Useful plants within a campesino community in a Costa Rican montane Cloud forest

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among a campesino community in a C osta Rican montane cloud forest. Campesino families were interviewed about how they used indigenous and introduced vascular plants along an altitudina l gradient (2000-3000 m). From a total of 590 species known in the area, 23 .8% of 189 useful plant species were used for medicinal purposes, 39.7% for food, and 24.3% for construction (timber) or as combustibles (fuelwood, ch arcoal). Less important uses included dye, ornament (ecotourism), fodder, g um, oil, and poison. A total of 61.9% of the plants were used for one purpo se only. The introduced and exotic woody species Cupressus lusitanica and E ucalyptus globulus showed the highest diversify in types of use (7), togeth er with the native Alnus acuminata. Trunks (53%) and fruits (47%) were the main plant organs used, followed by leaves (33%) and branches (30%). Over 2 7.5% of all plants were used on a daily basis, while 34.9% were used occasi onally. About 11.6% of the species were rarely used. At present, use of ind igenous species is becoming less common; the trend is to favor introduced a nd economically important species. In the short or medium term, local knowl edge of medicinal plants will probably disappear in this rural community th at is undergoing modernization, with a focus on new undertakings such as fr uticultural export, rainbow trout hatcheries, and ecotourism.