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Non-Timber Forest Products of the El Tundo community: a forested remnant of biodiversity and ancestral knowledge of southern Ecuador

Abstract:

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) constitute an essential source of subsistence for rural communities of Ecuador. The present study identified NTFP and its traditional and current use in El Tundo community of Sozoranga canton, province of Loja. The ethnobotanical and ethnozoological information was obtained through 30 oral interviews and field observations. The consensus among informants in each category of use was determined using (FIC), as well as other quantitative indices that allowed calculating the importance or cultural value (IVU), scientific validation (UST), and everyday use (IF) of the species. 123 NTFP were registered, of which 116 were vegetables and 7 animals distributed in 12 categories of use, of which human medicine and materials stood out. The most locally versatile species are Juglans neotropica Diels, Myroxylon peruiferum L. f, and Verbena litoralis Kunth. Of the registered species, 33 constitute potential resources due to their high socio-cultural acceptance, while 17 present the highest levels of fidelity in the entire community. This work contributes to value local knowledge to generate alternatives for the sustainable use and harvesting of biodiversity.