Bolivia, located in the center of South America, includes representative examples of most major terrestrial biomes present on this continent, ranging from tropical rainforest to thorny Chaco scrub and the arid Puna of the high Andes (Ibisch et al. 2003) (Fig. 1). It is an important center for the origin of domestic plant species and of wild

relatives of many important food plants, such as potatoes (Solanum spp.), groundnuts (Arachis spp.), cassava (Manihot esculenta), beans (Phaseolus spp.), and hot peppers (Capsicum spp.) (Beck 1998). Fig. 1 Map Staurosporine datasheet of Bolivia showing the distribution of the ten major ecoregions modified after Ibisch et al. (2003) and the study sites (white dots). AM amazonian rain forest, BSI seasonally

deciduous inter-Andean forest, BSC seasonally deciduous Chiquitano forest, BTB subtropical Tucumano-Boliviano forest, CE Cerrado of the Brazilian shield, CHS seasonally deciduous montane Chaco forest, GCH Gran Chaco thorn forest, PN humid northern Puna, SB seasonally flooded savanna, and YU humid montane Yungas forest The rural population in many parts of the country still actively BIBW2992 price uses the natural flora as sources of human and animal foods, medicines, construction materials, and fibers. Therefore, much information on the potential uses of many native species can be gathered (Boom 1987). Phosphatidylinositol diacylglycerol-lyase Bolivia has about 135 species of Araceae (Kessler and Croat 1999; Croat and Acebey 2005) and approximately 323 species of selleck screening library Bromeliaceae (Krömer et al. 1999; Krömer, unpublished data). Compared to other plant groups, both families have a good status of knowledge in Bolivia due to intensive research on their distribution, diversity, and ecology in recent decades (Ibisch 1996; Bach et al. 1999; Ibisch and Vásquez 2000; Kessler and Krömer 2000; Acebey and Krömer 2001; Kessler 2001, 2002; Krömer et al. 2005, 2006, 2007). The aim of this study was to gather information on the potential use of species of Araceae and Bromeliaceae in Bolivia for the different ecoregional units of the country. The underlying question

was how the potentially useful species of these plant families are distributed in different ecosystems, as a guideline for the prioritization of regional activities aimed at developing their economically and ecologically sustainable use. Because the major ecoregions differentiated here occur throughout the Neotropics, this study is of relevance for the entire continent. Materials and methods A thorough literature search, including numerous unpublished reports, was conducted to compile information on past and current uses of the native species of Araceae and Bromeliaceae in Bolivia, as well as for other neotropical countries (Acebey 2003). A full list of references is available from the first author on request.