Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal): a comparative study

"Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal): a comparative study


Abstract

Background: We compare traditional knowledge and use of wild edible plants in six rural regions of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula as follows: Campoo, Picos de Europa, Piloña, Sanabria and Caurel in Spain and Parque Natural de Montesinho in Portugal.
Methods: Data on the use of 97 species were collected through informed consent semistructured interviews with local informants. A semi-quantitative approach was used to document the relative importance of each species and to indicate differences in selection criteria for consuming wild food species in the regions studied.
Results and discussion: The most significant species include many wild berries and nuts (e.g. Castanea sativa, Rubus ulmifolius, Fragaria vesca) and the most popular species in each food-category (e.g. fruits or herbs used to prepare liqueurs such as Prunus spinosa, vegetables such as Rumex acetosa, condiments such as Origanum vulgare, or plants used to prepare herbal teas such as Chamaemelum nobile). The most important species in the study area as a whole are consumed at five or all six of the survey sites.
Conclusion: Social, economic and cultural factors, such as poor communications, fads and direct contact with nature in everyday life should be taken into account in determining why some wild foods and traditional vegetables have been consumed, but others not. They may be even more important than biological factors such as richness and abundance of wild edible flora. Although most are no longer consumed, demand is growing for those regarded as local specialties that reflect regional identity."

Leia o artigo completo:
Pardo-de-Santayana, M et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2007;3:27. Disponível em http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1746-4269-3-27.pdf

O Homem e o Javali, um estudo no PNM

"MAN AND WILD BOAR: A STUDY IN MONTESINHO
NATURAL PARK, PORTUGAL

ABSTRACT

Scientific research on the relationships between humans and wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) are rare. Wild boar is a fundamental species in many ecosystems, but has been exterminated by man in most of the species’ range. In the Montesinho Natural Park, Portugal, rural societies still coexist with wild boar, large wild herbivores, and wolves in a high biodiversity ecosystem. The study of their cultural representations of wild boar shows they have little knowledge of its ecology. They represent wild boar in the top of the trophic chains, more powerful than wolf, having not a buffer effect on wolf attacks on domestic herds. Few damages on crops have a strong psychological effect. People do not see any ecological nor social utility to the species, unless as a prey for hunters. Many people suggest that wild boar should be exterminated. Poaching might endanger the stability of the species. Environmental education and individual participation in conservation might bring a better balance to these ecological, cultural, and economical relationships surrounding wild boar.

Key words: Biodiversity conservation, Ethnobiology, Human/Nature relationships, Sustainable
development, Wild boar."

Leia o artigo completo em:

Galhano-Alves, J P. Galemys. 2004;16:223-230, disponível em: http://www.secem.es/GALEMYS/PDF%20de%20Galemys/16%20(NE).%20PDF/019%20%20Galhano%20223-230.pdf

The "written stones" of the Montesinho Natural Park: Where palaeontology meets popular

"The "written stones" of the Montesinho Natural Park: Where palaeontology meets popular

Artur A. Sa, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal)
Juan Carlos Gutierrez-Marco, Instituto de Geologia Economica (CSIC-UCM) (Spain)
Carlos Meireles, Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia (Portugal)

Deep in the memory of the inhabitants of the region of Montesinho (NE Portugal), there is a legend which talks about the existence of enigmatic pedras escrevidas (="written stones") in the mountains near the village of Guadramil. In the first half of the 20th Century, what used to be considered some kind of rock engravings in quartzite, were studied by archaeologists, which interpreted these signs as a kind of very old (and unknown) pre-Roman writing. A modern geological mapping of the area of the Montesinho Natural Park allowed us to rediscover the original sites of these structures and interpret them as ichnofossils. They occur on the Lower Ordovician quartzites, towards the top of the lower member of the Marao Formation (Floian), which crops out extensively in the area, generating the mountainous relief of the Barreiras Brancas-La Culebra sierra. The study of the locality required two excavating campaigns, supported by the Portuguese Ministry of Science, which involved 40 highschool students during the summer of 2002 and 2003 in an area located 5 km north of Guadramil and very close to the Spanish border. It resulted in the exposure and cleaning of an exceptional surface of 40 square meters with a very vast ichnofossil accumulation, reaching a maximum of 2,000 individual specimens by square metre. All of them correspond to horizontal sections of conical structures created by the spiral displacement of steeply inclined J-shaped burrows, assigned to the arthrophycid forms Daedalus halli (Rouault) and Daedalus labechei (Rouault). Both ichnotaxa are widely known in the "Armorican Quartzite" facies of the Lower Ordovician of SW Europe, where massive occurrences reflect opportunistic colonization events on storm generated sandstones. The spectacular bedding plane concentration of these conical burrows in the locality, and the good preservation of the active backfill on their typical spreite (wing-like) structure, is currently being mapped with the purpose of determining the mathematical model underlying the burrowing pattern and ecospace interaction between the sedimentivorous producers. Anyway, this outstanding palaeontological site of the "pedras escrevidas" has no other counterpart in the world, and is of undisputable value for the Iberian geological heritage. In the near future the locality will be protected and included in the touristic programmes and guides enhancing the natural heritage of the Montesinho Natural Park. The detailed ichnological study of this outcrop is being financed through the PATRIORSI project of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (CGL2006-07628/BTE, years 2006-2009) and by the project "Identification, Characterization and Conservation of Geological Heritage: a Geoconservation strategy for Portugal", sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology(PTDC/CTEGEX/64966/2006, years 2006-2009)."

Extraído de: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/374

RURAL CASTANEA 2009 - Vinhais - 30 Outubro a 1 Novembro

Venha conhcer o Nordeste Transmontano e saborear as suas deliciosas castanhas, num magusto muito tradicional.

O Nordeste transmontano é, de longe, a principal região nacional produtora de castanha. O castanheiro, está bem patente na paisagem e torna esta região única.

Atreva-se a viajar por estradas, ladeadas de soutos densos de castanheiros, alguns com centenas de anos, com troncos enormes como aqueles com 10 m de perímetro e copas largas. Admire a grandiosidade de um castanheiro e pense no respeito que lhe é atribuído, por quem tem a árdua tarefa de apanhar as castanhas, para ter uma sobrevivência tão longa.

(veja o programa clicando na foto)

Caminhada na Sanábria - Inverno 2009

Prontos para desafiar o frio, a neve, a altitude, a longa distância de 25 km que nos esperava e um desnível acumulado de 1200 metros, partimos bem cedo de Bragança, rumo à imponente cordilheira que deliciava a nossa vista desde esta cidade. Sem dúvida que qualquer um de nós já tinha sonhado em subir estas montanhas, porém mal sabíamos o que nos esperava, ainda ninguém tinha tido uma experiência desta magnitude.



A beleza inigualável Lago de Sanábria era uma imagem auspiciosa do que nos esperava, embora não soubessemos o quão contrastante seria flora raquítica alpina com a densa mancha de carvalhal que então observávamos.

À medida que subíamos de carro para a Lagoa dos Peixes, local de início da aventura, a neve tinha uma presença cada vez mais constante e os espessos bancos de neve indiciavam que a sua queda fora extremamente abundante neste Inverno.

Paisagens de Sonho

9º nevão do Inverno na região central do Parque
Fotografias gentilmente cedidas por um utilizador brigantino do Fórum MeteoPT. (tiradas dia 6 de Fevereiro 09)
















Tempestade de neve

Inauguração do primeiro centro interpretativo do PNM

"Foi ontem inaugurada uma das duas “Portas” do Parque Natural de Montesinho.
Trata-se de um centro interpretativo que abriu em Vinhais.
O equipamento fica localizado à entrada da vila, dentro da muralha do castelo e resultou da recuperação de um edifício degradado.
“Era uma casa em ruínas e ficou bem recuperada e está muito bem musealisada com estas novas tecnologias” afirma o presidente da câmara de Vinhais adiantando que “vai albergar técnicos de turismo, funcionários administrativos, vigilantes do parque para que o Parque Natural de Montesinho ganhe uma nova vida no concelho de Vinhais”.
Américo Pereira explica ainda o que este centro interpretativo “é o primeiro contacto com o parque, onde se pode ver fauna, flora, património e a partir daqui é que o turista se faz ao terreno”.
O Parque Natural de Montesinho deverá ter outra “Porta” em Bragança, mas ainda não há soluções para a construção de um espaço. “Estamos a trabalhar com a câmara e com o Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e Biodiversidade mas ainda não está nada clarificado” refere o secretário de estado do ambiente.
Humberto Rosa acrescenta que para o Parque Natural do Douro Internacional também se está “à procura de recursos financeiros” para instalar as “Portas” bem como “poder reforçá-lo em meios humanos pois temos alguma carência”.
O centro interpretativo de Vinhais custou 540 mil euros, com 75% de comparticipação.
Vai estar aberto todos os dias e para ali vão ser deslocados três funcionários da autarquia e quatro do Parque Natural de Montesinho. " in Rádio Brigantia