permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] study on indigenous uses of weeds, Mexico
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:37:09 +0000
From: Joe Nessim <jnessj@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Volume 119, Issues 1-2 , February 2007, Pages 39-48


Non-crop resources and the role of indigenous knowledge in semi-arid
production of Mexico

Abstract

In this paper, weed flora associated with small-scale farming in the
semi-arid Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (Mexico) was investigated.
The objectives were to describe weed floristic diversity, local uses,
indigenous knowledge and farmers’ management as well as weed distribution in
four different crop production systems along a gradient of agricultural
management intensity. In total, 161 weed species belonging to 40 families
and 103 genera were found, including three endemic species of the region.
Approximately, 91.9% of all weed species had one or more uses, fodder being
the most important one, followed by medicinal, edible and ornamental uses.
The experience and knowledge of local farmers and the biodiversity of useful
weed resources associated with a large variety of local crop production
systems, indicated how small-scale tropical agriculture in a developing
country may be compatible with in situ conservation of useful non-crop
resources.

Keywords: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve; Ethnobotany; Farmers’
decisions; In situ conservation; On-farm research; Weed management; Weed
diversity