González- Rivadeneira T., Villagómez-Reséndiz R. y Barili A. (2018), The Current Status of Ethnobiology in Ecuador.pdf (original) (raw)

The Current Status of Ethnobiology in Ecuador

This ar􏲳cle gives an account of the current status of ethnobiology in Ecuador. Our goal is a generalized diagnosis of La􏲳n America’s ethnobiological research produc􏲳on, which portrays Ecuadorian ethnobiology as prac􏲳cally non‐existent. We perform an updated search of online databases, using a range of keywords, to show that elements of an ethnobiological research program are indeed present in Ecuadorian scholarship. While ethnobotany is the most developed sub‐discipline of ethnobiology in Ecuador, there is also research on ethnomedicine, ethnozoology, and, to a lesser extent, ethnomycology. The development of these sub‐disciplines promotes further ethnobiological scholarship in Ecuador. Beyond these sub‐ disciplines, ethnobiology is interwoven with contemporary anthropological accounts that emphasize the rela􏲳onships between nature and culture and shine a light on the epistemic plurality of ethnobiology. If ethnobiology in Ecuador is dis􏲳nguished by an epistemic plurality—understood through these different styles of reasoning—then it can be characterized without being confined to sub‐disciplines with the ethno‐ prefix.

Ethnobotanical Research at the Kutukú Scientific Station, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador

BioMed Research International, 2016

This work features the results of an ethnobotanical study on the uses of medicinal plants by the inhabitants of the region near to the Kutukú Scientific Station of Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, located in the Morona-Santiago province, southeast of Ecuador. In the surroundings of the station, one ethnic group, the Shuar, has been identified. The survey hereafter reports a total of 131 plant species, with 73 different therapeutic uses.

Ethnoecology in Perspective : The Origins , Interfaces and Current Trends of a Growing Field

2016

Ethnoecology has approached local ecological knowledge (LEK) based on its cognitive and historical aspects, and regarding its interfaces with science. However, a comprehensive understanding of the potential in LEK studies also relies entirely on the awareness of the academic background that have formed the ethnosciences and, particularly, the ethnobiology throughout the 20th century. Focusing on it, this paper brings a synthesis of the central debates in ethnobiology history, and discusses its influences on current and incipient research venues, especially in Brazil. Topics about inter-generational changes in LEK repertory and the comparisons between LEK and science are also discussed herein. This article highlights mainly that the divergences between LEK and science can be more informative for a comprehensive understanding of LEK than the convergences. I addition, it is argued that bringing to the light the singular repertory of LEK can better support new anthropological insights a...

Two decades of ethnobotanical research in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru

This paper is the compiltion of a talk given during the “Advanced Topics in Ethnobiology 2013” workshop in Recife, Brazil, under the title “A decade of ethnobotany in Northern Peru - healers and markets, bioassays, paleobotany and considerations of the Nagoya Protocol” Northern Peru represents the “Health Hub” of the Central Andes, with roots going back to traditional practices Cupisnique culture (1000 BC). During almost two decades of research semi-structured interviews with healers, collectors and sellers of medicinal plants, and bioassays to evaluate the effective and plant toxicity were carried out. Most (83%) of the 510 species used were native to Peru. 50% of the plants used in colonial times disappeared from the pharmacopoeia. Common and exotic plants were mostly used for common ailments, while plants with magical purposes were only employed by specialist healers. About 974 preparations with up to 29 ingredients treated 164 conditions. Almost 65% of the medicinal plants were applied in mixtures. Antibacterial activity was confirmed in most plants used for infections. The aqueous extract 24% and 76% ethanolic extracts showed toxicity. Traditional preparation methods take this into account when choosing the appropriate solvent for the preparation of a remedy. The increasing demand did not increase the significant cultivation of medicinal plants. Most plants are wild-collected, causing doubts about the sustainability of trade. Dedicated programs aim to establish in-situ collections of important species, as well as to repatriate traditional knowledge in local language, under the guidelines of the Nagoya Protocol.

EVALUATION OF ETHNOBOTANICAL RESEARCH DEVELOPED IN THE PERUVIAN CONTEXT (2000-2013)

The quality of 110 ethnobotanical studies performed in Peru and published during the last thirteen years in peer-reviewed journals was evaluated through an index of research performance, the RPE index. The studies with a better performance are valued with scores of the RPE index > 0.5. The results show that the studies with scores > 0.51 were performed mainly by foreign scientists, recognized as experienced scientists with training in biological sciences, with a scientific contribution resulting from the ethnobotanical research, and as part of a research team. Furthermore, the studies with best performance were conducted primarily by pharmacologists, scientists from the social sciences and biologists. The studies performed by Peruvian ethnobotanists exhibit lower scores of the RPE index due to factors such as low scientific production and lack of funding support.