Biocultural richness underwater: the case of the “Portezuelo del viento” hydroelectric project (Pehuenche pass, Mendoza)

Abstract

Background and aims: In the south of Mendoza (Argentina) there is a biocultural legacy of at least 7000 years old; the result of a process of dialectic co-evolution
between the culture and its natural environment. In this area, there are plans to build a hydroelectric megaproject that, if carried out, will rupture the multigenerational connections that the communities have with this biocultural landscape. Our objective is to observe the social constructions, loaded with historicity, with which the “puesteros” of southern Mendoza name and classify the different places that make up the landscape and the plant species.
M&M: Information was obtained through participant observation, interviews, and walks. Linguistic ethnobiology was used for data analysis.
Results: Our results reveal a connection between the importance of naming each habitat in the landscape and the plant resources found there. Ethno-landscape
names derive from their geophysical characteristics, while plants were mentioned according to their habitat, life forms, and the meaning they attach to them.
Conclusions: This case study and indicators of cultural significance of the site presented here may be useful in recognizing that, in the Pehuenche Pass, resident families maintain deep cultural, historical, and logistical ties that shape cultural identity.