Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Sarrapia (Dipteryx odorata [AUBL.] WILLD.) Among Three Non-Indigenous Communities of the Lower Caura River Basin, Venezuela

Abstract

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) offers a broad range of information that conservationists, development practitioners, non-governmental organizations, and researchers value greatly. However, LEK has an intrinsic value to its holders; it represents their capacity to adapt and survive in remote areas, while anchoring their cultural continuity within a specific ecological region. The authors set out to describe in this essay the ethnobotanical knowledge of sarrapia (Dipteryx odorata [Aubl.] Willd.) or tonka bean among the inhabitants of three non-indigenous communities of the Lower Caura River Basin, southern Venezuela. The results of this study suggest that there is a strong association between the livelihood of the Caura's residents and the consecutive annual cycle of this species. This association is demonstrated by how the locals: 1. make interconnections between the biological cycle of sarrapia and climatic and ecological variables; 2. discriminate between wild and cultivated sarrapia tree stands; 3. provide accurate estimates on the total production of sarrapia beans per tree stand every year; 4. implement the appropriate skills throughout the delicate process of extracting and treating the beans; and 5. regulate the access and usufruct rights to the wild and cultivated sarrapia trees.