Ethnomycological knowledge in three communities in Amealco, Quéretaro, México

Abstract

BackgroundFungi have multiple uses in temperate areas of México, but an important decrease in the traditional knowledge of uses and customs of mushrooms becomes a fundamental issue for fungi conservation. However, only few studies quantify the traditional ethnomycological knowledge in México, and this study is the first quantitative report for Querétaro, a central state with both Otomí and Mestizo communities and a high fungi diversity.MethodsThe present study was conducted registering traditional knowledge on the use and consumption of mushrooms in three Hñähñu (Otomí) communities (Tesquedó, Xajay, and Tenasdá) in Amealco de Bonfil, Querétaro, México, between August 2013 and November 2014. We conducted a stratified sampling, where uses common Hñähñu and Spanish names, and eight quantitative variables that conform the “Edible Mushrooms Cultural Significant Index” (EMCI) were recorded from 100 informants. For the classification and ordination analysis of species and uses, we used multivariate techniques such as cluster, multidimensional scaling, and principal components (PC).ResultsThirty-three mushrooms species were registered, most of them used for consumption by households, few aimed for commercial purposes, one species is medicinal, another has veterinary, and other ludic uses (as a toy). The three species with the highest EMCSI were Amanita basii, Fistulinella wolfeana, and Lactarius indigo. Edibility was the main use detected in the survey, and people harvested mushrooms provided by the forest mainly during the rainy season. We observed that mushroom searching and collection are activities that strengthen the family ties and are crucial for the transfer of this knowledge through generations. Cluster analysis separates groups according to different values in EMCSI variables, and principal components ordinate the species by frequencies (PC1) and traditions (PC2).ConclusionsThe current state of knowledge in the studied communities is strong, especially among women, but with a tendency to disappear due to migration and lack of interest among new generations. Future quantitative studies are important to analyze tendencies of the traditional ethnomycological knowledge transferred to new generations.

Extreme levels of mycophilia documented in Mazovia, a region of Poland

“…The majority of regional ethnomycological studies have focused only on fungi species used for consumption. Examples include works from Mexico, such as the study conducted in two municipalities of the Sierra Tarahumara, with 22 recognized edible folk taxa [51]; in Tsotsil town in the Highland of Chiapas with 25 edible taxa [52]; or in Amelaco, Quéretaro, where the authors were able to list 33 taxa [53]. The number of species sold in local markets in Mexico is much higher.…”

Variation of Ethnomycological Knowledge in a Community from Central Mexico

“…Even, today, they continue to be a valuable forest resource that provide much-needed income for many families in the world [17]. Various studies have described differences in the ethnomycology knowledge within communities or by gender [18,19,20,21]), and by age [22,23]. So far, however, we did not have the tools to discover the causes and ways in which traditional mycological knowledge about mushrooms is distributed.…”

Highly cultural significant edible and toxic mushrooms among the Tseltal from the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico

“…This is especially the case in mycophilic communities in temperate highlands surrounded by conifer and oak forests (Burrola-Aguilar et al 2012;Robles-García et al 2018;. Different studies have dealt with the composition of greater cultural significance, particularly those that are edible.…”

“…Singer, and Pleurotus spp. are among the most culturally significant species in central, northern, western, and southern states of Mexico, including Tlaxcala, Estado de México, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Chihuahua, and Jalisco (Alonso-Aguilar et al 2014;Burrola-Aguilar et al 2012;Haro-Luna 2018;Montoya et al 2012;Quiñonez-Martínez et al 2014;Robles-García et al 2018). However, in Mexico there is also record of a considerable number of intoxications resulting from consumption of toxic wild mushrooms (mycetisms) spanning a great portion of the country (Ramírez-Terrazo et al 2014); however, little attention has generally been given to this problem, resulting in a lack of knowledge about the causes of these events, including the existing poisonous species and the knowledge people have about them.…”