Abstract
An agricultural heritage system is a special type of protected area that is both culturally and ecologically important. Biological resources are an essential component of an agricultural heritage system. They are necessary to support human livelihood, and their usage is key to ensuring biodiversity. This study used a survey questionnaire and key informant interviews to investigate the use of edible biological resources (EBRs) in the Shuangjiang Mengku ancient tea and culture system (SMATCS). We investigated similarities and differences in EBR use between four minority groups as well as the driving forces behind them. The four groups used 245 EBR species in 113 families, and diversity of EBR use was found in terms of species, edible parts, harvest season, and usage. EBR use within groups was driven by natural, cultural, social, and economic forces. Two social factors (infrastructure and communication), two economic factors (overall economic development and farmer income), and a biological resource (species diversity) drove EBR utilization in all the groups convergently, while three cultural factors drove EBR utilization divergently. To assure the long-term sustainability of EBRs, the preservation of cultural diversity should be combined with the conservation of biodiversity. Targets must be set to adjust the impacts of the driving factors, and more stakeholders must be involved in the conservation of EBRs.
Highlights
Biological resources are organisms that have direct, indirect, or potential economic and scientific value to human beings
edible biological resources (EBRs) use directly affects local biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, which are fundamental to promoting agricultural heritage
EBR use is partly driven by social–cultural factors that agricultural heritage must preserve
Summary
Biological resources are organisms that have direct, indirect, or potential economic and scientific value to human beings. They are an important natural resource [1]. Biological resources affect the natural environment [1,2,13]. Agricultural heritage is a newly recognized form of heritage. Agriculture has developed from ancient agricultural practices to form coordinated and sustainable systems full of natural, cultural, social, and economic values [18], including the FAO globally important agricultural heritage systems such as the Hani rice terraces in China, the Engaresero Maasai pastoralist heritage area in Tanzania, and Kunisaki Peninsula Usa integrated forestry, agriculture, and fisheries system in Japan
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