The acquisition of new knowledge about useful flora in a different environment, the case of San Antonio Nuevo Paraíso, Chimalapas, Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To describe the learning process regarding useful flora in a indigenous community.

Design/methodology/approach: Six visits were made with a total of 72 days of fieldwork. The ethnographic method was conducted, using the following techniques: one participatory workshop, 23 semi-structured interviews, several preferential open interviews to key informants and participatory observation.

Results: The learning process had two components: knowledge transmission by neighbouring communities and own experimentation, the first one being the most used. Besides, the useful flora was studied, obtaining a floristic list of 119 species.

Study limitations/implications: No applicable.

Discoveries/conclusions: To know the transmission of knowledge process is very important to understand the erosion or loss of knowledge in a world of social changes, that is why in this study the ethnographic record was determinant to document the learning process and adaptation of this community in a very different environment. Despite neighbouring communities were the main source of information regarding the use of resources, the own experimentation based on trial and error also was a phenomenon that occurred, which indicates the investigative nature of the human being. The number of useful species represented around 25% of the total species reported in the preliminary floristic inventory of this community, which means that the acquisition of knowledge has been in such a way that has allowed adaptation to this new environment in only nine years living in this place.