Ethnophycology and Ethnomycology: Two Fields of Study with Great Potential

Algae and fungi play important practical and symbolic roles within societies since ancient times. However, ethnophycology and ethnomycology are relatively new fields of study within ethnobiology and relatively poorly developed in many regions, including Argentina. This article introduces a general brief presentation of these disciplines, as a basis for future research and for contributing to identify unexplored areas of greater interest for ethnobiology, especially for Argentina. For this, we present a quick review of their origins and definitions, mention some examples from worldwide to illustrate their importance within different cultures, and highlight the situation of these disciplines in Argentina by 2022, identifying advances, challenges, and unexplored areas. We argue that some factors, such as that many ecoregions are not the most favorable for the presence of algae and/or fungi or that ethnobiologists don’t receive much training and/or do not get interested in these topics during their undergraduate formation, may be contributing to the scarce development of these fields in Argentina. Delving into these areas will enrich ethnobiology and may also contribute to increase biocultural diversity and conservation. We hope this contribution will encourage ethnobiologists to conduct research within these fields.