Abstract

LOPEZ-GUTIERREZ, BereniceNathaly; PEREZ-ESCANDON, BlancaEstela  and  VILLAVICENCIONIETO, MiguelÁngel. Sustainableuse and conservation of medicinal plants in Cantarranas, Huehuetla, Hidalgo,Mexico, as a means to improve the quality of life in the community. Bot. sci [online]. 2014, vol.92, n.3, pp.389-404. ISSN 2007-4476.

The present studywas carried in Cantarranas, Huehuetla, Hidalgo, Mexico. The vegetation type istropical evergreen forest. Cantarranas presents high degree of marginalization,limited access to health services, and few opportunities to increase itseconomic income. The aim was to design a strategy for the sustainableharvesting and conservation of medicinal plants used by the community, as analternative to solve social and environmental problems. The species wereevaluated by ethnobotanical and ecological methods. Using structuredinterviews, index of cultural value, index of Friedman value, practices and managementintensity, and uses and conditions treated were documented. The distributionand abundance were obtained with line transects method. Nineteen plants wereevaluated, they are used to treat 51 conditions; the gastrointestinal disorderswere the most frequently treated with medicinal plants. The species with thehigher index of cultural value were Equisetum myriochaetum (0.69), Psidiumguajava (0.37), Jaegeria macrocephala (0.26) y Costus scaber(0.25). Hamelia patens recorded the highest level of fidelity (96%),followed by E. myriochaetum (88%). The values of management intensityare higher in species such as C. scaber (9.2) y P. guajava (9).The population density has a range between 1 and 387 individuals per hectare,depending on the species and life forms. Through linking society andUniversity, we developed and offered a certified program for members of thecommunity related to the use and sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. ACooperative Society was incorporated with women of the community and they workin the conservation and sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants in thecommunity.

Keywords : cultural value; ethnobotany; herbal remedies; linking; Otomí-Tepehua.

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