Citation: Chávez Velásquez, C.R.; Sinaluisa Pilco, A.M.; Lema Palaquibay, L.F.; Velasteguí Arévalo, P.A.; Ureña Moreno, J.E.; Yépez Noboa, A.M.; Latimer, J.B.; Sarmiento, F.O. The Heritagescape of Kichwa People of Nizag Built upon Traditional Plant Usage along a Chimborazo Variant of the Andean Road System or Qhapaq Ñan. Geographies 2024, 4, 537–562. https://doi.org/10.3390/ geographies4030029 Academic Editor: Luca Salvati Received: 25 June 2024 Revised: 20 July 2024 Accepted: 6 August 2024 Published: 13 August 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Article The Heritagescape of Kichwa People of Nizag Built upon Traditional Plant Usage along a Chimborazo Variant of the Andean Road System or Qhapaq Ñan Carlos Renato Chávez Velásquez 1 , Alba Maritza Sinaluisa Pilco 2 , Luis Felipe Lema Palaquibay 3 , Paola Alexandra Velasteguí Arévalo 3 , Juan Enrique Ureña Moreno 1 , Alden Mauro Yépez Noboa 4 , James Brandon Latimer 5 and Fausto O. Sarmiento 5, * 1 Faculty of Natural Resources, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador; renato.chavez@espoch.edu.ec (C.R.C.V.); juan.urena@espoch.edu.ec (J.E.U.M.) 2 QHAPAQ ÑAN: Research Project, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Ecuador & Investigation Institute, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador; alba.sinaluisa@espoch.edu.ec 3 External Researchers, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador; felipe_199326@hotmail.com (L.F.L.P.); paitova1984@gmail.com (P.A.V.A.) 4 Archaeology Program, Faculty of Human Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador; amyepez@puce.edu.ec 5 Neotropical Montology Collaboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; james.latimer@uga.edu * Correspondence: fsarmien@uga.edu Abstract: To document the dynamics of biocultural heritage, we studied traditional uses of plants on a segment of the Andean Road System, or Qhapaq Ñan, within the central Andes of Ecuador, home of the Kichwa community of Nizag. Here, residents preserved a rich diversity of plants within their agricultural fields, or chakra, of the Andean landscapes, upholding a culture steeped in traditional knowledge. Wild and domesticated plants are a cornerstone for the community, prompting the devel- opment of ethnobotanical management strategies with a conservation approach. The diverse plant uses aim to revalue their culture, fortify their self-identification as an indigenous community, and ensure the transmission of ancestral knowledge. This research aims to ascertain the ethnobotanical applications of this venerable community. Employing participatory action research, semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 community informants to gather ethnobotanical data on the flora applied within their territory, spanning categories such as food, agriculture, crafts, living fences, construction, fuel, ornamental, environmental, technological, and medicinal services. The findings indicate that age, rather than educational level and gender, significantly influences the variation in plant usage knowledge. In total, 142 plant species were cataloged, comprising herbs (58%), shrubs (23%), trees (15%), and climbers (4%). The most represented families were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae. Notably, 96% of these species provide some type of environmental service or fulfill a niche within the socioecological system. Medicinal uses were reported for 89% of the plants, while 56% served agricultural purposes, primarily in fertilizer production and forage. Additionally, 44% of the plants are utilized as food, typically consumed fresh. Among the medicinal plants, leaves are the most used part (58%), prepared as infusions and poultices. The prevalent ailments addressed include respiratory and urinary system conditions, with Borago officinalis, Carica pentagona, Vasconcellea pubescens, and Origanum mejorana being the most frequently employed plants. Keywords: heritagescape; ethnobotany; wild plant; Kichwa people; Qhapaq Ñan; traditional knowledge; conservation 1. Introduction From the beginning, humans have maintained close contact with plants, which has allowed them to acquire a rich collection of botanical knowledge [1]. Collecting wild Geographies 2024, 4, 537–562. https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies4030029 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geographies