Abstract

MENDOZA-GARCIA, Rafaela et al. Use and management of ornamental and medicinal plants in urban suburban and rural areas. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2011, vol.2, n.spe3, pp.525-538. ISSN 2007-0934.

In Mexico, gardens may be considered agroecosystems, because of human intervention, biodiversity and anthropocentric uses. The urban development has gradually reduced the surface of green areas and spaces for recreation and landscaping. Therefore, the objective of this research was to compare the use and management of ornamental and medicinal plants and the public perception regarding to gardens in rural, suburban and urban areas, in central Veracruz State. In 2009, a survey was implemented using the questionnaire technique and selecting the interviewers with gardens using the so called snowball-method. The questionnaire covered three main aspects, socio-economic, management and use of plants (medicinal and ornamental) and, the perception of their gardens using the Likert's scale. It was found that, 19 rural sites regularly used medicinal plants, suburban 20 and urban 5. The management of gardens is emerging in suburban areas. The perception analysis indicated a highly positive response at the rural site (4.3) and lower in suburban (3.8) and urban (3.7). Concluding that, the appreciation of plants and green-spaces is greater in rural areas; that the knowledge and use of medicinal plants was higher due to the lower degree of urbanization; in the management of the gardens there were no differences in the three areas; the perception analysis showed that, the rural areas presented a greater appreciation for green-spaces.

Keywords : local knowledge; gardens; orchards; perception; pollution.

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