Variation in traditional knowledge of culturally important macromycete species among three indigenous communities of Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Background: For centuries, wild mushrooms have been a forest resource of significant cultural value in several ethnic groups worldwide. In Mexico, extensive traditional knowledge on the use of fungal resources has been developed and deeply rooted. Mexico is the second country in the world in which the most species of wild mushroom are consumed, and it is considered a pioneer in ethnomycology. Nonetheless, there are still many indigenous groups in this country that have not been studied from an ethnomycological approach. The present study aimed to record the traditional knowledge on wild mushrooms in three indigenous groups of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, and assess the variation in this knowledge within and across the studied groups.

Methods: The data were recorded from April to October 2022 within three communities belonging to the indigenous groups Chatino, Chontal, and Chinanteco. Through 84 interviews, information related to their knowledge of wild mushrooms was obtained. The cultural significance index of wild edible mushrooms was calculated for each community. Regression analyses, analysis of variance and covariance, t test, and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis were performed to assess the distribution of traditional knowledge in the communities.

Results: A total of 32 culturally important mushroom species were recorded for the three indigenous groups (30 edible, 2 medicinal); 23 used by Chatinos, 16 by Chontales, and 6 by Chinantecos. Only Chatinos and Chinantecos use wild mushrooms in medicine. The cultural significance of wild edible mushrooms differed among groups. Traditional knowledge about wild mushrooms declines when the level of schooling increases and age decreases, especially in the Chatino group. This knowledge distributes more homogeneously in the Chontal and Chinanteco groups. Their age determines the difference in knowledge between men and women.

Conclusion: Documenting how traditional knowledge differs among ethnic groups is relevant for preserving cultural and biological diversity. Factors such as level of schooling and age can affect traditional knowledge of wild mushrooms, but the effects of these factors vary within and across communities. Conducting studies encompassing a broader range of variables is of interest for a better understanding of the human-mushroom relationship.

Keywords: Chatinos; Chinantecos; Chontales; Edible mushrooms; Ethnomycology; Indigenous nomenclature; Medicinal mushrooms; Traditional knowledge; Wild mushrooms.

Fig. 1

Location of the study sites in different municipalities of Oaxaca, Mexico. The indicated sites are a Santa Lucia Teotepec (Chatinos), b Santo Domingo Chontecomatlan (Chontales), and c San Antonio Otate (Chinantecos). Image by López-García A

Fig. 2

Local indigenous names of the morphological structures of an agaricoid mushroom recorded in the Chatino and Chontal communities

Fig. 3

Wild mushrooms of biocultural importance in the Chinanteco, Chontal, and Chatino communities of Oaxaca. The images show a Rubroboletus dupainii, b Favolus tenuiculus, c Pseudofistulina radicata, d stew made with species of the genus Amanita, e Amanita jacksonii, f Pleurotus djamor, g Schizophyllum radicatum, h Ramaria sp., i stew made of Cantharellus cibarius, j Amanita laurae, k Pycnoporus sanguineus, and l Lentinus crinitus

Fig. 4

Linear regression analysis. The number of known mushroom species recorded in the three studied communities relates to a the level of schooling of men and women, b the age of men and women, c the age of men, d the level of schooling of women, and e the age of women

Fig. 5

Linear regression analysis. The number of known mushroom species recorded in the Chatino community relates to a the level of schooling of men and women, b the age of men and women, c the level of schooling of the men, d the level of schooling of women, e the age of men, and f the age of women

Fig. 6

Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. Group 1 (Chatinos), Group 2 (Chontales), and Group 3 (Chinantecos). The distance between groups represents the similarity in the species composition they consume

Fig. 7

Student’s t test. Differences in the number of mushroom species known by a men and women in the three communities, b men and women in the Chatino group, c men and women in the Chontal group, and d men and women in the Chinanteco group. There are no significant differences between men and women regarding the number of useful mushroom species they know