Showing papers in "Economic Botany in 1997"

In situ conservation of maize in Mexico : Genetic diversity and maize seed management in a traditional community

Abstract: Results from a study of maize varieties and seed sources in a traditional community in Jalisco, Mexico, raise questions about the relationship between genetic erosion and the introduction of varieties. The relevance of models for in situ conservation of crop genetic resources based on geographical isolation of a community is discussed. The morphophenological diversity of local materials is shown to be enhanced by introductions of both improved cultivars and landraces from farmers in other communities. On the other hand, the geographical point of reference for defining “local” landrace is shown to be larger than the community itself. Farmers will classify seed obtained from other farmers in and outside the community as that of a local landrace if it resembles their own according to the phenotypic characteristics they use to distinguish varieties. Maize diversity in this community is then the result of a certain level of introduction of genetic material and not of geographical isolation.

Traditional medicine in Turkey VIII. Folk medicine in east anatolia; Erzurum, Erzíncan, Ağri, Kars, Iğdir provinces

Abstract: Traditional drugs used in the east Anatolia including Erzurum, Erzincan, Agri, Kars, Igdir, and Ardahan provinces have been surveyed. In this report, 169 remedies obtained from 87 plant species belonging to 38 families and 10 animal species are listed with their vernacular names, parts used, methods of preparing drugs, and traditional usages.

Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas

Abstract: This remarkable book is a most significant contribution to the literature on palms, a plant family that predominates in many Neotropical landscapes. The earlier part of the book provides an introduction to the family, discussing species concepts, phytogeography, and morphology, along with an artificial key to the genera of American palms. The bulk of the book comprises generic treatments, with a discussion of the individual genus, as well as a listing of the species recognized by the authors. At the species level, information is provided on common names, field characters, range and habitat. Notes are also added on taxonomy and other aspects of botanical interest. This book contains information on uses for each species, where known. For example, stems of Thrinax radiata are used as poles, while Mauritia flexuosa provides leaf fiber for weaving ropes, hammocks, baskets and similar craft items. Following the generic treatments are 550 distribution maps, which offer information on the general range of each species. "1~o Appendices, "Checklist of Species by Country" and "List of Accepted Names, Synonyms, Hybrids and Uncertain Names" are quite important portionn of the book, a~ are the indices of common and scientific names. In all, the authors treat 67 genera and 550 species found in the Americas. The book is not intended as a taxonomic treatment but rather a field guide for those who are not palm specialists. Keeping this in mind, one can justify the authors' broad species concepts that sometimes subsume taxa considered valid by other workers in this family. Herein lies the real contribution of this work-a usable guide to one of the most visible of plant families wherever it is found. The book can fit into a backpack as well and is thus quite portable. Field Guide to the Palms o f the Americas, containing over 256 color photographs of palms in their habitats, is a monumental work that has gathered, interpreted and presented data on this plant family in a form that can be understood and used. I am personally grateful to the authors for taking such a task through to completion. This book is nothing short of a treasure for economic botanists working in the Neotropics and should be in the personal libraries of all active workers in this region.

Local-Level Valuation of Savanna Resources: A Case Study from Zimbabwe

Abstract: This paper values the savanna woodland resources of two neighbouring villages in Zimbabwe. Households receive a diverse range of products from a variety of ecologically contrasting sites, and a large number of products are marketed. Whilst the rules and regulations regarding tree-based resources are similar in the two villages, there is a greater degree of enforcement in Jinga, where ecological sustainability is also more promising. Using a derived demand approach, it was found that, in both villages, fuelwood for household cooking, wild fruits and poles are the most important in terms of contribution to total value. The total values obtained for the woodland products investigated are sizeable by comparison to annual cash income. Non-market values (water retention, rainmaking functions, etc.) were ranked highly during participatory rural appraisal techniques. The valuation of a select range of products based on market prices is thus a small component of total economic value.

Indigenous diversity of Cassava: Generation, maintenance, use and loss among the Amuesha, Peruvian upper Amazon

Abstract: For cassava (Manihot esculenta Euphorbiaceae), results from field collection, semistructured interviews, phenetic and cluster analyses, and Global Information Systems (G1S) indicate that cassava phenotypes vary with elevation and topography, but less with soils or pests and diseases. Amuesha women with a sense of tradition maintain many cassava varieties along with associated myths, songs, names and indigenous production. The shaman plays a key role in breeding new and maintaining traditional cassava germplasm, while the rest of the tribe nurtures cassava germplasm dynamics through collecting, trading, stealing, maintaining favored cassava varieties, and purging the less desirable. The future of cassava diversity is of concern to some Amuesha as production and market interests surmount more traditional attention to variety.

Pollen as food and medicine - A review

Abstract: Pollen, the male gametophyte of flowering plants, is a high energy material, which is collected by insects and stored as food reserve. Pollen has been used traditionally by humans for religious purposes and as supplementary food. Pollen is a concentrated, energy and vitamin rich food that in contemporary times is not only consumed as a dietary component, but also is used in alternative medical treatments. Pollen has potential imporiance as a supplementary and survival food, and for conditioning of athletes. Pollen has been used medically in prostatitis, bleeding stomach ulcers and some infectious diseases, although such use has been questioned by the medical profession. Pollen may also be used for treatment and prevention of the high-altitude-sickness syndrome. Because some individuals are allergic to pollen, and various pollen species contain specific allergens, individual sensitivities must be tested before pollen is used as a treatment or as a supplementary food.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi with edible fruiting bodies. 1. Tricholoma matsutake and related fungi

Abstract: Matsutake are the edible fruiting bodies of a few species ofTricholoma. The principal species areT. matsutake, T. magnivelare, andT. caligatum. Related species areT. bakamatsutake, T. quercicola, T. fulvocastaneum andT. robustum. These occur naturally throughout the Northern Hemisphere associated mainly with softwood trees but also with members of the Fagaceae. However, none have ever been cultivated or successfully introduced into new areas. They are held in very high regard in Japan where annual consumption is approximately 3000 tons. Annual production of matsutake in Japan is less than 1000 tons with the balance imported from China, North and South Korea, Canada, the USA, Morocco and Taiwan. Matsutake only fruit in late summer and autumn and are not found in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, there is the opportunity for it to be introduced into Southern Hemisphere countries and fruiting bodies produced for out-of-season Japanese markets. Wholesale prices in Japan range from ¥3350 to ¥70 000/kg (US$27-560) with the price reflecting quality, origin and availability. Retail prices at the start of the season can be up to ¥160 000/kg (US$1275). This paper reviews published and our own unpublished information on matsutake, and highlights areas of research that might result in a method for the cultivation of these fungi.

Ethnobotany and domestication in Xoconochtli, Stenocereus stellatus (Cactaceae), in the Tehuacán Valley and La Mixteca Baja, México

Abstract: Ethnobotanical information is presented on use, management, folk nomenclature and classification of the “xoconochtli” (Stenocereus stellatus) as well as on the role of this plant in subsistence of the Nahua, Mixtec and Popoloca peoples from the Tehuacan Valley and La Mixteca Baja in Central Mexico. Among all three groups, S. stellatus was used for various purposes but mainly for its edible fruits. Different variants of this species were distinguished, named and classified by indigenous people according to characteristics of the fruit; particularly size, color and flavor of the pulp, spininess and thickness of the peel. Wild plants characteristically had small red sour fruits with many spines and thick peel, while individuals selected for cultivation usually differed in one or more of these characters. Three general forms of interaction between people and this species were found: 1) gathering of useful products from the wild; 2) management of wild populations in situ which involves the sparing and enhancing of individuals with more desirable characteristics and the removal of others during clearance of the land for agriculture; and 3) cultivation, mainly in home gardens, by propagation of vegetative parts from desirable individuals. Fruit yields per individual and per population were measured and compared in wild, managed in situ and cultivated populations from the Tehuacan Valley and La Mixteca Baja. Wild and cultivated individuals from La Mixteca Baja yielded more than wild and cultivated individuals from the Tehuacan Valley. Within each region, fruit yields were similar in wild and managed in situ populations but significantly larger in cultivated populations. Forms of management of this plant species are discussed in terms of availability of products and demand for them in the local economy.

Traditional anti-malarial medicine in Roraima, Brazil

Abstract: Malaria is probably the most serious health problem facing northern Amazonia, and isolated populations can benefit greatly from the knowledge of local resources which may effectively be used to control it. The results of an ethnobotanical survey of the plant species used in the treatment of malaria in the Brazilian State of Roraima are presented. Fieldwork was carried out amongst seven savanna-and forest-dwelling indigenous groups, and among the Luso-Brazilian population. Ninety-nine species, of 82 genera and 41 families, were identified as having been used for this purpose in the region. The results are discussed in the context of previously published information on anti-malarial plants of northern Latin America, which was analysed by a broad literature survey whose overall results are also presented here. Of the species collected in Roraima, only 24 appear previously to have been reported as anti-malarials, although 49% of the represented genera are known to be used in this way elsewhere. The plants are currently undergoing laboratory screening for anti-malarial activity and toxicity.

The Vegetation of Mongolia

Abstract: Acknowledgments. Fieldwork by SGP was supported by grants from the New York Zoological Society/Wildlife Conservation Society and Clemson University. Robert Noonan provided accommodation at Gold Button Ranch, and Mark and Monique Howells provided logistic support at Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Roy Pope is thanked for initially demonstrating this treatment to SGP. Comments by John E Townsend, Karen McGlothlin, and John Scavo greatly improved this manuscript.

Plant Remains From Waterlogged Sites In The Arawe Islands, West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea: Implications For The History Of Plant Use And Domestication

Abstract: Plant remains in the Arawe Islands were found preserved in waterlogged beach sediments. Remnants of edible fruit and wild nuts were found together with Lapita pottery, stone artifacts, and other evidence of human settlement. Previous discoveries of fruit and nut remains in Lapita pottery sites have been interpreted as evidence for an arboricultural complex based on a variety of tree species. Here we report direct evidence for plant use, but are unable to recognise any particular system of plant cultivation or harvest. All the genera and species recognised in the Arawe plant remains are known to enter modern beach drift by natural processes, from wild and cultivated sources. The archaeological assemblages pose intriguing problems for interpreting the history of plant use and domestication.

Jaborandi (Pilocarpus sp., rutaceae): A wild species

Abstract: Jaborandi (Pilocarpus sp.;) is a shrub or small tree 3-7.5 m tall that can be found in native stands or as isolated individuals throughout Brazil. The leaves of jaborandi contain the alkaloid pilocarpine, widely used in ophthalmology for treatment of certain types of glaucoma and more recently for xerostomia. This paper discusses the current systems of production of jaborandi leaves in Maranhao, Northeastern Brazil. On one side, the extractivism practiced by indigenous people and peasants; on the other, the plantation recently established, as the result of heavy investment by a pharmaceutical company. In the extractive system, the non-sustainable exploitation of the drug-rich leaves of this plant species may have produced considerable damage to the native populations over time, reducing the size of the populations, and impoverishing their gene pools. The following potential effects of the plantation are discussed; contribute to diminishing the pressure on wild populations; impact on the local people currently involved in the extractivism; and its impacts on the local economies.

An Ethnobotanical analysis of the tree species common to the subtropical moist forests of the petén, Guatemala

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the utilization of tree species within and around the borders of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala and to compare two sampling methodologies for the acquisition of such data. Residents in the communities of Caoba (border of reserve) and Uaxactun (within reserve) demonstrated significantly different utilization of tree species. Differences were due to the unique ecological and socio-economic conditions in each of the towns. Residents of both communities relied most heavily onSwietenia macrophylla, Manilkara achras. Cedrela odorata, Pouteria mammosa and Caesalpinia spp. Residents of Caoba considered 39% of all useful tree species to be marketable compared with only 18% in Uaxactun. Overall, more than 80 tree species were identified as useful in each of the communities. Changes in forest composition along with dynamic economic conditions were found to be altering the commercial utilization of tree species throughout the region. Some suggestions are offered for community development projects.

Useful plants of the Los Tuxtlas rain forest (Veracruz, Mexico): Considerations of their market potential

Abstract: The 640 hectare large Los Tuxtlas rain forest reserve was analyzed for the commercial potential of its 860 native flowering plant species. Excluding plants with medicinal or chemical use, 91 species (10.6%) are found in the market, and we consider an additional 72 species (8.4%) to have market potential. For each of the 163 species, the following information is given: scientific and common name, geographic distribution, growth form, use, and market status. Of the 163 species, 2.4% are endemic to the Los Tuxtlas region, 10.4% are restricted to Mexico, 42.3% extend further into Central America, and 39.3% occur also in South America, while 20.2% are found in the West Indies. The majority of species (68.7%) are trees. In terms of use categories, 35.0% are employed for their timber, 32.5% for their fuelwood, 24.5% for ornamental purposes, 22.7% for their edible fruits, leaves or flowers, 11.0% for plywood or paper, 6.1% for artwork and weaving, and 1.2% as fodder plants. The more than 160 marketable species would make it possible to develop species-diverse forests of high commercial value, as an alternative to current land use, which consists in converting forest into cattle pastures.

Medicinal plants and regional traders in Mexico : Physiographic differences and conservational challenge

Abstract: A dynamic exchange of wild medicinal plants between different physiographic areas in Mexico is documented through the study of two regional trade warehouses. These warehouses receive medicinal species from their own botanical environments (31%) but also from other remote places of gathering (69%). A list of medicinal plants from external sources at these warehouses is presented, including their zones of origin and uses as reported by traders. Ecological diversity allows the configuration of a commercial network between regional traders; market produce varies according to the physiographic zones involved. Regional warehouses and traders are the basic units in this network and link diverse economies, natural environments and cultures. Within this setting, according to merchants’ testimony, the access to some wild, external species is progressively hampered, as it is the case ofValeriana edulis orSmilax aristolochiaefolia, as a result of increased national and foreign demand.

Ethnobotany of quintonil : Knowledge, use and management of edible greens Amaranthus spp. (Amaranthaceae) in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, México

Abstract: In addition to the seeds consumed as a pseudocereal, amaranths provide important edible greens. In the Sierra Norte de Puebla, Mexico, the management and utilization of amaranths occur within a wide variety of environmental, biological and cultural contexts. This paper presents both the results of ethnobotanical exploration in this region and the comparison of different species and races of amaranths used as greens that were grown in common experimental garden plots in Chalco, Mexico. Ethnobotanical exploration, cultural practices and growth analysis suggests that these plants have been selected for their use as leafy vegetables. The experimental data support the divergence of amaranths used for greens from those used principally for edible seed.

Special-purpose legume genetic resources conserved for agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical use

Abstract: To help feed, clothe, house, improve land productivity, confront difficult resource necessities, and stabilize ravaged land resources through reforestation, there is need for a revitalized worldwide assessment of little-known legume species. Many legumes produce economically important organic compounds such as gums, dyes, Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, phytochemicals, and many specialty products. However, most legumes have never been or have just begun to be studied for phy-tochemical or biologically active components, and new reservoirs of commercially valuable materials remain to be discovered. Not only could these legumes provide healthier and a more secure food supply for Third World countries, but they can protect fragile soil resources where erosion now threatens tragedy.

Micromorphological study on leaves of some Cordia (Boraginaceae) species used in traditional medicine

Abstract: The genus Cordia (Boraginaceae) is made up of a great many species widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world The leaves ofCordia myxa, as also those of many other species of the same genus, have been utilized in the traditional medicine of many countries for the treatment of a variety of diseases Observed by light microscope and by scanning electron microscope the histological characteristics of the leaf ofCordia francisci, C martinicensis, C serratifolia andC ulmifolia, species grown in Sicily, compared also with those of the leaves ofC myxa originating from Africa, are described in detail It has been possible to reveal some morphological elements that allow leaf identification and the differentiation of the drugs examined

The use of underground plant organs and its relation to habitat selection among the Pumé Indians of Venezuela

Abstract: The use of underground plant organs and habitat selection by the Pume Indians of southwestern Venezuela is described. Detailed information is presented on 18 species in 10 families. The three most significant uses identified are food, medicine and/or ritual, and fish poison; the dry forest habitat contains the largest number of exploited species. The taxonomic and conservation relevance of ethnobotanical investigation in dryland macrohabitats in South America is addressed.

A rare and potentially economic fruit of Brazil, Campomanesia pheaea (Myrtaceae)

Abstract: A rare and potentially economic fruit of Brazil: cambuci, Campomanesia phaea (Myrtaceae).--The \"cambuci\", Campomanesia phaea (O. Berg) Landrum (= Abbevillea phaea Berg, Paivaea langsdorfii Berg), is one of several Brazilian species of Myrtaceae with edible fruits that has been locally appreciated at least since European colonization (1). The objective of this note is to draw attention to the present state of conservation of this species and to the potential commercial value of its edible fruits. The name \"cambuci\" is thought to be derived from the Tupi-Guarani word for clay pot (sometimes spelled cambuchi) (2), because the rhomboid fruits (Fig. 1) resemble clay pots previously made by the Indians (3). The cambuci grows in Brazil's Atlantic Coastal Forest, one of the world's vegetation types in greatest danger of species extinction (4). It is native to the region around the city of S~o Paulo (3, 5, 6), which appropriately includes a neighborhood called Cambuci. We believe that it is probably native also near the town Cambuci, in the north-central Rio de Janeiro state, but know of no collections from that area. Nowadays, however, the few trees that can be found in these two areas are cultivated in gardens and parks. Wild trees, almost extinct in the region of S~o Panlo, are reported only in rural areas or patches of moist forests (7). We can not say with certainty that any of these are clearly natural habitats. The relatively few herbarium collections of cambuci come from localities where human influence is obvious. Cambuci is a good example of a species, apparently once common (judging from the geographic localities named after it) and even encouraged because of its edible fruits, that is now near extinction. Undoubtedly many other species that were less common, or that did not have any obvious use, are in an even more precarious state. Of the approximately 25 species of Campomanesia, three are known from single collections and about six others (not including cambuci) are rarely collected or have not been collected in many years (5). Thus about two fifths of the species are possibly extinct or could be near extinction. A botanical description and illustrations (Figs. 1, 2) of Campomanesia phaea are provided below. A more complete description is available in Flora Neotropica monograph 45 (5). Small tree up to ca. 10 m high. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 4 10 cm long, 2-3.3 cm wide, 2-3.3 times as long as wide, glabrous to sparsely puberulent, or sometimes densely pubescent along the veins, submembranous to subcoriaceous. Peduncles uniflorous (or rarely triflorous), 5-18 mm long, 1-1.5 nun wide, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes triangular, 2 -4 mm long, densely pubescent within and without, the hypanthium splitting between the lobes at anthesis; petals suborbicular, 10-13 mm long, densely pubescent without, glabrous within; hypanthium 5-8 mm long from the base of the calyx-lobes to the bracteoles, densely pubescent, prolonged in a tube 1-2 mm long beyond the summit of the ovary, having a warty horizontal ridge at about the level of the ovary; stamens 300, ca. 10 mm long; anthers 1-1.5 mm long; style 7-8 nun long, glabrous; ovary 1113-1ocular; ovules 8-12 per locule. Fruit green, ovoid-rhomboidal, up to 4 -6 cm in diam. by 3.5-4.5 cm long. Seeds 1-4, ca. 8 mm long in-

A protocol for measuring abundance and size of a neotropical liana, Desmoncus polyacanthos (Palmae), in relation to forest structure

Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between the abundance and size ofD. polyacanthos and measures of forest canopy structure. Varzea and terra firme forest were selected for study at the mouth of the Amazon estuary, Para, Brazil. The forest canopy characteristics investigated included individual tree height and height to base of the live portion of the crown, forest canopy depth (the distance from the lowest foliage in the understory to the top of the canopy including all free space between top and bottom), forest canopy thickness (the portion of the forest canopy depth occupied only by foliage) and forest canopy density (the sum of lengths of each of the individual crowns that make up forest canopy depth) (see Fig. 2b). The attributes ofD. polyacanthos measured included leaf number, stem height and percent coverage within the stands. Results from this study suggest thatD. polyacanthos can be encouraged to grow through selective cutting of canopy trees and promotion of regenerating forest stands on terra firme fallow. The protocol used to relateD. polyacanthos abundance and size to kind of forest canopy structure can be used for evaluation of other climbing palms.

Antiquity of the earliest cultivated rice in central China and its implications

Abstract: Until now, most of the early rice remains in China were found in the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze River drainage. Recently, rice remains earlier than 8000 B.P. were found from Jiahu site (8942-7801 B.P.) in Wuyang County of Henan Province, central China. This is the earliest cultivated rice found at this latitude (33°37’N), which is far outside the current distribution of wild rice species. The discovery is of great implications. It suggests that central China may be one of the centers of early rice domestication.

Allozyme Variation In Spineless Pejibaye (bactris Gasipaes Palmae)

Abstract: Allozyme variation was examined in three pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes) populations introduced into Hawaii for use in heart-of-palm improvement: Benjamin Constant (Putumayo landrace), San Carlos (Guatuso landrace) and Yurimaguas (Pampa Hermosa landrace). Nine enzymes encoded by 16 putative loci with a total of 38 alleles were resolved from meristem extract. Five loci were fixed in all populations, four additional loci were fixed in SC and one additional locus in BC. Six of the 38 alleles were rare, with three unique to BC and one to Y; two moderately high frequency alleles were unique to SC. Mean number of alleles per locus was lowest (1.6) in SC, with BC and Y having 2.1 alleles. Percentage of polymorphic loci was lowest in SC (44) and highest in Y (69). Observed heterozygosity was lowest in SC (0.051) and BC (0.066) and highest in Y (0.141). Nei’s genetic identity was 0.985 between BC and Y and averaged 0.952 between SC and BC-Y. The low heterozygosities are probably due to a long history of selection and inbreeding (sib-mating) during the domestication process, followed by intensive recent selection for spinelessness and more inbreeding. All populations are very closely related, suggesting a single domestication event in Amazonia.

Domestication of cultivatedleucaena (leguminosae) in Mexico: The sixteenth century documents

Abstract: The distribution, and the morphological and genetic variation of the cultivated taxa of the genus Leucaena (especiallyL esculenta, guaje rojo and guaje Colorado, andL leucocephala, guaje verde and guaje bianco, are discussed in terms of their long history as arboreal food resources In order to understand the domestication process it is essential to understand the changes in management, diffusion and importance of this natural resource throughout the prehistoric, prehispanic, colonial, modern and contemporary periods of Mexican history In this article the principal documents of the contact period (Florentine Codex, writings of Francisco Hernandez and sixteenth century Relaciones Geograficas) are analyzed to examine the effect of culture change on the domestication process The persistence of Prehispanic uses and management of Leucaena as a source of food is documented Today’s patterns appear to be both a product of neglect of the plant by the conquerors, and the cultural resilience of the native people

The case for Borojoa patinoi (rubiaceae) in the chocó region, Colombia

Abstract: The Case for Borojoa patinoi in the Choco Region, Colombia. Economic Botany 51(1): 39-48. 1997. The economic botany of the tree speciesBorojoa patinoi is presented after consulting all available literature and visiting the region.Borojoa patinoi is a noteworthy species in that it is endemic to the biogeographic Choco region, its fruits have high market value, and it is an understory tree, which means it can be cultivated without clearing the overstory trees. This paper reviews the literature on the taxonomy and phytogeography of the genus, as well as the production ecology of the species. Two net present value models are presented to analyze the species economically. From the models, we conclude that in many areas in the Choco, plantingB. patinoi trees is likely to be economically more competitive than planting commercial timber species. Furthermore, monocultures ofB. patinoi may not be the economically optimal production system. BesidesB. patinoi, some other Choco species with edible fruits are suggested for further research.

The Structure And Productivity Of Relict Stands Of Pitaya (Stenocereus Queretaroensis; Cactaceae), Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract: Pitaya fruit commercialized in southern Jalisco comes primarily from anthropogenic populations. These populations are associated with archaeological sites dating between 300 B.C. and A.D. 1200. Stand structure and productivity of five anthropogenic stands contrast sharply with that of natural and cultivated stands. Individuals from a natural stand have smaller-diameter trunks and canopies and produce less fruit than anthropogenic stands. Structure and productivity of one stand may correlate with the associated archaeological occupation. Individual productivity is highly correlated with diameter of the canopy. Both men and women participate in the harvest and sale of pitaya fruit earning the same or as much as three times that paid as wage laborers. Conservation of these stands and the associated archaeological sites would require land purchase and protection but the sale of pitaya fruits could sustain the efforts necessary to protect and manage these populations over the long term.