Ethnobotany for Sustainable Ecosystem Management: A Regional Perspective in the Tehuacán Valley

Abstract

Abstract This contribution discusses the different types of markets, tianguis (tra- ditional producer markets) and trade relations which have occurred in Mexico in different historical periods. The comparison of such major pre-Hispanic cultures as the Aztecs, Mayas, and Purépecha highlight the role of the long-distance traders or pochteca . During the Viceroyalty Period, alcabalas (taxes) registered in the docu- ments reveal the continuity of the trade routes based on pre-Hispanic roads and exchange of products from different ecological zones. For Independent Mexico Period, the commercial circuits that supplied urban areas are characterized by those of Puebla. This analysis suggests that the marketing in contemporary Mexico is a consequence of the relationships established during the different historical periods. These relationships are refl ected in the tianguis and contemporary markets as well as products today. The exchange and marketing chains have been infl uenced and driven by transportation systems, such as the train network at the time of the Porfi riato Period, and currently by the highway systems and mechanized transport vehicles. As a result, today’s exchange system is characterized by a larger scale, a greater distance and the phenomenon of the central markets while tianguis are located in peripheral circuits. The botanical products that are sold and exchanged in the commercial circuits refl ect the cultural exchange, based on traditional knowl- edge, and the exploitation of the natural resources from different ecological zones. Contemporary Mexican studies illustrate the infl uence of the central market on the demand of plants with novel applications and draw attention to the danger of the overcollection of wild species due to the effect of the emerging demands, hence defending the need for conservation of natural habitats