Management practices, uses and valoration of taxa of Cactaceae in northwestern Córdoba, Argentina | Prácticas de manejo, usos y valoración de taxones de Cactaceae en el noroeste de Córdoba, Argentina | Prácticas de manejo, usos y valoración de taxones de Cactaceae en el noroeste de Córdoba, Argentina

Inglés. In the northwest of Córdoba, taxa of Cactaceae represent an important resource that contributes to the subsistence and daily life of local people, being winter particularly hard for people’s life and animal production, and it is almost impossible to grow rain-fed crops all year round. The aim of this work was to recover and systematize local botanical knowledge, emphasizing the diversity of cactus taxa used, associated management practices, and valorization of these plants by residents of the study area. Here we report a list of 13 native and naturalized taxa, with their vernacular names and their uses. We recorded 12 types of uses and six management practices. Finally, we found that locals valued cacti as important or very important for their usefulness as a subsistence resource (forage and food) and for their ornamental value (aesthetic and economic). Therefore, the botanical knowledge of some people on these taxa represents useful future information for the entire population and for persons dealing with management and conservation plans of arid environments.

Español; castellano. En el noroeste de Córdoba, los taxones de Cactaceae representan un recurso importante que contribuye a la subsistencia y a la vida cotidiana de los pobladores locales, siendo el invierno particularmente duro para la vida de las personas y la producción de animales, y es casi imposible hacer cultivos anuales en secano. Se planteó como objetivo la recuperación y sistematización del conocimiento botánico local, poniendo énfasis en la diversidad de taxones utilizados, las prácticas de manejo asociadas y la valoración de estas plantas particulares por parte de los pobladores del área de estudio. Se realizó posteriormente un listado de 13 taxones nativos y naturalizados, con sus nombres vernáculos y sus usos. Se registraron 12 tipos de usos y 6 prácticas de manejo. Por último, se evidenció que los pobladores valoran a las cactáceas como importantes o muy importantes por su utilidad como recurso de subsistencia (forrajero y alimentario) y por su valor ornamental (estético y económico). Así, el conocimiento botánico de algunos pobladores sobre los taxones estudiados representa, para un futuro, información útil para toda la población y para los encargados de planes de manejo y conservación de ambientes áridos.

Español; castellano. In the northwest of Córdoba, taxa of Cactaceae represent an important resource that contributes to the subsistence and daily life of local people, being winter particularly hard for people’s life and animal production, and it is almost impossible to grow rain-fed crops all year round. The aim of this work was to recover and systematize local botanical knowledge, emphasizing the diversity of cactus taxa used, associated management practices, and valorization of these plants by residents of the study area. Here we report a list of 13 native and naturalized taxa, with their vernacular names and their uses. We recorded 12 types of uses and six management practices. Finally, we found that locals valued cacti as important or very important for their usefulness as a subsistence resource (forage and food) and for their ornamental value (aesthetic and economic). Therefore, the botanical knowledge of some people on these taxa represents useful future information for the entire population and for persons dealing with management and conservation plans of arid environments