Diversidad etnobotánica de especies cultivadas y su relación con el paisaje natural en la Comunidad de Paquiestancia, cantón Cayambe, provincia de Pichincha

Abstract

The current investigation has the purpose of rescuing ethnobotanical data and analyzing the use of plants in the relationship between families and landscape of the Paquiestancia community, located in the canton of Cayambe, in the province of Pichincha, to assure ancestral knowledge’s preservation. In order to obtain data, a qualitative and quantitative research design was used in an exploratory and explanatory level with a transectional cut to specify applications of the most used plants from the community, thus forming a record of a poorly studied area and provide information for future studies. In the Paquiestancia community, through interviews, 60 species of plants were determined, of which (61,67%) are for alimentary use, (21,67%) are for medical use, (13,33%) for veterinary use, (8,33 %) are for use of boundaries and ornamentals and (5%) are used as pesticides, 11 native and 12 introduced species are identified, of which Apiaceae, Lamiaceae and Rosaceae families are being the most influential plants in the study. In addition, it was determined that (62,96%) of the surveyed population has plots for farming and a (37,04%) does not own it. The Paquiestancia community has a great variety of natural landscapes in addition to the agro-ecological orchards that provide a productive, social and tourist sustenance, thus forming a positive relationship with the environment and the community.