METHODOLOGICAL PROPOSAL FOR ETHNOPEDOLOGICAL STUDIES IN AREAS WITH SCARCE OR NO AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY

Abstract

The use of ethnopedological studies in the Colegio de Postgraduados, based on the producer’s worldview, has been used for the study of agricultural areas in Mexico, resulting in a useful tool for the reassessment of local knowledge, regarding the identification of classes of lands/soils they own, their management and problems, as well as their cartography. However, its application to groups with scarce or no agricultural activity does not meet

the requirements for its implementation. In this case, a modification to the methodology was proposed during the study of two ethnic groups from Sonora, in the localities of Pitahaya, Guaymas (Yaquis) and Punta Chueca, Hermosillo (Seris), with the purpose of knowing how they identify their land/soil classes, document its uses and reassess the current transmission of land traditional knowledge. The application of the methodological variants in conducting ethnopedological studies in the ethnic groups managed to meet the general objectives in terms of generating their cartography and obtaining information on aspects of interest in the field of local natural resources.