Detalhes do Documento

Today, the geographical and social conditions that led to the isolation of some European regions are no longer prevalent, and so changes in the cultural, economic and political contexts of plant use in these areas are coming faster and faster. The current reduction in the human population, due to out-migration and a general drop in the birth rate, and the abandonment of agriculture have been critical for rural areas and ways of life and have promoted the loss of cultural traditions. How these changes are affecting the system of local knowledge of plant resources and the maintenance of traditional plant use practices are some of the questions addressed in this chapter, based on research in such a region of northeastern Portugal. We documented local knowledge and uses of food and medicinal plants among rural people living around the Natural Park of Montesinho, in the region of Trás-os-Montes, in northeastern Portugal. This area has suffered from geographic and economic isolation and a slow, steady decline of the population, as young people move out of the area, so we were particularly interested in seeing whether and how traditional practices would persist under these conditions. Do the people recognize these trends, and are they concerned about them? Are there mechanisms that people are employing to maintain their knowledge?