Choromytilus chorus virtually vanished from most Peruvian archaeological sites about 1000 BC. This species’ disappearance is significant because Choromytilus chorus is one of the most recognizable mollusks in the archaeological remains of coastal Peru because of its large size and rich purple color. In this study we investigate the choro mussel, which was a highly valued food source, a raw material for fishhooks and other fishing gear, and a special ritual item in prehistoric times. We look at inconsistencies in reports of its range, habitat, and ecology to explore reasons for the major shift southward of the species' northern limits at the end of the Initial Period (1000 BC), a significant cultural boundary. We identify biological, ecological, and cultural factors that acted together to bring about the sudden extinction of the choro mussel along much of the Peruvian coast. Paramount among these are human overexploitation and periodic environmental changes related to the El Niño phenomenon.

For centuries, global political economic relations have been informed by a model of growth premised on transforming plants, animals, knowledge, labor, water, and land into scarce commodities. Growing production, consumption, and profit remain unquestioned goods across many sectors of contemporary life. Through our evolving relationships with colonialism, capitalism, and Western science, ethnobiologists are increasingly interrogating the political and economic consequences of our interdisciplinary scholarship. Thus, we offer a valuable perspective on a diverse ecological and social science agenda: degrowth. In this review essay, I explore how ethnobiology might contribute to degrowth research through its empirical approach, alternative valuation, focus on relationships over commodification, emphasis on local context, and recognition that humans shape and are shaped through the environments in which we live. Ethnobiologists meticulously describe systems of social, ecological, and economic interaction. In doing so, we fill a need for studies that document life under degrowth conditions. Similarly, degrowth research offers a vocabulary for ethnobiologists to recognize how we make a unique, data-rich contribution to discussions of political economy and political ecology. Ethnobiologists and degrowth researchers have much to say to each other through our shared commitment to action-oriented, imaginative research that explores socioecological relationships of care and interconnection.

Socio-ecological assessment frameworks like ecosystem services and nature's contributions to people help understanding complex human-nature couplings, but each with their own caveats. There has been little work done on understanding how human-nature couplings evolve through multiple generations, and how that impacts socio-ecological resilience. Mangroves, coupling high biological conservation values and various benefits provided to coastal communities, are ideal social-ecological systems to explore generational human-nature couplings. This study uses the Western Indian Ocean island of Mauritius to highlight the socio-political and cultural values attributed to local practices in mangroves. Through a socio-anthropological approach, information was collected on human practices in mangroves, their social, ontological and political relevance for mangroves-users, their local ecological knowledge (LEK), as well as the perceived changes in mangroves-human couplings. Two free listing methods on mangroves perception and linguistic diversity associated to fished species were also implemented in four coastal villages. The results show that mangroves are associated to multiple social, political and ontological values in Mauritius, notably cultural heritage values, LEK maintenance, matrilineal knowledge transmission systems, linguistic diversity and coastal socio-cultural activities. The presence of mangroves in small-scale seafood production systems also highlights their role in maintaining traditional coastal livelihoods. The narratives of changes within mangroves socio-ecosystems are either maintained or evolving through generations, as are the places of defined actors in coastal communities. Our findings suggest that without formal integration of relational values of mangrove at policy and governance levels, their decline will further produce economic and social insecurity for stewards and users of the coast.

This ethnobotanical study, conducted in rural settler and Guarani populations sharing similar environments within the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve's area of influence in Misiones, Argentina, analyzes and compares local firewood utilization practices and the landscape associated with these practices. We surveyed the general characteristics of the managed landscapes, categorized the observed environments according to management intensity, identified firewood collection environments, and measured the distance of these environments from the peridomestic space. Furthermore, we compared the strategies employed for firewood selection and the acquisition methods. Using ethnobotanical techniques and statistical analysis, we identified relationships between ecological and sociocultural variables and groupings of firewood species with their ecological attributes. The results show that both groups shape the landscape through productive activities, primarily agriculture, and manage resources differently based on their cultural characteristics, socioeconomic profile, and energy needs. Differences were found in collection strategies and environments. Settlers cut green, native, and exotic species into more distant locations, while the Guaranies collect fallen, dry, native species near their homes. Settlers use mechanical tools to extract large-sized species, while the Guaranies employ manual tools for cutting and gathering. Resource and environment management are guided by cultural requirements and specific decisions to control resource availability. The study highlights the importance of understanding traditional practices for the sustainable management of woody resources.

Selling pulque requires extensive knowledge of its handling, mainly learned through oral communication. Its uses and related customs have been little described outside production sites in Tlaxcala. Therefore, this work has documented the traditional knowledge of pulque handling at the points of sale (POS) in Tlaxcala, one of the main producers of this beverage in Mexico. Economic data on the sale of pulque and the descriptions of sellers and customers are also provided. Semistructured interviews were conducted in 131 POS in 93% of Tlaxcala's municipalities using snowball sampling. The results describe management activities in the POS of pulque, aguamiel, and cured pulque, such as cold or room temperature storage. Pulque is sold within most of Tlaxcala, but its production and sale are greatest in the northern part. Pulque sales constitute a job opportunity for adults, mostly men who sell in pulquerías (63%). Pulque is sold by producers (64% > 60 years old) in their homes (50%) and pulquerías (22%). Half the pulque is resold mainly in pulquerías (57%) and homes (12%). A total of 84% of the establishments are less than 20 years old, and service is provided every day, with working hours exceeding 7 h. The price of pulque varies widely, since it can be sold from $0.26 to $5.16 per liter. This variability is possibly associated with the type of POS. Customers prefer sweet pulque, and more than half the consumers are male (55%). This work is a guideline for future state censuses of pulque production and sale.

The use of insects and their hosts is essential in Mesoamerican bio-culture. Preserving this rich heritage and associated biodiversity is a multifaceted process. The first steps involve correctly identifying the used species, documenting its basic ecology, and the collecting and consumption methods. In the Monte Albán archeological site, Oaxaca, Mexico, spanning 13 centuries of pre-Hispanic occupation, local people still practice traditional native species utilization. One of the most used insect species is the cigarras . We sequenced a 648 bp region of this edible cicada's cytochrome oxidase gene. These DNA sequences and morphological studies concur that the cicada used is Quesada gigas (Olivier 1905) (Homoptera). People collect cicadas from April to May and cook them for self-consumption. Based on archeological and etymological evidence of one of their major hosts, the guaje , Leucaena esculenta (DC.) Benth (Fabaceae), the cicada consumption likely has pre-Hispanic roots. The cicada and the guaje pods are rich in proteins, probably due to the guaje's symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The pods are collected for self-consumption during winter. Thus, the guaje–cigarra system provides humans with two protein sources during the dry season at different times. Q. gigas is considered a pest of some crops, illustrating different people's contrasting perceptions of the same insect. The Quesada consumption in Oaxaca might be part of a pre-Hispanic symbiosis between the guaje and humans and an example of how a potential insect pest can be used as an alternative protein source. Monte Albán is a biodiversity and pre-Hispanic traditions reservoir worth preserving.

One of the positive roles of weeds may be their potential use as medicinal plants. The aim of this article is to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of weeds with pharmaceutically important active substances on arable land in the Czech Republic in organic farming. In 2006–2018, a phytocoenological survey was performed on selected organic farms in different production areas representing various climate and soil conditions and in different crops. A total of 223 species were found throughout the survey and of those, 56 species were identified to have a pharmaceutical significance. The effect of different production area and crops on the occurrence of these species was found statistically significant; however, most of the plants were not strongly associated with a particular region or crop. Among the species that were both frequent and with high mean cover are Cirsium arvense, Polygonum aviculare, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Stellaria media, Galium aparine, Elytrigia repens, Convolvulus arvensis, Fumaria officinalis, Centaurea cyanus, Descurainia sophia and Equisetum arvense . Recognizing possible benefits of ecosystem services provided by arable weeds and finding opportunities for organic farmers to have new seasonal markets may help improve sustainability of small farming operations.

This study investigates the current state of plant knowledge and use among nomadic communities in Mongolia's Gobi Desert, where rapid socioeconomic and environmental changes threaten traditional practices. Through a comprehensive survey of 50 participants aged 12–65 across four aimags, we documented the recognition, utilization, and cultural significance of 17 key plant species. High recognition rates were found for Haloxylon ammodendron , Agriophyllum pungens , and Rheum nanum , with medicinal use being the most frequently reported category. Environmental changes, particularly reduced water availability and habitat disruption due to mining activities, have significantly affected plant abundance and use. Importantly, while most respondents demonstrated knowledge of specific land management practices, including seasonal migration and protecting water sources, some were unfamiliar with formal conservation techniques. Concerns about the decline of plant knowledge among younger generations were prevalent among participants. The expansion of mining activities, affecting a substantial portion of the study area, emerged as a primary concern. These findings underscore the cultural, economic, and medicinal importance of plant species in the region and highlight the urgent need to preserve traditional ecological knowledge while developing strategies for biocultural diversity conservation amidst increasing challenges to nomadic livelihoods.

Traditional medicine, including the use of medicinal plants, is integral to healthcare and empowerment of individuals and communities worldwide. Preserving traditional knowledge of medicinal plants requires an understanding of social dynamics and knowledge transfer mechanisms that sustain these practices. This study aimed to explore stakeholder perspectives on the use of medicinal plants in South Tyrol (Italy) through a mixed-methods approach, combining an online survey with semi-structured interviews. We found that the use of medicinal plants is deeply rooted in local communities, supported by factors such as their local accessibility, their presence in education and medical self-care, and a strong local belief in plants’ healing powers. Knowledge is primarily transferred through women underscoring the gendered nature of this cultural heritage. However, sustainable and commercial use of medicinal plants is challenged by a complex set of socio-political barriers, including limited political prioritization and perceived disengagement of local authorities. Our findings highlight the need for coordinated multi-stakeholder strategies, including the establishment of a dedicated chamber to set production standards, safeguard commercial use, advocate for medicinal plant use, mediate conflicts, and address barriers collaboratively, ensuring the integration of traditional practices into modern contexts.

Weeds growing in Mesoamerican traditional maizefields, or milpas , represent a reserve of genetic resources and knowledge. To explore tendencies on the influence of natural and cultural attributes on milpa weeds and their knowledge, we studied species richness, perception, and use of adventitious plants in milpas across an agroclimatic and cultural gradient in Altiplano , Rioverde , and Huasteca milpas in the state of San Luis Potosi, México. The study involved semi-structured interviews and recording weed presence in milpas. Farmers from Huasteca , who often used herbicides and fertilizers in milpas, had a negative perception of weeds and their milpas registered a lower species richness. By contrast, farmers from Altiplano, who mostly managed milpas without industrial inputs, perceived weeds in an ambivalent manner (neither positive nor negative) and their milpas registered the highest species richness. Thus, an association between weed richness and management practices was identified. Farmers collectively recognized 67% of the species present in milpas, and from the total number of species registered, interviewees mentioned specific medicinal uses of nine species that have not been scientifically studied although those species have other scientifically known uses. Forage was the most common use of weeds in milpas from Altiplano and Rioverde , food in Rioverde , and agronomic as soil fertilizer in Huasteca . Milpa farmers collectively still preserve knowledge about weeds that showed differences depending on the uses and region. Promoting milpa agroecosystem ethnobiological knowledge is important to maintain sustainable practices and biodiversity.