods, such as diversity indices, niche breadth and optimal foraging theory have been used in this comparative study. Our results indicate that the diversity of wild plants used in Rams and Cayulef is associated with the variety of gathering environments they visit. When comparing diversity indices among the three environments within each community, in Cayulef we found the highest diversity indices for steppe species and the lowest for forest plants. In contrast, in Rams the niche breadth is similar in all environments, indicating an ample exploration and use of edible wild plants. Cost and benefit trade-offs seem to be considered in both communities when edible plants are collected. Nevertheless, we found that the people from Rams not only utilize a greater richness of wild plants than the Cayulef people, but also use more nutritious resources, spend more time traveling to the gathering sites and a longer handling time in preparing these edible plants. This study has quantitatively shown that the restricted access to Pehuen forest (Araucaria araucana) is the main factor which seems to limit wild plant diversity used in these Mapuche communities.     

Edible Wild Plant Use in a Mapuche Community of Northwestern Patagonia

Mapuche Indians have a long tradition of using edible wild resources. The people of Rams (Neuquén, Argentina) consider themselves descendants of the Pehuenches, an Indian group that once inhabited the Pehuén forest region. They now live in the steppe, far away from the forest. Our primary interests are how this community uses edible resources and in analyzing which plants are still utilized. We conducted an ethnobotanical study, which consisted in interviewing several Mapuche families and collecting plants with their help. Ecological variables of plant use, such as search cost, handling time, and nutritional content, were analyzed from the perspective of Optimal Foraging Theory. Our results indicate that the Rams inhabitants have a thorough understanding of their environment, expressed in a selective gathering of wild resources. Cost and benefit trade-offs seem to be considered when edible plants are collected.     

Summer Cattle Transhumance and Wild Edible Plant Gathering in a Mapuche Community of Northwestern Patagonia

Cattle transhumance has been practiced since colonial times in Mapuche communities of northwestern Patagonia, which travelled seasonally along the Andean valleys from arid lands towards temperate forests. In this study, we analyzed how this migratory practice affects the abundance and variety of wild edible plants utilized by the Mapuche community of Paineo. Patterns of use for those who practice transhumance were compared with those who do not utilizing ecological variables. Gender and age were also evaluated. The Paineo people collect wild plants in 3 different gathering sites: the A. araucana forest, the Travesía, and their dwelling surroundings. However, those who practice summer transhumance utilize a more diverse variety and a tan greater quantity of wild edible forest plants than those who do not. Moreover, the nutritional value of plants collected by transhumants is greater than those used by non-transhumants. Men practice summer cattle transhumance in a greater proportion than do women and consume significantly more wild edible plants. In contrast, plants from their dwellings and from the Travesía are used in a similar way by both sexes. It was observed that the elderly do not presently participate in transhumance. Our results illustrate a change in wild plant knowledge influenced by the transformation of the summer transhumance pattern.     

高黎贡山地区民族植物学的初步研究Ⅱ.独龙族

采用民族植物学和人类生态学的方法,初步研究了云南高黎贡山北部独龙江流域内独龙族的农业生态系统和采集利用植物的传统知识。处于近乎封闭的自然与社会环境中,独龙族与植物及植物环境的关系十分密切。独龙族的农业生态系统是典型的山地轮歇农业生态系统,系统中存在不少有价值的传统品种和地方品种,并以种植桤木(Alnus nepalensis)来促进轮歇地的休闲管理为特色,对保护当地的森林、生态系统和生物多样性起到了积极的作用。独龙族人人参与野生食用植物的采集活动,它是独龙族社会中仅次于农业生产而位居第二的重要经济活动,共采集100余种野生食用植物,其中有很大一部分是能代替粮食的产淀粉类植物。独龙族采集利用100多种药用植物,云黄连(Coptis teeta)和贝母(Fritillaria cirrhosa)等草药储量丰富,是独龙族用于同外界进行物资交换的主要物品。在其它植物资源的利用方面,独龙族也积累了丰富的传统知识,包括对纤维植物、染料植物等的认识和利用。桤木和董棕(Caryota urens)两个树种是体现独龙族传统植物学和生态学知识的代表种类。独龙族对植物的传统知识,有必要进行深入研究。     

Use of native tree species by an hispanic community in Panama

We investigated the use of plants collected in the wild by a small farming community in Central Panama to document the importance of noncultivated plants by tropical, nonforest-dwelling, nonindigenous people. We visited the community to observe what wood was used to build houses and interviewed local people about medicinal and edible plants collected in the wild state. The community reported use of 119 noncultivated plant species, including 108 tree species, three shrubs, two herbs, four lianas, and two vines. The majority (71) of the species were used for building homes. Other products built with wood collected in the wild were diverse kinds of tools, containers, cages, and fences. The second most important use of wild plants, in terms of number of species, was firewood, for which 40 species were mentioned by the community. Other uses included fruit for human consumption (20 species). Most of the species (82 of 119) were collected in secondary forests near the community, whereas another large group (47 species) were collected in mature forest. Fewer species were harvested in shrubby regrowth or from isolated trees in farm land. Nearly all the species (111 of 119) were native to the area, and never cultivated locally, but 15 species were considered especially valuable, and were often protected when found as juveniles. Only six of the species are commonly used in reforestation programs in Panama. We conclude that even hispanic communities in tropical Latin America, living outside the forest, with no Amerindian inhabitants, make frequent use of the great diversity of trees native to the region.     

桂西壮族饮食文化中野生食用植物的民族植物学研究

运用民族植物学方法,以广西西部的1市1区10县为研究区域,对桂西壮族饮食文化中利用野生食用植物的传统知识进行了调查和研究.结果显示:桂西壮族饮食文化中常用的野生食用植物有46科102种,其中菊科(Asteraceae)种类最多(13种),其次为苋科(Amaranthaceae)、伞形科(Umbelliferae)、蔷薇科(Rosaceae)和豆科(Leguminosae)(各6种).食用部位常为嫩枝叶、果实、全株、花、根和茎等,其中,食用部位为嫩枝叶的种类最多(48种),食用部位为根和茎的种类最少(8种),食用部位为果实、全株和花的种类分别有18、17和11种.食用方法有炒、煮汤、生食、凉拌、水煮、茶饮、上汤和配菜等,常见的食用方法为炒和煮汤.采摘时间主要为春季和夏季,部分种类可全年采食.不同区域的壮族民众对野生食用植物的选择具有随机性,主要依据方便、易得、适用、无污染等标准进行选择,且生活在不同区域、不同环境的壮族民众对野生食用植物的选择具有较明显差异.综合分析结果表明:桂西壮族民众拥有丰富的利用野生食用植物的传统知识,具有食用植物种类丰富、食用部位多样、食用方法多样等特点,形成了富有民族特色的饮食文化.此外,根据研究结果,对桂西壮族特色饮食文化的保护和传承进行了探讨,并对当地野生食用植物资源的可持续利用提出了一些建议.     

Cultural transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge in a rural community of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

In the present study we analyzed medicinal and edible plant utilization in Cuyin Manzano, a small rural population located near the Andean forests of Argentina. We also studied where and when plant knowledge was learned, who the principal transmitters were, and how people were taught. The participants were interviewed individually and at random, by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews were carried out in 16 families in order to examine the present use of wild plants. The inhabitants of Cuyin Manzano cited 87 plants: 63 medicinal and 24 edible species. They mentioned on average 31 ± 10 species per person. Similar patterns of plant use were found in young and old people alike, irrespective of gender. Learning about useful plants took place at an early age as a result of family tradition. This local knowledge is acquired and taught “by doing,” and is mostly transmitted vertically through family dissemination. Wild plant learning implies the acquisition of plants' physical and functional features as well as their environmental characteristics.     

Indigenous Knowledge and Management of Araucaria Araucana Forest in the Chilean Andes: Implications for Native Forest Conservation

Southern Chile experienced serious deforestation during the past century and it is projected that by the year 2025 Chile will be devoid of native forests. One of the most important endemic tree species of the country and at the same time one of the most endangered ones is Araucaria araucana (Mol.) C. Koch, the monkey-puzzle tree. It grows in the Andes Mountains, homeland of the indigenous Mapuche Pewenche people who depend on this tree. This paper is based on participatory field research with a Mapuche Pewenche community in the southern Chilean Andes on their ecological knowledge, values, use and management of the Araucaria araucana forest. It attempts to reveal how indigenous people and their knowledge contribute to the sustainable management of these forests. The paper (1) illustrates the complexity of indigenous ecological knowledge of Araucaria araucana and its efficacy in native forest management, (2) explores the link between the conservation and use of biodiversity by the indigenous people, and (3) provides answers relevant to native forest management and conservation strategies ex-situ and in-situ incorporating indigenous and scientific knowledge, thus providing a contribution towards integrated natural resource management.     

非木材林产品的民族植物学研究进展

非木材林产品（NTFPs）是指从森林植被中采集的药材、食物（如野菜、野果等）、树脂树胶、纤维或其他非木材类产品,它们不仅为当地群众提供了食物、药材等日常生活必需品,而且也是许多地区原住民的重要经济收入来源。在收集整理相关国内外研究资料的基础上,从非木材林产品的集市民族植物学、非木材林产品的经济价值和对原住民经济收入的贡献、影响非木材林产品采集和利用的因素、非木材林产品采集对当地生物多样性的影响、原住民对非木材林产品的传统管理与保护等方面对近年来有关非木材林产品的民族植物学研究进展进行了综合评述,并对非木材林产品的民族植物学重点研究内容和方向提出了一些建议。     

Dietary use of wild plant resources in the Sikkim Himalaya, India

The edible wild plants are greatly valued throughout the Himalayan region and serve as an important source of food for indigenous communities. This paper describes the botanical richness, elevational distribution and dietary use of the edible wild plant resources from the Sikkim Himalaya (Eastern Himalaya), many with promising potential. A total of 190 wild plant species have been screened from the Sikkim Himalaya, this derived from 143 genera and 78 families and accounting for nearly 15% of total edible wild plants resources of India. Of the total, 65% were edible for their fruits, 22% for leaves/shoots, 7% for flowers and 3% for roots/ rhizomes. Nearly 91 wild edible species were recorded from low-hills, 70 from mid-hills and 28 species from high-hill areas. Within Sikkim state, the North and East districts represent maximum diversity of edible wild plants due to the wilderness and inaccessibility to most of the habitats. An average rural family annually consumes nearly 8 types of edible wild plants, and a few species provide over five meals in a season. Selected plants also form a source of earning to a few families that sell them in local markets. It is suggested that the high diversity of edible plants needs to be conserved for future use. Some species may be grown in traditional agroforestry systems and on marginal lands of otherwise low agricultural value. Such measures may help protect wild plant resources in their natural habitats.     

Response of a Wild Edible Plant to Human Disturbance: Harvesting Can Enhance the Subsequent Yield of Bamboo Shoots

Wild edible plants, ecological foodstuffs obtained from forest ecosystems, grow in natural fields, and their productivity depends on their response to harvesting by humans. Addressing exactly how wild edible plants respond to harvesting is critical because this knowledge will provide insights into how to obtain effective and sustainable ecosystem services from these plants. We focused on bamboo shoots of Sasa kurilensis, a popular wild edible plant in Japan. We examined the effects of harvesting on bamboo shoot productivity by conducting an experimental manipulation of bamboo shoot harvesting. Twenty experimental plots were prepared in the Teshio Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University and were assigned into two groups: a harvest treatment, in which newly emerged edible bamboo shoots were harvested (n = 10); and a control treatment, in which bamboo shoots were maintained without harvesting (n = 10). In the first year of harvesting (2013), bamboo shoot productivities were examined twice; i.e., the productivity one day after harvesting and the subsequent post-harvest productivity (2–46 days after harvesting), and we observed no difference in productivity between treatments. This means that there was no difference in original bamboo shoot productivity between treatments, and that harvesting did not influence productivity in the initial year. In contrast, in the following year (2014), the number of bamboo shoots in the harvested plots was 2.4-fold greater than in the control plots. These results indicate that over-compensatory growth occurred in the harvested plots in the year following harvesting. Whereas previous research has emphasized the negative impact of harvesting, this study provides the first experimental evidence that harvesting can enhance the productivity of a wild edible plant. This suggests that exploiting compensatory growth, which really amounts to less of a decline in productivity, may be s a key for the effective use of wild edible plants.     

Cultural,economic, and ecological factors influencing management of wild plants and mushrooms interchanged in Purépecha markets of Mexico

Background

Traditional markets outstandingly contribute to conservation of biocultural diversity, social relations, and cultural values. These markets reflect life strategies and forms people of a region interact with their biodiversity and territories, as well as traditional ecological knowledge and management practices. To understand the factors motivating plant and mushroom management, we analyzed the resources cultural and economic values, their role in people’s subsistence, and the relation of these values with the resources spatial and temporal availability. Our study based on the supposition that traditional markets are settings of interchange of resources with the highest importance for people’s life in a region. Also, that the cultural, economic, and ecological factors influence values of the resources, and the demand on them determine pressures on the most valuable resources which, when scarce, motivate management innovation, otherwise become extinct.

Methods

We documented cultural, economic, and ecological aspects, as well as management techniques of wild and weedy plants and mushrooms interchanged in three traditional markets of the Pátzcuaro Lake region, in central-western Mexico. For doing that, from February 2015 to March 2018, we conducted 175 visits to markets and 89 semi-structured interviews to producers, gatherers, and sellers of wild and weedy plants and mushrooms. Based on participant observation and interviews, we identified variables related to culture, economic, and ecological aspects, as well as management regimes of resources and management systems, which were documented and used as indicators for quantitative analyses. Through principal components analyses (PCA), we determined the indexes of cultural and economic importance (ICEI), management intensity (IMI), and ecological risk (IR) of the resources studied. For conducting that, we classified plant and mushroom species according to their cultural, economic, ecological, and technological indicators, respectively. The score of the first principal component was considered as the index for each group of variables, respectively. To identify relations between cultural importance and risk, we performed linear regression analyses between ICEI and IR indexes.

Results

We recorded 57 species of wild and weedy plants used as food, medicine, and ornamental, and 17 species of edible mushrooms. The variables with the highest weight in the ICEI are related to the need of a resource according to people, its recognizing, the number of communities and markets offering it in markets, its explicit preference expressed by people, the effort invested in obtaining it, and the form it is interchanged. Gathering is practiced in all mushrooms and wild and weedy plants from forests and agricultural areas; 11 species in addition receive 1 or more forms of management (enhancing, selective let standing, propagation through seeds or vegetative parts, transplantation, and/or protection). The management intensity and complexity are explained by variables related to management practices and systems. Plants receiving selective management have the higher management intensity. Silvicultural management (in situ management in forests) was recorded in all species of mushrooms, as well as in more than 80% of medicinal, ceremonial and ornamental plants, and in more than 50% of the edible plants. In agricultural systems, people manage more than 90% of the edible plants recorded to be under a management regime, 25% of the managed medicinal plants, and 30.7% of the managed ceremonial and ornamental plants. In homegardens, people manage 41.6% of the medicinal plants recorded and 26.6% of the edible plants, to have them available near home. Nearly 63% of the species interchanged in the markets studied are gathered in forests without any other management form. In this group are included all mushroom species, 61.5% of ceremonial/ornamental plants, 50% of medicinal, and 33.3% of edible plants. The linear regression between ICEI an IER is significantly negative for edible species with high management intensity R²?=?0.505 (p?=?0.0316), because of their management. But in medicinal and ornamental plants, the risk is high if the cultural importance increases, even when management practices like transplanting and propagation in homegardens are carried out.

Conclusions

Traditional markets are settings of interchange of products, knowledge, and experiences, where the ongoing factors and processes motivating management innovation can be identified and documented. This approach allows documenting processes occurring at regional level but would be benefited from deeper studies at local level in communities.

     

Knowledge,use and management of native wild edible plants from a seasonal dry forest (NE,Brazil)

Background

Despite being an ancient practice that satisfies basic human needs, the use of wild edible plants tends to be forgotten along with associated knowledge in rural communities. The objective of this work is to analyze existing relationships between knowledge, use, and management of native wild edible plants and socioeconomic factors such as age, gender, family income, individual income, past occupation and current occupation.

Methods

The field work took place between 2009 and 2010 in the community of Carão, Altinho municipality, in the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 members of the community regarding knowledge, use and management of 14 native wild edible plants from the Caatinga region, corresponding to 12 vegetable species. In parallel, we documented the socioeconomic aspects of the interviewed population (age, gender, family income, individual income, past occupation and current occupation).

Results

Knowledge about edible plants was related to age but not to current occupation or use. Current use was not associated with age, gender or occupation. The association between age and past use may indicate abandonment of these resources.

Conclusion

Because conservation of the species is not endangered by their use but by deforestation of the ecosystems in which these plants grow, we suggest that the promotion and consumption of the plants by community members is convenient and thereby stimulates the appropriation and consequent protection of the ecosystem. To promote consumption of these plants, it is important to begin by teaching people about plant species that can be used for their alimentation, disproving existing myths about plant use, and encouraging diversification of use by motivating the invention of new preparation methods. An example of how this can be achieved is through events like the “Preserves Festival”.

     

A Preliminary Study of Traditional,Wild Medicinal,Edible Plants in Xishuangbanna,Yunnan, China

An ethnobotanical study was conducted through interview and field work during 20103-20117 to determine the wild medicine food plants used by the local people of Xishuangbanna, southwest Yunnan, China. All information provided on the uses of medicine food plants by local communities was documented. In addition, the disk diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activities of some plants. A total of 95 plant species belonging to 43 families were reported as medicine food plants, with Solanaceae (6 species) and Lamiaceae (6 species) being the most represented families. Most plants used were herbs (495%), of which 20 were screened for antibacterial activities. Baphicacanthus cusia and Solanum spirale showed moderate antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus. Our interviews revealed that in the study area wild plants are still commonly used for food and medicinal purposes by people in their daily lives. However, there is a gradual loss of traditional knowledge about these plants due to a decline in inter generational transmission of knowledge. Loss of this precious knowledge is a major concern.     

西双版纳传统利用的野生药食两用植物

2010年3月至2011年7月对西双版纳少数民族传统利用的药食两用植物进行民族植物学调查,通过访谈和野外调查工作,收集并记录了关于当地社区传统利用药食两用植物的传统知识以及其他相关信息,并选择了其中20种植物进行抗菌活性的筛选。共调查统计了43科95种西双版纳传统利用的药食两用植物,从分类学角度来看,以茄科（6种）和唇形科（6种）最多,其中草本植物占了最大比例,为49．5％。对其中20种植物的抗菌活性筛选结果显示,只有马蓝（Baphicacanthus cusia）和旋花茄（Sola-humspirale）对金黄色葡萄球菌有抑菌活性。从调查中可以看出：药食两用植物的利用在当地人的日常生活中仍占有相当重要的分量。但随着近年来经济快速发展导致的传统知识的急剧流失和森林的大面积砍伐,很多植物已经逐渐从人们的生活中淡出．如何保护这些传统知识并使其能够可持续发展下去是一个值得思考的问题。     

西双版纳传统利用的野生药食两用植物

2010年3月至2011年7月对西双版纳少数民族传统利用的药食两用植物进行民族植物学调查,通过访谈和野外调查工作, 收集并记录了关于当地社区传统利用药食两用植物的传统知识以及其他相关信息,并选择了其中20种植物进行抗菌活性的筛选。共调查统计了43科95种西双版纳传统利用的药食两用植物,从分类学角度来看,以茄科（6种）和唇形科（6种）最多,其中草本植物占了最大比例,为495%。对其中20种植物的抗菌活性筛选结果显示,只有马蓝（Baphicacanthus cusia）和旋花茄（Solanum spirale）对金黄色葡萄球菌有抑菌活性。从调查中可以看出：药食两用植物的利用在当地人的日常生活中仍占有相当重要的分量。但随着近年来经济快速发展导致的传统知识的急剧流失和森林的大面积砍伐,很多植物已经逐渐从人们的生活中淡出,如何保护这些传统知识并使其能够可持续发展下去是一个值得思考的问题。     

Wild edible plants of the Sikkim Himalaya: Marketing, value addition and implications for management

This paper presents data on marketing, value addition and management concerns of the wild edible plants of the Sikkim Himalaya. At least 23 weekly markets, locally called ‘ Hats ’, have been identified in the state, and three markets, viz. Gangtok, Namchi and Singtam, were studied in detail, for one year, with reference to the availability, quantity sold and retailers involved with the marketing of wild edible species. A total of 44 wild edible species have been recorded to be sold annually in the three markets. Among all the species,Spondias axillaris was sold in highest quantity and more retailers were involved in its business than for any other wild edible plant. Other important species wereMachilus edulis, Diplazium esculentum, Eleagnus latifolia,Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Agaricus and Baccaurea sapida. The rural economics of wild edible plants is estimated to be some 140 tons per annum, and the prices for various species have increased over the years. At Gangtok, prices increased 3 to 6 times from 1981 to 1996–1997. Analysis of the field data showed that the wild edible plants were an important source of income to the plant dwellers and subsistence for farm families. Value addition was done to a few wild edible species, and cost-benefit analysis showed that the income from the fruits could be increased by at least 3–5 times after making pickles, squash and jam. It was recorded that plant dwellers have open access for the collection of these plant resources, which often leads to their over exploitation, and the local state government at present lacks policies and strategies for protecting and promoting wild edible plants in any of its programs. It is suggested that suitable conservation practices and policies need to be formulated to conserve these plants in the wild habitats within the state.     

Mapuche perceptions and conservation of Andean <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nothofagus</Emphasis> forests and their medicinal plants: a case study from a rural community in Patagonia,Argentina

In a Mapuche community situated in the sub-antarctic forest of the northwest of Argentine Patagonia, analysis was carried out on forest environmental perception and its relation to the resilience of the body of traditional botanical knowledge regarding medicinal plants. Data was obtained on the ethno-classification and differential use of the forest gathering environment with respect to its practical and cultural value. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 randomly chosen inhabitants, and the data were analysed using qualitative methods and non-parametric statistics. Most citations (64.5%) were of species gathered in Nothofagus antarctica forest, 26.2% were of species from N. pumilio forest, and 20.3% referred to species from a mixed forest, with N. dombeyi. The forests studied have low values for similarity in terms of medicinal species richness, indicating a unique offer of therapeutic resources in each one. The use of the different forest types seems to be associated with the search for therapeutic resources for specific ailments. However, the redundancy of functions of species in each forest type can offer alternative remedies, which provides plant conservation, security and the possibility of reorganisation of their traditional medicinal knowledge. This case study showed the importance of considering folk systems and the role that this knowledge has played in plant resource management and forest protection. Different forests are used and valued differentially, not only with regard to usefulness but also in symbolic-religious terms, and together they fulfil a cushioning function, protecting holistically traditional botanical knowledge, people’s health and forests. It is of great importance, therefore, that conservation policies favouring environmental heterogeneity are implemented, and that local inhabitants participate in the development of management plans.