Chapulixtle’s (Dodonaea Viscose) Geography knowledge and management in a region of Mexican Subtropics

Abstract

Chapulixtle is a cosmopolite plant, it grows and develops in diverse geographic, ecological and environmental conditions. It predominates in deciduous tropical forests, associated to oak forests, secondary communities, shrubs, successive forests’, mesophilous vegetation, gullys, spaces exposed to direct sunlight, mountainsides, deteriorated grasslands, eroded soils, over-grazed spaces, abandoned cultivation zones, and fire-struck areas. Dodonaea viscose is a plant multifunction, it is used and managed by peasant families from a region of Mexican Subtropics. The research instrument was applied to 1000 individuals to demonstrate its importance, multifunction and peasants´ knowledge. A database was integrated and through descriptive statistics proportions were calculated. Fieldwork and trips for the region were fundamental. This plant has significantly contributed to peasant families’ economy, and has diverse uses and functions: ecological, environmental, agriculture, medicinal, as fuel, ornamental, housing construction (domestic), agricultureforest, ceremonial and reloading aquifers.