Amerindian and Afro-American Perceptions of Their Traditional Knowledge in the Chocó Biodiversity Hotspot

The Choco biodiversity hotspot is one of the most biodiverse and threatened regions on earth, yet the traditional knowledge (TK) of its inhabitants about biodiversity remains little studied. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) aims to integrate different knowledge systems, including scientific and TK, to assess the state of the planet’s biodiversity. We documented the TK of three ethnic groups: Afro-Colombians (n = 86 participants), Amerindian Embera (n = 88), and Tsa’chila (n = 52), focusing on their perceptions about (i) the most important palms, (ii) current vs. past uses, (iii) and TK transmission. We found 46 useful palm species and 520 different uses of palms. The species that were most important in local people’s views also had high use value, based on a commonly used quantitative index in ethnobotany. Although construction was the most commonly mentioned use category, palm materials were absent in Afro-Colombian and Tsa’chila homes, and were being increasingly replaced in Embera homes. In all three cultures, it was generally believed that TK was not being transmitted to the younger generations. In aggregate, the current perceptions of decreasing transmission of TK, decreasing use of forests, and intergenerational differences in perceptions in the Choco could accelerate the erosion of TK. Therefore, this could ultimately limit the contribution of Amerindian and Afro-Colombian TK to IPBES’s goals of assessing on-the-ground changes in biodiversity.