Table 2 Traditional knowledge of the Saraguro Indigenous people, users of the San Lucas paramo ecosystem, regarding the use of fire and application of burns
Topic | Question | Characteristic | LIF | ICF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I. Months of the year to carry out burns and optimal weather conditions | 1. If you practice burning on your land, how often do you burn? | Each month | 4.0 | 1 |
Every 3 months | 4.7 | 1 | ||
Every 6 months | 17.3 | 0.8 | ||
Each year | 74.0 | 0.3 | ||
2. At what time of the year do you burn1. | At the end of the rainy season | 13.3 | 0.9 | |
During the drought period | 4.0 | 1 | ||
At the end of the drought period | 0.7 | 1 | ||
In the “Veranillo del Niño” (VdN) | 82.0 | 0.2 | ||
3. Optimal conditions for burning the moor during the year/sunny days. | 1–2 days with plenty of sun | 18.0 | 0.8 | |
3–4 days with plenty of sun | 82.0 | 0.2 | ||
4. How far in advance do you plan a burn | 1 day | 68.7 | 0.3 | |
2 days | 24.7 | 0.8 | ||
> 3 days | 6.7 | 0.9 | ||
II. Traditional knowledge about burning | 1. From where did you learn that burning must be done to improve the conditions of the paramo? | From their grandparents | 62.7 | 0.4 |
From their parents | 36.0 | 0.6 | ||
Shamans | 1.3 | 1 | ||
2. How many people in the family are involved in the burning process?1.1. | One person | 28.7 | 0.7 | |
Two or three people | 66.0 | 0.3 | ||
> of three persons | 5.3 | 1 | ||
3. What are the main risks when burning?1.1. | That a wildfire starts and the plants of the paramo are lost? | 74 | 0.3 | |
That there are accidents and deaths of community members? | 0.0 | 1 | ||
Loss of wild animals | 26 | 0.7 | ||
4. Does fire benefit the vegetation and the soil of the paramo? In what way? | Because it improves the regrowth of vegetation and serves to feed animals | 17.3 | 0.8 | |
Because it attracts the rains | 28 | 0.7 | ||
Because fire improves soil quality/fertility | 54.7 | 0.5 | ||
III. Other uses of fire in the paramo | 1. What is the reason for choosing the area to be burned?1.1. | Because of proximity? | 2.0 | 1 |
To generate new regrowth of medicinal plants? | 20.0 | 0.8 | ||
To generate new regrowth of food plants for livestock and wild animals? | 74.7 | 0.3 | ||
To create a new place to live? | 0.0 | 1 | ||
To change the vegetation of the paramo for another type of pasture and thus expand grazing. | 3.3 | 1 |