Ethnobotany of the coastal zone of the municipality of Paraiso, Tabasco, Mexico

This article explores the ethnobotanical knowledge of the coastal zone of the municipality of Paraíso, in the state of Tabasco, Mexico. Through botanical walks through all the coastal communities of the municipality and a bibliographic review of studies carried out in the Chontalpa region, the traditional use of local flora by the communities is documented. Plants were identified and classified into various categories of use: medicinal, edible, timber, handicraft, forage, construction, firewood, shade, ritual and ornamental. The results reveal a deep interrelationship between the population and its plant environment, highlighting the importance of species such as coconut (Cocos nucifera), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), mangroves, various ornamental species and some trees in the region. The impact of modernization and industrial development on the preservation of this ancestral knowledge and local biodiversity is also analyzed. This study underscores the urgency of documenting and revaluing ethnobotanical knowledge as a fundamental tool for the conservation of the biocultural heritage of the coast of Tabasco.