Structure of ethnobotanical knowledge and local use of useful plants in the Palmales community, Loja, Ecuador

Abstract

Ethnobotanical knowledge constitutes a fundamental component of traditional plant-use practices in rural communities of the dry forests of southern Ecuador. In this context, the present study aimed to characterize the cultural importance of plant species and their relationship with local use practices in the Palmales community, Célica county, Loja province, Ecuador. The research was conducted under a mixed-methods approach through semi-structured interviews applied to 24 informants and the calculation of ethnobotanical indices. A total of 68 useful plant species were recorded, classified according to their management status as introduced or naturalized (47.0%), domesticated (32.4%), and wild (20.6%), evidencing a local system of plant use. A total of 359 records of use-category combinations were identified, predominantly associated with food and medicinal uses, with the food–medicinal combination being the most frequent (21.17%). The Use Value Index and the Tramil Significant Use Level allowed the identification of species with high cultural importance, including Citrus sinensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Mangifera indica, Zea mays, and Juglans neotropica. Likewise, a positive association was recorded between the age of people and the number of species mentioned (ρ = 0.62; p = 0.002). Multivariate analyses showed association between species and their main use categories, as well as groupings related to food, medicinal, and material uses. The ethnobotanical knowledge recorded in Palmales integrates wild species, traditional crops, and introduced plant species, mainly used in food-related, medicinal, and domestic practices within the community.