Mangement, cultivation, and domestication of weaving plants: Heteropsis and Astrocaryum in the Ecuadorian rain forest

The author examines the management and cultivation of two plants in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, northwestern Ecuador. The plants in this study, a hemiepiphyte, Heteropsis ecuadorensis, (Araceae), commonly called piqigua and a plam, Astrocaryum standleyamon (Arecaceae), commonly called mocora, provide weaving fiber to make baskets, mats, and smaller woven articles. Although most people living in the area do not consciously manage this vegetation, evidence shows that locals are engaging in activities that promote the growth of the two plants, thus beginning the domestication process.