The cultural role played by the ethnomycological knowledge of wild mushrooms for the peoples of highlands and lowlands in Tlaltenango, Zacatecas, Mexico

Haro-Luna, Mara Ximena; Ruán-Soto, Felipe; Blancas, José; Guzmán-Dávalos, Laura

doi:10.1080/00275514.2022.2068114

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…This demonstrated two types of classifications, one cognitive by the Wixaritari and another utilitarian by the Mestizos [ 110 ]. However, Mestizo people who grew up or lived in rural areas mentioned specific names for toxic mushrooms, such as Hongo de sapo (Toad mushroom), Hongo de víbora (Snake mushroom), and Hongo rojo de pino (Red pine mushroom), in the last case for Amanita muscaria [ 45 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each of these indicators was represented by a question. We had considered including the use of medicinal mushrooms as an indicator; however, it was already known from previous studies [ 18 , 45 ], as in this fieldwork, that the use of medicinal mushrooms was non-existent in the region, so this point was not considered. Elsewhere, the use of mushrooms as medicine is a common practice, so in those cases the number of known medicinal mushrooms [ 54 ], attributed properties, and the methods of consumption or use should be included as indicators.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The collection of images of basidiomycetes that were part of the visual stimuli used in indicator 2 was made from the works of Haro-Luna et al [ 18 , 44 , 45 ], who collected the mushrooms known and used by the people of both municipalities. The visual stimuli consisted in 30 color photographs of 30 species of mushrooms taken in situ, showing all angles and characteristics of each fungus, printed at 11 × 17″ size (list of species in Attachment 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, ethnomycological studies that have addressed TMK have generally done so from a qualitative approach [ 27 , 28 , 39 , 40 ], and the few researches aimed at quantifying TMK, to date, have only considered the number of species mentioned and the local names [ 41 – 45 ]. Currently, work has focused on assessing the cultural significance of the species of edible and toxic fungi [ 46 – 49 ], but not the TMK holistically.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We tested the hypothesis that Wixaritari adult persons who work in the field, with low level of education, and who have not migrated have the greatest TMK. We do not consider the gender factor because in other research carried out in these sites [ 18 , 45 ], it has been observed that gender has no influence on the relationship between people and fungi.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociocultural drivers of mycological knowledge: insights from Wixarika and Mestizo groups in western Mexico

Haro-Luna

Vázquez

Ruán-Soto

et al. 2022

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background Traditional mycological knowledge (TMK) is complex, not distributed equally among the entire population, and constantly adapting to current social situations. There are sociocultural factors that could influence the fact that some people retain a greater wealth of knowledge, for instance, cultural affiliation, migration, occupation, level of schooling, and person's age. Methods We analyze the distribution of the TMK based on sociocultural variables and 12 indicators to quantify the TMK based on a literature review. We chose two sites where there was a Wixarika and Mestizo population with records of use and consumption of wild mushrooms. In each site, 150 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The format of the semi-structured interviews was made up of sociocultural questions plus 12 questions corresponding to each of the indicators. With the data obtained, we performed linear regression tests and principal components analysis (PCA); furthermore, the significance of the groupings obtained by PCA was tested with a discriminant function analysis. Results We find that TMK was determined by the cultural group to which a person belongs. Contrary to what was expected, age and formal schooling did not influence people's level of knowledge. Likewise, migration and occupation were not determining factors either, although in some specific cases they did influence the differences in knowledge about mushrooms between people. The indicators that most helped to differentiate between the Wixarika people, and the Mestizos were knowledge of the nutritional contribution, propagation methods, and knowledge about toxic mushrooms. Conclusions In general, sociocultural differences did not affect the transmission of the TMK due to the valorization of this knowledge among the young generations and the maintenance of the use of wild resources. Specifically, the Wixaritari had and preserved a greater TMK thanks to their pride in their cultural identity, which had allowed them to adapt to modernity while preserving their traditions and knowledge. On the other hand, the Mestizos increasingly disused wild resources due to urbanization. The indicators proposed here provided a good tool to quantify TMK; however, to replicate the study in other sites it is necessary to adapt the indicators to the context of the place.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%