The Dynamics of Use of Nontraditional Ethnobiological Products: Some Aspects of Study

Abstract

Up to the present time, the use of ethnobiological resources that do not belong to a certain culture or environment has been little studied. This situation is found especially in urban and semi-urban areas, where dwellers are greatly influenced by globalization processes. Moreover, due to the phenomenon of immigration, cities are often transformed into multicultural societies where interaction occurs between different traditions relating to the use of plants and animals. As well as this, the ecological process of species invasion of new territories, or “species contamination,” brings new, useful resources into contact with cultures that are not familiar with them. In this chapter, theoretical and methodological aspects of the study of the use of nontraditional resources will be analyzed. The complexity involved requires a multidisciplinary approach that integrates cultural, historical, and social factors, as well as particular components related to biology and psychology.