Tambo River Research Articles

Wild-grown medicinal plants used by the Asháninka people from the Tambo River, Peruvian Amazonia

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe Asháninka people are the largest Peruvian Amazonian group, yet the knowledge of their medicinal plants is scarce. This study on Asháninka herbal medicine offers an insight into the Asháninka aetiological system, resting within the wider ontological framework of animism, and cultural expressions of the biomedical understanding of illnesses. Aim of the studyTo document wild-grown (non-cultivated) plant species in current use by the Asháninka people and look closer at their herbal practices during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study examines whether the knowledge and use of medicinal plants is gendered in this society. It also compares the findings with available literature concerning the Arawakan groups from Peruvian Amazonia. Material and methodsThe fieldwork was conducted in 13 native communities of the Asháninka people along the Tambo River (Selva Central), Peru, between 2016 and 2018 and in 2022. The main field technique were guided walks in the forest with 27 female and 28 male participants, during which voucher specimens were collected and relevant information was recorded. Semi-structured interviews were performed with specialists in Asháninka traditional medicine and with lay Asháninka people to better understand Asháninka illness aetiologies. The analysis of medicinal plants included medicinal categories and uses, modes of preparations, the frequency of use and the knowledge about the plants between the genders. It also presents and discusses detailed testimonies of herbal remedies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The list of recorded plants was compared with ethnobotanical studies of other Arawakan groups from Peruvian Amazonia. ResultsAltogether, 169 wild-grown medicinal plant species were documented. Our findings highlight the importance of the Piperaceae and Acanthaceae botanical families in the Asháninka pharmacopoeia. The plants were used for 23 medicinal categories, of which dermatological disorders, digestive problems and venomous bites were the most prevalent. Over 70% of recorded plants were commonly and moderately known by the study participants. More exclusive species were found among the men than women; however, 64 % of all recorded plants were known to both genders. Sixty-one percent of recorded plants were not mentioned by any other study of medicinal plants among other Arawakan groups in Peruvian Amazonia. During the Covid-19 pandemic, nobody in the native communities at the Tambo River died directly due to the virus, which was attributed, amongst others, to effective and culturally-appropriate prophylaxis and treatments with medicinal plants. ConclusionTo this day, the Asháninka people at the Tambo River conserve the knowledge and practices related to medicinal plants which meet the daily needs of dwelling in subtropical forest; these are deeply rooted in animistic ontology, with the emphasis on spirit predation and retaliation. And yet, numerous applications of plants are compatible with the biomedical notion of illness and symptoms. Plant knowledge is shared between the genders, although specific plants exist for men and women, which are related to their gendered social and family roles. Some overlap and consensus exists with other studies regarding medicinal uses, which reflects the rich and diverse knowledge of medicinal plants among the Arawakan groups in Peruvian Amazonia, and this deserves further study.

The Relation Between Ashaninka Amazonian Society and Cultivated Acanthaceae Plants

The article discusses the relationships between Ashaninka people from Peruvian Amazonia and the ibinishi ethnotaxon corresponding to several species from the Acanthaceae family cultivated in Ashaninka home gardens. The information on cultivated Acanthaceae comes from 59 gardens in 12 native communities along the Tambo River valley in Peruvian Upper Amazonia. The data were interpreted with a more-than-utility theoretical-methodological approach. Ibinishi, also known as pinitsi, are the second major group of cultivated medicinal plants after ibenki (Cyperus spp.) by the Ashaninka. An over-differentiation phenomenon is observed, in which three species of Justicia, one of Lepidagathis, and one of Ruellia correspond to 66 different ethnospecies of ibinishi. Their names are secondary lexemes, and in their meaning, they refer mostly to visions, spirits, and human and animal sorcerers. A wide scope of uses is connected to Ashaninka etiologies but only partly supported by the secondary metabolites found in those species. The ethnomedical phenomenon of ibinishi has been found among the Ashaninka but not among other Arawak-speaking groups in Amazonia. Compared to ethnographic sources, the importance of ibinishi seems to have grown among the Ashaninka, which may be ascribed to the armed conflicts and social unrest this group has gone through in recent times.

Looking at maternal health of Asháninka communities from the conceptual framework of the accessibility of care

BackgroundPeru is one of the 20 countries that has significantly reduced maternal mortality before the pandemic due to implementing policies to strengthen maternal health care, mainly in rural areas with greater poverty. However, the implementation of these policies has been different across the territory; such is the case of the indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon that are characterized by the inaccessibility of their territory and continue to face severe problems in accessing maternity care in health services.ObjectiveAnalyze the main dimensions of accessibility for maternal care in public health services for women of the Asháninka community of Peru between 2016 and 2018.MethodsQualitative research was carried out in the Asháninka community of the Tambo River. Key informants involved in maternal health care were selected, and 60 in-depth interviews were conducted that explored geographical, financial, cultural, and organizational accessibility. The interviews were recorded and transcribed into a word processor; then, a content analysis was performed to classify the texts according to the dimensions of specified accessibility.ResultsGeographical accessibility: health units in the territory do not have the resolution capacity to attend maternal health problems. Financial accessibility: the programs implemented by the government have not been able to finance the indirect costs of care, such as transportation, which has high costs that a family cannot afford, given their subsistence economy. Cultural: there are efforts for cultural adaptation of maternal care, but its implementation needs to be improved, and the community cannot recognize it due to the lack of continuity of the model and the high personnel turnover. Organizational: health units are characterized by insufficient human resources, supplies, and medicines that fail to offer continuous and quality care.ConclusionsThe poor geographical, financial, cultural, and organizational accessibility that women from the Asháninka community face for maternal care in public health services are evident. So, the Peruvian government must review the implementation processes of its models of care and maternal health programs in these communities and propose strategies to improve the coverage, quality and continuity of maternal care.

First approach to microplastics occurrence in sandy beaches in the province of Islay (Arequipa), southern Peru

Plastic pollution in marine and coastal environments has been widely recognized as a growing environmental concern. Plastic particles generated mainly by the degradation of larger plastic debris have been called microplastics (< 5 mm), which are being widely studied in all regions of the world. In South America there has been a constant increase of the research on this topic mainly on the Pacific coast. Specifically, in Peru, the number of publications has also increased, but the northern and southern zones are not well studied. Due to the importance of determining the presence of these contaminants, especially in coastal regions, which are considered as repository environments for these plastics, it is necessary to establish baselines of their current situation. This research aimed to determine and characterize the presence of microplastic particles (< 5 mm) on five sandy beaches in the province of Islay in southern Peru and to consider the possible effect of the Tambo River mouth on the transport and deposition of microplastics on two adjacent beaches. Three sampling stations were determined for each selected beach, consisting of three to two quadrants (1 m2) sampled at 5 cm depth. The results confirm the presence of microplastics. A total of 304 particles were found, with an average density between 1 to 4 part/m2. The areas with the highest concentration of microplastic particles and frequency of occurrence were the beaches adjacent to the river estuary where the most frequent types of particles were fragments and fibers, followed by foams and films, but no pellets.

High efficiency of magnetite nanoparticles for the arsenic removal from an aqueous solution and natural water taken from Tambo River in Peru.

Water is an essential compound on earth and necessary for life. The presence of highly toxic contaminants such as arsenic and others, in many cases, represents one of the biggest problems facing the earth´s population. Treatment of contaminated water with magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) can play a crucial role in arsenic removal. In this report, we demonstrate arsenic removal from an aqueous solution and natural water taken from the Peruvian river (Tambo River in Arequipa, Peru) using magnetite NPs synthesized by the coprecipitation method. XRD data analysis of Fe3O4 NPs revealed the formation of the cubic-spinel phase of magnetite with an average crystallite size of ~ 13nm, which is found in good agreement with the physical size assessed from TEM image analysis. Magnetic results evidence that our NPs show a superparamagnetic-like behavior with a thermal relaxation of magnetic moments mediated by strong particle-particle interactions. FTIR absorption band shows the interactions between arsenate anions and Fe-O and Fe-OH groups through a complex mechanism. The experimental results showed that arsenic adsorption is fast during the first 10min; while the equilibrium is reached within 60min, providing an arsenic removal efficiency of ~ 97%. Adsorption kinetics is well modeled using the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation, suggesting that the adsorption process is related to the chemisorption model. According to Langmuir's model, the maximum arsenic adsorption capacity of 81.04mg·g- 1 at pH = 2.5 was estimated, which describes the adsorption process as being monolayer, However, our results suggest that multilayer adsorption can be produced after monolayer saturation in agreement with the Freundlich model. This finding was corroborated by the Sips model, which showed a good correlation to the experimental data. Tests using natural water taken from Tambo River indicate a significant reduction of arsenic concentration from 356µg L- 1 to 7.38µg L- 1, the latter is below the limit imposed by World Health Organization (10µg L- 1), suggesting that magnetite NPs show great potential for the arsenic removal.

Physical and chemical characterization of sediments from an Andean river exposed to mining and agricultural activities: The Moquegua River, Peru

This study presents an analysis of sediments in an Andean river impacted by both natural conditions and anthropogenic activities. Fifty samples were collected from selected sites throughout the Moquegua River drainage basin, and Tambo River headwaters at Pasto Grande, in Peru, and analysed with X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Si, Ca, Al, Fe, and O, common constituents of soils, were dominant, along with K, N, and P. The latter originating as primary macronutrients or chemical residuals from fertilizers used in agriculture. Higher concentrations of macronutrients and organic components were found in agricultural and urban areas, respectively. Arsenic minerals were also detected, which occur naturally, but possibly at levels augmented by anthropogenic activity. The application of cluster analysis revealed clustering between arsenic, arsenolite, and potassium but no significant geospatial correlation between sample sites in the drainage basin.

The Tiwanaku Tradition within the Tambo Valley, Southern Coast of Peru: Interpretation of Burial Contexts from La Pampilla 1

The collapse of the Tiwanaku state around AD 1000 resulted in dramatic changes in the areas of its former colonies such as the Moquegua Valley, which featured the largest Tiwanaku communities outside the Altiplano. The inhabitants of these former colonies were forced to relocate to the areas north of Moquegua, including the Tambo River estuary (Arequipa Department, Province of Islay). This relocation has been confirmed at La Pampilla 1, where a large graveyard featuring funerary contexts of the postcollapse communities of Tiwanaku-Timulaca was found, with a calibrated14C date between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries AD. In this article we discuss the results of excavations and analyses conducted at the La Pampilla 1 graveyard, the first systematically researched Tiwanaku site in the Tambo Valley: these findings confirm the existence of a relatively large, terminal-phase Tiwanaku population, represented by Tumilaca funerary contexts.

First documented records of Black-throated Flower-piercer, Diglossa brunneiventris (Lafresnaye, 1846) (Aves, Thraupidae), and Least Tern, Sternula antillarum (Lesson, 1847) (Aves, Laridae), on the southern coast of Peru

We report Black-throated Flower-piercer, Diglossa brunneiventris (Lafresnaye, 1846), and Least Tern, Sternula antillarum (Lesson, 1847), in the Tambo river estuary, Islay province, Arequipa department, Peru. Both species are newly documented from the southern coast of Peru. It is probable that D. brunneiventris has descended from the higher, inland portion of the Tambo river basin to the estuary. Sternula antillarum is considered a frequent visitor to the South American Pacific coast.

La música de sanación en comunidades Asháninka de la cuenca del río Tambo

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Calibration and Uncertainty Analysis for Modelling Runoff in the Tambo River Basin, Peru, Using Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Ver-2 (SUFI-2) Algorithm

Basin-scale simulation is fundamental to understand the hydrological cycle, and in identifying information essential for water management. Accordingly, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is applied to simulate runoff in the semi-arid Tambo River Basin in southern Peru, where economic activities are driven by the availability of water. The SWAT model was calibrated using the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Ver-2 (SUFI-2) algorithm and two objective functions namely the Nash-Sutcliffe simulation efficiency (NSE), and coefficient of determination ( R2) for the period 1994 to 2001 which includes an initial warm-up period of 3 years; it was then validated for 2002 to 2016 using daily river discharge values. The best results were obtained using the objective function R2; a comparison of results of the daily and monthly performance evaluation between the calibration period and validation period showed close correspondence in the values for NSE and R2, and those for percent bias (PBIAS) and ratio of standard deviation of the observation to the root mean square error (RSR). The results thus show that the SWAT model can effectively predict runoff within the Tambo River basin. The model can also serve as a guideline for hydrology modellers, acting as a reliable tool.

FIRST DESCRIPTION OF THE NEST AND EGGS OF THE PERUVIAN PIPIT (ANTHUS PERUVIANUS, AVES: MOTACILLIDAE)

We described the nest of the recently recognized Peruvian Pipit (Anthus peruvianus) in Islay Province, department of Arequipa, southern Peru, and compared it to the known nests of other Neotropical pipits. We found the nest, which was concealed below dense salt grass (Distichilis spicata), on 20 May 2017 in an estuarine grassland adjacent to the Tambo river, approximately 200 m from the Pacific coast. The nest consisted of a shallow, loosely domed cup of dried salt grass stems, and contained three greenish-white eggs with rusty brown and bluish-gray speckles, with a denser speckling on the larger side of the egg. Nests of sister species of the Peruvian Pipit are generally cup- shaped and similar in size, and the clutch size of the Peruvian Pipit’s nest falls within the range found in other Neotropical pipits.

Elaboración del recuerdo e identidad en situación de violencia política: narraciones de la etnia asháninka de la Amazonía peruana

Between the years 1980 and 2000, the Republic of Peru experienced violent years of interna! conflicts, leaving deep wounds in its population. After three years of field work and gathering narrations on this period by Amazons communities -of Ashaninka ethnicity, located by the Tambo river in the Region of Ucayali-, this article seeks to understand the modes of remembrance characteristic of these communities. From two types of narration registered -testimony and myth- we analyze the relationship between memory and identity, the importance of form and gen re particularities that their narrations adopt, and the function that each one of these literary forms have for the Ashaninka communities

The cricket subfamily Phalangopsinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in Peru

At present, 58 species and subspecies of the cricket subfamily Phalangopsinae are registered in Peru, and 25 of them are found in the territory covered by the Peruvian project on invertebrate fauna of the Ene and Tambo River Basins. From this country, ten taxa are here described as new to science: Aclo­gryllus ashaninka sp. nov.; Rumea minispeculum sp. nov.; R. pacaya sp. nov.; Izerskya minutissima gen. et sp. nov.; Kevanacla orientalis zigzag subsp. nov.; Adelosgryllina subtrib. nov.; Adelosgryllus parasimilis sp. nov.; Luzara venado major subsp. nov.; Uvaroviella (Holacla) izerskyi multa subsp. nov. Previously unknown male is described for Modestozara satipo Gor. and for U. (Euacla) grandis (Des.-Grand.). New data on distribution and systematical position of some taxa as well as a brief discussion about Phalango­psinae classification are also given.

The cricket subfamily Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in Peru

At present, 86 species and subspecies of the cricket subfamily Podoscirtinae are registered in Peru, and 46 of them are found in the territory covered by the Peruvian project on invertebrate fauna of the Ene and Tambo River Basins. From this territory, 16 taxa are here described as new to science: Perutrella ashaninka sp. nov.; Bezverkhovia lydia gen. et sp. nov.; Angustitrella superuncus sp. nov.; A. nigella sp. nov.; Aphonomorphus (Aphonomorphus) paramutus sp. nov.; A. (A.) hamatus sp. nov.; A. (A.) proximus tambo subsp. nov.; A. (A.) pichiguia sp. nov.; A. (A.) stipatus longifurca subsp. nov.; A. (Euaphonus) problematicus sp. nov.; A. (E.) firmus sp. nov.; A. (?) brachyphallus sp. nov.; Spiraphonus asymmetricus longiapex subsp. nov.; Phyllogryllus crassus sp. nov.; Diatrypa (?) intersecta sp. nov. For A. (A.) venado Gor., D. (Diatrypa) signata Gor., D. (D.) decora decora Gor. и D. (Latispeculum) venado Gor., previously unknown females are described. New data on distribution and systematical position of some taxa are also given.

Dynamic river–groundwater exchange in the presence of a saline, semi‐confined aquifer

AbstractUnderstanding groundwater–surface water exchange in river banks is crucial for effective water management and a range of scientific disciplines. While there has been much research on bank storage, many studies assume idealized aquifer systems. This paper presents a field‐based study of the Tambo Catchment (southeast Australia) where the Tambo River interacts with both an unconfined aquifer containing relatively young and fresh groundwater (<500 μS/cm and <100 years old) and a semi‐confined artesian aquifer containing old and saline groundwater (electrical conductivity > 2500 μS/cm and >10 000 years old). Continuous groundwater elevation and electrical conductivity monitoring within the different aquifers and the river suggest that the degree of mixing between the two aquifers and the river varies significantly in response to changing hydrological conditions. Numerical modelling using MODFLOW and the solute transport package MT3DMS indicates that saline water in the river bank moves away from the river during flooding as hydraulic gradients reverse. This water then returns during flood recession as baseflow hydraulic gradients are re‐established. Modelling also indicates that the concentration of a simulated conservative groundwater solute can increase for up to ~34 days at distances of 20 and 40 m from the river in response to flood events approximately 10 m in height. For the same flood event, simulated solute concentrations within 10 m of the river increase for only ~15 days as the infiltrating low‐salinity river water drives groundwater dilution. Average groundwater fluxes to the river stretch estimated using Darcy's law were 7 m3/m/day compared with 26 and 3 m3/m/day for the same periods via mass balance using Radon (222Rn) and chloride (Cl), respectively. The study shows that by coupling numerical modelling with continuous groundwater–surface water monitoring, the transient nature of bank storage can be evaluated, leading to a better understanding of the hydrological system and better interpretation of hydrochemical data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Asháninka Palm Management and Domestication in the Peruvian Amazon

Palms are a natural resource that has been abundantly used by Amerindians for centuries. Only a few palm domestications have been reported in the American tropics, where there is great diversity of the Arecaceae family. We report the results of a survey combining ethnobotanical and ecological methods to study the past and present management and distribution of palms by the Asháninka indigenous people from the Tambo river region in the Peruvian Amazon. Our objectives were to document palm-related traditional ecological knowledge, to examine correlation between palm abundance and Asháninka management practices and social exchange of palm resources, and to address the question of how the Asháninka have modified palm diversity and distribution in their territory. We found that most palm species have multiple uses; the most intensively managed were palms that provide thatch, notably Attalea phalerata, Oenocarpus mapora and Phytelephas macrocarpa. Of these, Attalea phalerata was the most commonly cultivated and was found only in cultivated stands. Our results have implications for understanding the domestication of Attalea weberbaueri, which is a landrace within the Attalea phalerata complex. A closer understanding of this process would require morphometric and genetic methods to compare wild and managed populations.

Residence times and mixing of water in river banks: implications for recharge and groundwater–surface water exchange

Abstract. Bank exchange processes within 50 m of the Tambo River, southeast Australia, have been investigated through the combined use of 3H and 14C. Groundwater residence times increase towards the Tambo River, which suggests the absence of significant bank storage. Major ion concentrations and δ2H and δ18O values of bank water also indicate that bank infiltration does not significantly impact groundwater chemistry under baseflow and post-flood conditions, suggesting that the gaining nature of the river may be driving the return of bank storage water back into the Tambo River within days of peak flood conditions. The covariance between 3H and 14C indicates the leakage and mixing between old (~17 200 years) groundwater from a semi-confined aquifer and younger groundwater (<100 years) near the river, where confining layers are less prevalent. It is likely that the upward infiltration of deeper groundwater from the semi-confined aquifer during flooding limits bank infiltration. Furthermore, the more saline deeper groundwater likely controls the geochemistry of water in the river bank, minimising the chemical impact that bank infiltration has in this setting. These processes, coupled with the strongly gaining nature of the Tambo River are likely to be the factors reducing the chemical impact of bank storage in this setting. This study illustrates the complex nature of river groundwater interactions and the potential downfall in assuming simple or idealised conditions when conducting hydrogeological studies.

Three new caespitose species of Senecio (Asteraceae,Senecioneae) from South Peru.

Three new species of the genus Senecio (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) belonging to Senecio ser. Suffruticosi subser. Caespitosi were discovered in the tributaries of the upper Tambo River, Moquegua Department, South Peru. Descriptions, diagnoses and discussions about their distribution, a table with the morphological similarities with other species of Senecio, a distribution map, conservation status assessments, and a key to the caespitose Peruvian species of Senecio subser. Caespitosi are provided. The new species are Senecio moqueguensis Montesinos, sp. nov. (Critically Endangered) which most closely resembles Senecio pucapampaensis Beltrán, Senecio sykorae Montesinos, sp. nov. (Critically Endangered) which most closely resembles Senecio gamolepis Cabrera, and Senecio tassaensis Montesinos, sp. nov. (Critically Endangered) which most closely resembles Senecio moqueguensis Montesinos.

Investigating the spatio-temporal variability in groundwater and surface water interactions: a multi-technique approach

Abstract. The interaction between groundwater and surface water along the Tambo and Nicholson rivers, southeast Australia, was investigated using 222Rn, Cl, differential flow gauging, head gradients, electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature profiles. Head gradients, temperature profiles, Cl concentrations and 222Rn activities all indicate higher groundwater fluxes to the Tambo River in areas of increased topographic variation where the potential to form large groundwater–surface water gradients is greater. Groundwater discharge to the Tambo River calculated by Cl mass balance was significantly lower (1.48 × 104 to 1.41 × 103 m3 day−1) than discharge estimated by 222Rn mass balance (5.35 × 105 to 9.56 × 103 m3 day−1) and differential flow gauging (5.41 × 105 to 6.30 × 103 m3 day−1) due to bank return waters. While groundwater sampling from the bank of the Tambo River was intended to account for changes in groundwater chemistry associated with bank infiltration, variations in bank infiltration between sample sites remain unaccounted for, limiting the use of Cl as an effective tracer. Groundwater discharge to both the Tambo and Nicholson rivers was the highest under high-flow conditions in the days to weeks following significant rainfall, indicating that the rivers are well connected to a groundwater system that is responsive to rainfall. Groundwater constituted the lowest proportion of river discharge during times of increased rainfall that followed dry periods, while groundwater constituted the highest proportion of river discharge under baseflow conditions (21.4% of the Tambo in April 2010 and 18.9% of the Nicholson in September 2010).

Flow Resistance in Four Rivers in Victoria, Australia

Reach-representative estimates of Manning’s n are presented for a range of discharges in four rivers in Victoria, Australia: Acheron River at Taggerty, Merrimans Creek at Stradbroke West, Mitta Mitta River at Hinnomunjie Bridge, and Tambo River at Ramrod Creek. These Manning’s n values have been determined from discharge and water surface slope measurements at gauging stations on these four rivers. Manning’s n was found to remain almost constant over a range of common discharges, and was found to be a better descriptor of flow resistance than Darcy Weisbach f, Chezy C and log-law Zo for these rivers.