Semi-Domesticated Crops Have Unique Functional Roles in Agroecosystems: Perennial Beans (Phaseolus dumosus and P. coccineus) and Landscape Ethnoecology in the Colombian Andes

Semi-domesticated plants are good resources for agroecology, because they can survive without human intervention and be managed together with non-domesticated plants. To explore the ecological know-how underlying farmer management of semi-domesticates at landscape level, we compared how Yanacona Indigenous People in southwestern Colombian Andes manage two semi-domesticated species Phaseolus beans, both locally named cacha (Phaseolus coccineus P. dumosus), a full domesticate (the common bean vulgaris). We investigated what functional traits beans farmers identify link these ability to develop different cultural-ecological niches within landscape. In 60 semi-structured interviews conducted farmers, found that (i) compare species, including perenniality, phenology, resistance pests diseases, compete surrounding vegetation; (ii) recognize use variation generated by hybridization between species; (iii) take advantage grow them under wide array scale, low-intervention spaces, such as hedges swidden plots fallow, have detailed knowledge beans' interactions trees; (iv) contribute resilience agroecosystems through practices social relationships which associated. Emic etic perspectives must combined gain understanding roles cultivated