Ethnobotany of the Tacana: Quantitative inventories of two permanent plotsof northwestern Bolivia

We present ecological and ethnobotanical descriptions of two two permanent 1-ha plots located in Amazonian forest near two Tacana communities situated north and west of the Madidi National Park in the Iturralde Province, Depa rtment of La Pat of northwestern Bolivia. We interviewed 13 Tacana men and women to identify and enumerate uses of all of the trees, palms, and lianas greater than or equal to 10 cm dbh in these plots. Of the 185 species foun d in both plots, 115 species are used by the Tacana: 59 species for constru ction, 9 as sources of fiber, 33 for technology and crafts, 66 as firewood, 32 for food or water, 40 for medicine, 8 for hunting or fishing, 9 for com mercial purposes, and 11 for miscellaneous uses. Sixty-four percent of usef ul species had multiple uses. This utilization of the forest corresponds wi th that of other Amazonian indigenous groups and shows a high reliance on t he forest for vegetative materials, especially medicine, technology and cra fts, and construction.