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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between nature and culture is conceived as a dialogue, not as a dichotomy. Sociocultural and ecological systems are linked, in which language encodes the foundations of collective knowledge in a way that is often untranslatable but inextricably links its speakers to their landscape and each other. We describe the social practices and ethnotaxonomic knowledge of traditional people living in the semi-arid south of Mendoza, Argentina (locally called puesteros) in order to understand their adaptations and resilience strategies and clarify the fundamental link between past and present traditional land use practices and cultural identity. We detail the dynamics that link inhabitants and the biophysical environment, partly because this community is threatened with exile by a large hydroelectric project. If it is built, it would significantly alter the biocultural ecosystem and reduce the cultural heritage of the puesteros. This case study combines participant observation and 12 in-depth interviews. The results show knowledge of 39 plant speciesused as construction, firewood, medicine, and toxins. The community shows a close attachment to this place, past and present, in terms of identity, cultural practices, and local knowledge of biodiversity and geographic features. Given the interaction between puesteros and the landscape, we refer to the place and interactions as an ecocultural keystone landscape. This deserves particular consideration in the face of large construction projects. • Social practices of the inhabitants of the semiarid zone of southern Argentina. • We used ethnotaxonomic knowledge of traditional puesteros. • Makes visible the link between traditional land use practices and cultural identity. • This community is threatened with exile by the construction of a dam. • This area should be a cultural keystone place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]