Etnoveterinaria: Enseñanza de Prácticas Tradicionales A través del Uso de Plantas Medicinales para el Cuidado de la Fauna en el Corregimiento de Morroa, Sucre

Abstract

This study focused on the teaching and conservation of traditional practices of wildlife care through the use of medicinal plants in the village of Morroa, Sucre, with the main objective of identifying the species with the greatest value in ethnoveterinary in the rural community. The methodology adopted a mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, with a correlational character, to analyze the relationship between traditional knowledge about medicinal plants (independent variable) and the perception of their effectiveness in animal welfare (dependent variable). Data collection was carried out through semi-structured surveys and interviews, applied to a sample of 250 inhabitants of the rural area, selected using the non-probabilistic snowball technique. The data were analyzed by calculating ethnobotanical indices such as the value of use (VU) and the level of fidelity (NF), in addition to the calculation of Pearson's correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between the variables of interest. The results indicated that the plant species most used in the community have a high cultural and medicinal value, with a very high general level of knowledge about medicinal plants, with an average score of 98 points. Perception of the effectiveness of plants in treating animal conditions showed that 58% of the participants observed considerable improvement, while 24% reported complete recovery, and only 3% reported minimal improvement. The statistical analysis revealed a very strong positive correlation (r=0.97, p<0.00000323) between traditional knowledge and the perception of effectiveness in the treatment of animals, demonstrating that the greater the knowledge, the greater the confidence in the results, concluding that both the Morroa community and its cultural heritage maintain a deep and valued knowledge about the use of medicinal plants in ethnoveterinary medicine, indicating the importance of their conservation and recognition in the well-being of the local fauna.