Abstract
Pachaimalais situated at the North West border of Thiruchirapalli District, the Pachaimalais (Green Hills) extend into the Salem District (Attur Pachaimalai). The traditional communities (Malayalis) derive both their socio-cultural and spiritual identity from land and forest for which a dynamic body of traditional knowledge were evolved to sustain and manage the natural resources. Looking to the importance of this dynamics, an attempt has been made to explore the knowledge and practices pertaining to livestock and natural resources management governed by traditional knowledge. To achieve the objective, the livestock owners from different ethnoculture from different villages of Pachaimalai hills, Tamilnadu were selected purposively. Various ethnographic tools, conventional methods like personal interview and participatory tools were adopted to explore and interpret the data. A range of locally available plant and other materials are widely used for curing many diseases and ailments of livestock. The indigenous biodiversity including local grasses, shrubs and trees are dynamically associated with local feeds, forages and are over all part of natural resources management of livestock owners. Still more preference is given to rear the local breeds of different livestock on account of their socio-cultural and spiritual compatibility resulting in conservation of biological diversity. The ecological diversities in which pasture lands are categorized in to private and common property and associated with customary rules and culture play a significant role in sustainable use, conservation and management of the natural resources.
Highlights
The indigenous knowledge (IK) tuned to local culture, social system, need based, tested over the centuries, dynamic in nature allow the local people to adapt to social and ecological attributes and play an important role for food security and overall enhancement of the sustainability of natural resources
Pachaimalai hills are well known for its ethnocultural diversity and role of different tribal society based institutions in natural resources management
The livestock owners and practitioners of IK belong from tribal community and resource poor classes of villagers
Summary
The indigenous knowledge (IK) tuned to local culture, social system, need based, tested over the centuries, dynamic in nature allow the local people to adapt to social and ecological attributes and play an important role for food security and overall enhancement of the sustainability of natural resources. In relation to natural resources management, various aspects of ethnoveterinary medicine, vegetation taxonomy, water and forestry resources, tenure arrangements, mobility patterns and breeding concepts have been described (Geetha et al, 1996). The local knowledge pertaining to ethnoveterinary and natural resources deals with folk belief, culture, knowledge, skills and methods and practices pertaining to the healthcare of livestock. Many IK systems and social institutions are currently at risk of extinction and threat because of rapidly changing natural environments and economic, political and cultural changes on a global scale. As they become inappropriate for new challenges or because they adapt too slowly
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