Article

Management, cultivation, and domestication of weaving plants: Heteropsis and Astrocaryum in the Ecuadorian rain forest

This article examines the management and cultivation of two plants in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, northwestern Ecuador. The plants in this study, a hemiepiphyte, Heteropsis ecuadorensis, (Araceae), commonly called piqigua, and a palm, Astrocaryum standleyanum (Arecaceae), commonly called mocora, provide weaving fiber to make baskets, mats, and smaller woven articles. Although most people living in the area do. not consciously manage this vegetation, evidence shows that locals are engaging in activities that promote the growth of the two plants, thus beginning the domestication process. Over time, cultivation can lead to mono-crops, soil depletion, and increased forest clearing. On the other hand, planting may enable farmers to produce more material for their own use, increase market possibilities, and reduce the ecological disturbance caused by overharvesting wild plants.

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