Ethnobotany of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy-Guican: climate change and conservation strategies in the Colombian Andes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy-Güicán in the Colombian Andes is protected as a National Natural Park since 1977 because of its fragile páramo ecosystems, extraordinary biodiversity, high plant endemism, and function as water reservoir. The vegetation on this mountain is threatened by expanding agriculture, deforestation, tourism, and climate change. We present an ethnobotanical inventory among local farmer communities and discuss the effects of vegetation change on the availability of useful plants.

Methods

We used 76 semi-structured, 4 in-depth interviews, and 247 botanical collections to record the ethnoflora of the farmers and surveyed from the high Andean forest to the super-páramo, including native and introduced species. We organized 3 participative workshops w

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5935911 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature