Use of wood resources in central Argentina: A multivariate approach for the study of phytogeography and culture

RODRÍGUEZ LÓPEZ, SANTIAGO; BÁRBARA ARIAS TOLEDO; LEONARDO GALETTO

Ethnobotany Research and Applications

Botanical Research Institute of Texas

Lugar: Texas; Año: 2015 vol. 14 p. 381 - 392

1547-3465

Changes in land use and forest loss determine not only the loss of biodiversity, but the associated traditional ecological knowledge. Thus, knowing the several uses of forest resources by rural communities might help in guiding conservation efforts. We applied a multivariate approach to evaluate the knowledge on uses of wood specimens, based on environmental factors ?availability of species- and participant?s (N=114) socioeconomic characteristics, in six rural communities of Córdoba Province, Argentina, located in three different phytogeographical areas. Older men with unstable jobs and low education represent the embodiment of the knower of wood resources. Although the multivariate analysis suggests that socioeconomic factors are important when determining the known uses of wood resources within each area, environmental factors such as the availability of species considerably contribute to the characterization of the different communities. Quantitative analysis, including the socioeconomic characterization of human populations, might provide a valuable tool when planning policies for management and conservation of fuel wood resources.