Summer cattle transhumance and wild edible plant gathering in a Mapuche community of Northwestern Patagonia

ANA LADIO; MARIANA LOZADA

HUMAN ECOLOGY

Plenum Publishers

Lugar: New York; Año: 2004 vol. 32 p. 225 - 241

0300-7839

Cattle transhumance has been practiced since colonial times in Mapuche communitiesof northwestern Patagonia, which travelling seasonally along the Andeanvalleys from arid lands towards temperate forests. In this study, we analyzedhow this migratory practice affects the abundancce at variety of wildedible plants utilized by the Mapuche community of Paineo. Patterns of usefor those who practice transhumance were compared with those who do notutilizing ecological variables. Gender and age were also evaluated. The Paineopeople collect wild plants in 3 different gathering sites: the A. araucana forest,the “Traves´ıa,” and their dwelling surroundings. However, those who practicesummer transhumance utilize a more diverse variety and a tan greaterquantity of wild edible forest plants than those who do not. Moreover, thenutritional value of plants collected by transhumants is greater than thoseused by non-transhumants. Men practice summer cattle transhumance in agreater proportion than do women and consume significantly more wild edibleplants. In contrast, plants from their dwellings and from the Traves´ıa areused in a similar way by both sexes. It was observed that the elderly do notpresently participate in transhumance. Our results illustrate a change in wildplant knowledge influenced by the transformation of the summer transhumancepattern.