Conocimiento sobre productos forestales no maderables en dos pisos florísticos: piemontano y montano bajo, en bosque semi-caducifolio, Santa Rufina, Loja – Ecuador

Semi-deciduous forest has provided historically non-timber forest products (NTFP) to neighbor populations. However, information about use of their floristic resources is scarce. In this research, we evaluated the state of knowledge of NTFPs for two floristic floors in semi-deciduous forest: Montane and Montane low. We applied semi-structured surveys to investigate the plant uses that provide NTFPs to three age groups. Plant uses were differentiated into nine categories of use. We collected NTFPs at each sampling site where they grow naturally or in home gardens, and then identified taxonomically. We determined the Use Value by use category; the Total Use Value by species, and by species disaggregated by sex and age group. For floristic levels, the food and bev-erage category presented the highest use value. Within the age group of young people in floristic levels, the species belonging to the medicinal category were the most important with similar val-ues for men and women. In adults, in the piedmont level, forage species were the most important, with similar values for men and women. For the elderly, in the two plant formations several species stand out belonging to different categories of uses with similar values. We concluded that knowl-edge about the use is still valid in the three age groups according to the trend of knowledge levels. In the elderly, this knowledge is pragmatic and real, which is transmitted to adults and young peo-ple. In the group of young people, its application is uncertain.