To document the dynamics of biocultural heritage, we studied traditional uses of plants on a segment of the Andean Road System, or Qhapaq Ñan, within the central Andes of Ecuador, home of the Kichwa community of Nizag. Here, residents preserved a rich diversity of plants within their agricultural fields, or chakra, of the Andean landscapes, upholding a culture steeped in traditional knowledge. Wild and domesticated plants are a cornerstone for the community, prompting the development of ethnobotanical management strategies with a conservation approach. The diverse plant uses aim to revalue their culture, fortify their self-identification as an indigenous community, and ensure the transmission of ancestral knowledge. This research aims to ascertain the ethnobotanical applications of this venerable community. Employing participatory action research, semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 community informants to gather ethnobotanical data on the flora applied within their territory, spanning categories such as food, agriculture, crafts, living fences, construction, fuel, ornamental, environmental, technological, and medicinal services. The findings indicate that age, rather than educational level and gender, significantly influences the variation in plant usage knowledge. In total, 142 plant species were cataloged, comprising herbs (58%), shrubs (23%), trees (15%), and climbers (4%). The most represented families were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae. Notably, 96% of these species provide some type of environmental service or fulfill a niche within the socioecological system. Medicinal uses were reported for 89% of the plants, while 56% served agricultural purposes, primarily in fertilizer production and forage. Additionally, 44% of the plants are utilized as food, typically consumed fresh. Among the medicinal plants, leaves are the most used part (58%), prepared as infusions and poultices. The prevalent ailments addressed include respiratory and urinary system conditions, with Borago officinalis, Carica pentagona, Vasconcellea pubescens, and Origanum mejorana being the most frequently employed plants.

Este artículo ofrece perspectivas decoloniales del cambio de paradigma de la montología en el aprendizaje del sistema socioecológico de los paisajes de montaña. Al evidenciar la transformación del paisaje tropical andino nos preguntamos sobre la importancia de recalcar en los visitantes y en los habitantes locales el concepto de legados ecológicos, y de qué manera la ciencia puede ayudar al etnoturismo a generar una mejor conciencia sobre la importancia de la conservación biocultural del territorio de los flancos andinos del piedemonte y las montañas bajas de la alta Amazonía. Los resultados de un estudio etnoecológico en el alto río Napo, Ecuador, como respuesta a cuestionarios Liker de quintiles, encuestados personalmente y en línea en cuatro temas etnoecológicos, muestran que el conocimiento local debe ser incorporado al estudio del paisaje selvático y su conservación, con enfoques decoloniales para el turismo, compartiendo lenguaje, metodología, tradición y difusión de los atributos del bosque. Nuestra investigación ayudó a cocrear y formular la “Declaración de Coca” que pide un giro filosófico en la investigación, conectando la ciencia y el etnoturismo en formas que sean locales, emancipadoras y transdisciplinarias. La geografía crítica y etnoecología nos ayuda a entender los predicamentos de las poblaciones silvícolas, como por ejemplo los sáparos de Jandiayacu. Concluimos que facilitar un nuevo vocabulario mediante la intensificación decolonial de las perspectivas indígenas del paisaje montañoso y selvático ayuda a incorporar la noción de diferentes Amazonías, incluyendo el paisaje montañoso de los flancos andino-amazónicos o “alta amazonía”. También concluimos que no podemos considerar a Ecuador el país de la “naturaleza pura” ya que ayudamos a desmitificar la naturaleza prístina de la selva para los turistas extranjeros, resaltando las visiones locales con prácticas ancestrales. Finalmente, concluimos que el etnoturismo es una alternativa viable para gestionar la patrimonialización del paisaje selvático como un territorio híbrido con los legados ecológicos de los habitantes pasados y presentes de la alta Amazonía.

High-mountain protected areas are increasingly exposed to climate change, governance fragmentation, and limited integration of cultural dimensions into conservation strategies. In this context, this study examines the Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve (Ecuador) as a high-Andean biocultural landscape, integrating ecological, geological, climatic, and cultural evidence within a common interpretive framework based on the concepts of integrity and authenticity. Using an interdisciplinary synthesis of secondary sources, the analysis explores six analytical dimensions encompassing geodiversity, ecosystems, biodiversity, climate dynamics, archaeological evidence, and cultural practices. The results suggest that the Chimborazo system maintains a notable degree of structural and functional coherence across its ecological and geomorphological components, while also experiencing increasing pressures associated with climate change, particularly glacier retreat and hydrological variability. At the same time, the persistence of archaeological records, Andean epistemologies, ritual practices, and biocultural traditions supports the interpretation of a landscape characterized by continuity of cultural meaning and long-term human–environment interaction. Rather than proposing a definitive or directly transferable model, this study offers a conceptual perspective that highlights the interdependence between ecological processes and cultural values in high-mountain environments. Interpreting Chimborazo as a biocultural landscape offers a useful approach for exploring sustainability-oriented governance and adaptive management in Andean protected areas. The findings may inform ongoing discussions on the integration of biodiversity conservation, cultural continuity, and climate adaptation, while further empirical validation is required to assess the broader applicability of this approach in other mountain contexts.