- San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Felipe Ruan-Soto
Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Biologia, Faculty Member
- Ethnobiologistedit
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Research Interests: Geography and Humanities
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The state of Chiapas is one of the most biologically diverse and bioculturally rich areas of Mexico. The region known as the Highlands of Chiapas is a mountainous region that harbors vegetation types dominated by pine and oak species and... more
The state of Chiapas is one of the most biologically diverse and bioculturally rich areas of Mexico. The region known as the Highlands of Chiapas is a mountainous region that harbors vegetation types dominated by pine and oak species and human populations belonging to the Tsotsil, Tseltal, and Tojol-ab'al Indigenous groups. These people have named species, classifying them into groups reflecting their place in the universe according to their worldview and have generated knowledge about their biology, ecology, and the ways in which they may be used to satisfy both material and nonmaterial needs. People of the Highlands of Chiapas have produced knowledge that reflects the cultural significance of diverse species of plants. In general, there are scarce records about use, management, and perception of plants of the region from the Colonial period; however, anthropological and ethnobotanical researches were very active during the twentieth century to the present. It has been through ethnographies, dictionaries, vocabularies, and project reports that ethnobotanical information has been documented. The forest is a fundamental source of resources for the survival of
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Chiapas harbors significant biological and cultural diversity. The region known as Selva Lacandona is an ideal example to study what is called the “biocultural axiom”. This neotropical region is inhabited by multiple indigenous groups,... more
Chiapas harbors significant biological and cultural diversity. The region known as Selva Lacandona is an ideal example to study what is called the “biocultural axiom”. This neotropical region is inhabited by multiple indigenous groups, such as the Tsotziles, Tseltales, Tojolabales, Ch’oles, Kanjobales, Chujes, Mames, Lacandones (Hach Winik), and Zoques. The herpetofaunistic diversity of Chiapas is currently represented by 107 species of amphibians and 223 species of reptiles. In the Selva Lacandona region a total of 35 species of amphibians and 90 reptiles has been documented, with some areas still remaining to be formally explored. Traditionally, the use of natural resources by native indigenous communities has been linked to the selective use of those species that have economical, traditional, and/or magical-religious value. Many of these human groups have a deep traditional knowledge about the environment in which they live, as well as the diversity of plant, fungal, and animal s...
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Additional file 1. Cultural significance of primates' questionnaire. Applied to the participants of the community inside (Piedra Labrada, N = 81) and the community outside (Los Mangos, N = 91) of Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve... more
Additional file 1. Cultural significance of primates' questionnaire. Applied to the participants of the community inside (Piedra Labrada, N = 81) and the community outside (Los Mangos, N = 91) of Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (Additional file 1).
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Background Traditional mycological knowledge (TMK) is complex, not distributed equally among the entire population, and constantly adapting to current social situations. There are sociocultural factors that could influence the fact that... more
Background Traditional mycological knowledge (TMK) is complex, not distributed equally among the entire population, and constantly adapting to current social situations. There are sociocultural factors that could influence the fact that some people retain a greater wealth of knowledge, for instance, cultural affiliation, migration, occupation, level of schooling, and person's age. Methods We analyze the distribution of the TMK based on sociocultural variables and 12 indicators to quantify the TMK based on a literature review. We chose two sites where there was a Wixarika and Mestizo population with records of use and consumption of wild mushrooms. In each site, 150 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The format of the semi-structured interviews was made up of sociocultural questions plus 12 questions corresponding to each of the indicators. With the data obtained, we performed linear regression tests and principal components analysis (PCA); furthermore, the significance o...
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Phlebopus é um gênero de fungos boletoides que produz basidiomas conspícuos, de grandes dimensões. O gênero está representado no Brasil por seis espécies distribuídas em oito Estados, porém, P. beniensis ainda não havia sido registrada... more
Phlebopus é um gênero de fungos boletoides que produz basidiomas conspícuos, de grandes dimensões. O gênero está representado no Brasil por seis espécies distribuídas em oito Estados, porém, P. beniensis ainda não havia sido registrada para o Estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é registrar a ocorrência da espécie para o Estado de São Paulo com base em espécimes da região sudoeste do Estado, assim como apresentar notas etnomicológicas, incluindo o primeiro registro de comestibilidade da espécie
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This chapter is an overview of the relationship between Lacandon Mayan people from Naha and Metzabok and the two species of non-human primates found in their territory (spider monkey/Ateles geoffroyi and howler monkey/Alouatta pigra). We... more
This chapter is an overview of the relationship between Lacandon Mayan people from Naha and Metzabok and the two species of non-human primates found in their territory (spider monkey/Ateles geoffroyi and howler monkey/Alouatta pigra). We reviewed and interpreted evidences from the presence of these species in pre-Hispanic art in the Mayan area to ethnographic data referring to people’s ethnoecological knowledge and an analysis of the local cultural significance of these species. The Lacandon rainforest is located on the east/northeast region of the state of Chiapas in Mexico. Across the whole Mayan area, discourses about the origin of monkeys as divine punishment are present; however, monkeys are conceived as pre-human beings. In the studied communities, Alouatta pigra and Ateles geoffroyi obtained the 9th and 12th places, respectively, in the cultural significance valuation of 35 taxa of recognized mammals. Currently, Lacandons from Naha and Metzabok consider this two species of non-human primates to be important because of their direct use in three cultural significance categories: edible, medicinal, and pet. The relationship between Lacandons and monkeys has distinctive features; each species has a profound relationship to the origin of people and their beliefs. Finally, not many years ago, these primate species were considered a valuable food resource. Non-human primates are still present in narrative, and they are significant because of the benefits they provide while living in contrast to the uses they can be given when they are hunted. Undoubtedly, this promises hope for the preservation of monkeys in the Lacandon rainforest.
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In Chiapas, at the south of Mexico, have been developed some studies about the relation between mushrooms and the mayan people. However, the way that people in the Lacandona Rainforest are related with the mushrooms, their local... more
In Chiapas, at the south of Mexico, have been developed some studies about the relation between mushrooms and the mayan people. However, the way that people in the Lacandona Rainforest are related with the mushrooms, their local mycological knowledge, and the mushroom´s uses, are points that have been given little attention. In this paper we focus on describing and analyzing aspects related with the mushroom´s uses and cultural practices in Playon de la Gloria (PG), a recent mestizo community, and Lacanja-Chansayab (LC), a lacandon community whose ancestors have at least 300 years living in the forest. Through a qualitative approach, we constructed a ethnomycography through different techniques like participant observation, ethnomycological forays and interviews with several informants. In both communities, although they have different histories, have as many similarities as: the number and the composition of edible species (10 in PG, 11 in LC) the vast majority of them are lignicol...
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This study was aimed at delving into the relationship between botanical species with cultural significance and both the managed environments they inhabit (Coffee plantation, Forest, Garden, Orchard, Market) and their origin (Wild,... more
This study was aimed at delving into the relationship between botanical species with cultural significance and both the managed environments they inhabit (Coffee plantation, Forest, Garden, Orchard, Market) and their origin (Wild, Cultivated), as established by people from vereda Las Delicias, Colombia. We tested the hypothesis that cultivated plants from the coffee plantations would have the highest cultural significance. One hundred and ninety-two plants were recorded by common name, however, upon taxonomic analysis, 238 botanical species were established. The most relevant spaces in terms of diversity were the coffee plantation (91 useful plants) and the garden (81 useful plants). Regarding origin, most of the plants were cultivated (151), with only 50 wild species. Likewise, there is a significantly larger cultural significance of coffee plantantion plants than there is garden plants and forest plants. Furthermore, cultivated plants have a significantly larger cultural significa...
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The relationship between humans and nature is defined by culture. Accordingly, the use, conceptions, and perceptions of resources differ among cultural groups, even among those inhabiting the same region or those who come into contact... more
The relationship between humans and nature is defined by culture. Accordingly, the use, conceptions, and perceptions of resources differ among cultural groups, even among those inhabiting the same region or those who come into contact with the same biota. In particular, mushrooms evoke a wide range of sentiments. During ethnobiological tours in Mexico, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 37 individuals of each community, from ten Wixarika and mestizo communities, living in the same locality and sharing similar resources, in the municipality of Villa Guerrero in northern Jalisco, Mexico. Furthermore, informal interviews with four Wixarika and five mestizo key informants were conducted. The topics treated were regarding the traditional nomenclature and classification, uses, and knowledge of mushrooms and related practices. Wixarika names of 37 mushroom species with edible, medicinal, and recreational uses were recorded. In addition, the Wixaritari were found to associate ...
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ResumenAntecedentes: En los Altos de Chiapas, los hongos comestibles silvestres son un recurso apreciado, sobre todo por la población indígena tsotsil y tseltal. Sin embargo, en años recientes se ha hecho visible la ocurrencia de... more
ResumenAntecedentes: En los Altos de Chiapas, los hongos comestibles silvestres son un recurso apreciado, sobre todo por la población indígena tsotsil y tseltal. Sin embargo, en años recientes se ha hecho visible la ocurrencia de intoxicaciones por consumo de hongos. Objetivos: Se describen y analizan las prácticas de recolecta que tienen los tsotsiles de Chamula, cómo han ido cambiando con el tiempo, así como las estrategias para identificar especies comestibles y tóxicas.Método: El estudio se llevó a cabo en Chamula, Chiapas, zona montañosa de bosques templados con población maya tsotsil. Partiendo de un enfoque etnográfico y a través de métodos cualitativos, se realizaron entrevistas no estructuradas y semiestructuradas, así como recolectas de ejemplares fúngicos. Resultados: Antiguamente la recolecta de hongos era una práctica común. Alrededor de 21 especies se enunciaron como comestibles, la mayoría ectomicorrizógenas. Actualmente existe la percepción de que la recolecta no es ...
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Los hongos silvestres son un recurso forestal altamente apreciado. Sin embargo, en la última década se ha registrado en Chiapas un alto número de intoxicaciones por su consumo. El presente artículo presenta las distintas visiones que se... more
Los hongos silvestres son un recurso forestal altamente apreciado. Sin embargo, en la última década se ha registrado en Chiapas un alto número de intoxicaciones por su consumo. El presente artículo presenta las distintas visiones que se tienen de las intoxicaciones, desde las instituciones oficiales de salud y la academia, así como desde pobladores tsotsiles del municipio de Chamula. Para la biomedicina, el envenenamiento por hongos ha sido conceptualizado como alteraciones a la salud que ocurren de manera accidental por una incorrecta identificación de las especies. Para los entrevistados de Chamula, estos padecimientos van más allá de simples confusiones y ocurren debido a la presencia de diferentes factores. Ambas visiones al parecer son diferentes y en ocasiones, contrapuestas, lo que genera un replanteamiento de las estrategias que se deben proponer en materia de prevención.
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Mushrooms are important forest resources, mostly as food, despite the serious health threat posed by toxic species. In the Highlands of Chiapas, numerous wild mushroom intoxications have been registered. While Chiapas has been vastly... more
Mushrooms are important forest resources, mostly as food, despite the serious health threat posed by toxic species. In the Highlands of Chiapas, numerous wild mushroom intoxications have been registered. While Chiapas has been vastly studied from an ethnomycological perspective, no certainty exists as to how nomenclature systems differentiate edible and toxic species, which species are most culturally significant, and whether sociodemographic factors relate to how well-known they are in the Highlands of Chiapas. This paper evaluates which are the most culturally significant edible and toxic wild mushroom species in seven Tsotsil communities from this region and whether differences exist in their knowledge relating to different sociodemographic subsets (gender, schooling, and occupation). The hypothesis that there is a difference in the number of species that people mention, as well as the number of times each ethno-taxon is mentioned, between people from different social groups was ...
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In Colombia, ethnobotanical studies regarding plant cultural significance (CS) in tropical dry forests are scarce and mainly focused on the Caribbean region. Different authors have indicated that the plants with the most uses are those of... more
In Colombia, ethnobotanical studies regarding plant cultural significance (CS) in tropical dry forests are scarce and mainly focused on the Caribbean region. Different authors have indicated that the plants with the most uses are those of greater cultural importance. Additionally, gender differences in knowledge and interest in natural resources has been widely recorded. This study evaluated the cultural significance of plants in the Doche community, in the Department of Huila. Furthermore, it evaluates the richness of plant knowledge among local inhabitants, looking for testing the hypothesis that the CS of plants positively correlates to the number of uses people inform about, and that there are significant differences on the richness of ethnobotanical knowledge between men and women in this community. The ethnobotanical categories: "food," "condiment," "economy," "fodder," "firewood," "timber", "medicine," and ...
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Los pueblos mayas habitan una región biológicamente megadiversa y tradicionalmente hacen uso diversificado de sus recursos. Desde la etnomicología —disciplina que estudia la relación entre grupos humanos y hongos— se cuenta con amplia... more
Los pueblos mayas habitan una región biológicamente megadiversa y tradicionalmente hacen uso diversificado de sus recursos. Desde la etnomicología —disciplina que estudia la relación entre grupos humanos y hongos— se cuenta con amplia evidencia del conocimiento y uso de estos organismos entre tales grupos étnicos. Tal evidencia se extiende hasta tiempos prehispánicos con hongos piedra, códices y crónicas. Actualmente se tiene conocimiento de 134 especies comestibles —ya sean para autoconsumo o venta— y alrededor de 40 hongos medicinales en la región. Asociados con estos usos, existen conocimientos morfológicos, fenológicos, ecológicos y culinarios de los hongos, así como desarrollados esquemas de nomenclatura y clasificación, el reconocimiento de 36 especies consideradas tóxicas y la presencia de hongos en diferentes narrativas. APPROACHES TO MAYAN ETHNOMYCOLOGY The Mayan peoples inhabit a biologically megadiverse region and have traditionally made a diversified use of their resourc...
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Se describen algunos aspectos del Conocimiento Micologico Local (cml) presente en San Antonio Lindavista, municipio de la Independencia Chiapas, y se contrastan con la informacion recopilada para otras zonas tanto templadas como... more
Se describen algunos aspectos del Conocimiento Micologico Local (cml) presente en San Antonio Lindavista, municipio de la Independencia Chiapas, y se contrastan con la informacion recopilada para otras zonas tanto templadas como tropicales del estado. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas y recorridos etnobiologicos con informantes clave para recolectar los ejemplares de las especies fungicas utilizadas. En el poblado se utilizan 15 especies: 12 comestibles, 2 medicinales y una recreativa. Se recopilaron 15 nombres locales, tanto en tojolabal como en espanol. Con excepcion de Cantharellus cibarius y Amanita caesarea, las demas especies comestibles son de tamano pequeno y de consistencia corchosa. El 80% de los entrevistados consumen hongos; y en general tienen percepciones claras al respecto de aspectos ecologicos y fenologicos de los hongos. Concluimos que de acuerdo con los patrones observados, el cml asi como las practicas de utilizacion de los hongos coinciden en mayor medida con lo reportado en etnomicografias de pueblos de tierras bajas mesoamericanas, no obstante ser un poblado inmerso en un tipo de vegetacion de clima templado.
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Muy pocas veces podemos decir que el origen de una disciplinas e haya dado en mexico, en el caso de la etnomicologia si podemos afirmarlo. La etnomicologia nace como una disciplina formal con los trabajos de los esposos Wasson en la... more
Muy pocas veces podemos decir que el origen de una disciplinas e haya dado en mexico, en el caso de la etnomicologia si podemos afirmarlo. La etnomicologia nace como una disciplina formal con los trabajos de los esposos Wasson en la decada de1950y a partir de entonces ha venido desarrollandose de manera vertiginosa. En este devenires posible identificar tres etapas caracterizadas por las tematicas estudiadas y el fortalecimiento de las metodologias empleadas: de ser en un inicio “el estudio delos hongos magicos en las sociedades primitivas ”se ha constituido como un disciplina que pretende comprenderlas relaciones establecidas entre los diferentes grupos humanos y los hongos.
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Background Mushrooms generate strong and contrasting feelings ranging from extreme aversion to intense liking. To categorize these attitudes, Wasson and Wasson coined the dichotomic terms “mycophilia” and “mycophobia” in 1957. In... more
Background Mushrooms generate strong and contrasting feelings ranging from extreme aversion to intense liking. To categorize these attitudes, Wasson and Wasson coined the dichotomic terms “mycophilia” and “mycophobia” in 1957. In Mesoamerica these categories have been associated to ecological regions. Highland peoples are viewed as mycophiles, whereas lowland inhabitants are considered mycophobes. However, this division is based on little empirical evidence and few indicators. This study questioned whether mycophilia and mycophobia are indeed related to ecological regions through the evaluation of 19 indicators tested in the highlands and lowlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Methods The heterogeneity of attitudes toward mushrooms was explored in terms of ecological region and sociocultural variables. Information was obtained through structured interviews in 10 communities in Los Altos de Chiapas (highlands) and the Selva Lacandona (lowlands). We analyzed indicators separately through χ2 tes...
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La etnomicologia en Bolivia ha recibido poca atencion a lo largo de su historia, ello se ve reflejado en la escasa y dispersa informacion que existe en la actualidad. Este estudio se centra en comprender la perspectiva de una comunidad... more
La etnomicologia en Bolivia ha recibido poca atencion a lo largo de su historia, ello se ve reflejado en la escasa y dispersa informacion que existe en la actualidad. Este estudio se centra en comprender la perspectiva de una comunidad quechua respecto a la K’allampa de pino (Suillus luteus) y la gestion de su aprovechamiento, como muestra de un conocimiento micologico popular en la localidad de Alalay (Mizque, Cochabamba), donde se establecio un dialogo de saberes entre comunarios y academicos. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a 20 hombres y mujeres quechua, empleando muestreo tipo bola de nieve y tecnicas de observacion participante para aproximarnos a la percepcion y usos de la K’allampa, practicas de recolecta, aspectos economicos y transmision del conocimiento, variables que fueron analizadas por contrastacion de categorias. La recoleccion y el deshidratado de las K’allampas se realiza en epoca de lluvias y representan para la comunidad actividades de recreacion, bue...
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This study was aimed at delving into the relationship between botanical species with cultural significance and both the managed environments they inhabit (Coffee plantation, Forest, Garden, Orchard, Market) and their origin (Wild,... more
This study was aimed at delving into the relationship between botanical species with cultural significance and both the managed environments they inhabit (Coffee plantation, Forest, Garden, Orchard, Market) and their origin (Wild, Cultivated), as established by people from vereda Las Delicias, Colombia. We tested the hypothesis that cultivated plants from the coffee plantations would have the highest cultural significance. One hundred and ninety-two plants were recorded by common name, however, upon taxonomic analysis, 238 botanical species were established. The most relevant spaces in terms of diversity were the coffee plantation (91 useful plants) and the garden (81 useful plants). Regarding origin, most of the plants were cultivated (151), with only 50 wild species. Likewise, there is a significantly larger cultural significance of coffee plantantion plants than there is garden plants and forest plants. Furthermore, cultivated plants have a significantly larger cultural significa...
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Background The study of the cultural significance (CS) of biodiversity provides key information to develop conservation strategies consistent with traditions and perceptions of human communities. In Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (TBR) in... more
Background The study of the cultural significance (CS) of biodiversity provides key information to develop conservation strategies consistent with traditions and perceptions of human communities. In Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (TBR) in Mexico, the mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata mexicana) and the black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus) have historically coexisted with Popoluca Indigenous Peoples. This study sought to determine how the presence of a natural protected area (TBR location) and a range of sociodemographic factors (gender, age, origin, language proficiency, education level, religion) relate to the CS held by the Popoluca Indigenous People in relation to these two endangered primate species. Methods The first Primate Cultural Significance Index (PCSI) was designed as a composed index of 11 cultural variables (sub-indices) and was applied randomly to a representative size sample of people over 15 years old in two Popolucas communities, one with...