Forest Cover Dynamics and Socio-Ecological Drivers in the Okwangwo Division of Cross River-National Park, Nigeria (1987–2022)

Incorporating local ecological knowledge aids participatory mapping for marine conservation and customary fishing management

Context In developing countries, fish data might be lacking and expensive to collect. Fisher’s local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been identified as important to complement scientific data gaps. However, consensus and divergences between both methods have not been extensively studied. Aims This paper compares local fishers’ LEK and scientifically sampled data on fish species composition, ecological preferences, and wellbeing in the Lower Komati River, South Africa. Methods Key informant interviews (n = 6), field tracking (n = 5) and participatory mapping (n = 22) were undertaken to capture fishers’ LEK and produce maps showing fishing points. Two science-led fish surveys in six sites were also undertaken between August 2019 and December 2019 by using an electrofishing method. Key results The fishers’ LEK and survey data showed similar patterns of occurrence of Micralestes acutidens, Coptodon rendalli, Oreochromis mossambicus and Labeo cylindricus. Comparing fishers’ catch estimates and survey catch showed that there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) in abundance on the two most sampled species by using ANOVA. Conclusion Differences between the two methods were observed in assessing the river and fish’s wellbeing. Implication The similarities and differences were identified as opportunities for small-scale fisheries and scientists to co-identify ecosystem management strategies that are congruent to the local environment.

An integrative and participatory coastal habitat mapping framework for sustainable development actions in the United Arab Emirates

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is increasingly being recognized as a valuable component of ecological modeling, including in the creation of species distribution models (SDMs). SDMs are used to make inferences about the distribution of suitable habitat for species of interest and can provide valuable information about the occurrence of these species. However, data and monitoring limitations can be especially pronounced in remote areas, creating a need for affordable, reliable, and timely information. In fisheries studies, incorporating LEK from fishers may be a valuable way to fill data gaps in predicting fish species occurrence over spatiotemporal scales and can be useful for marine spatial planning. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal and biophysical characteristics of a billfish fishery in Costa Rica through a mixed methods approach combining satellite tracking data of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) and sport fisher LEK elicited through semi-structured interviews and participatory mapping. To compare these two methods for understanding billfish distribution, we created SDMs using either satellite tag data or LEK participatory maps for billfish occurrences and examined the environmental profiles within the satellite tracking and participatory map locations. Overall, we found that although participatory mapping of fishing grounds is confined by distance to shore, the fisher-mapped sailfish and blue marlin niches provide valuable fine-scale near-shore data and overlap with several spatial and environmental features revealed by satellite tracking data. From this case study, we suggest important considerations when incorporating LEK and other ecological monitoring methods for ecological modeling and marine management. Our findings provide a social-ecological perspective of the Costa Rican billfish fishery while demonstrating the potential of fisher knowledge to help address data gaps and complement satellite tracking data in spatiotemporal modeling of economically and ecologically important billfish, with implications for data-poor fisheries worldwide.

Local ecological knowledge indicators for wild plant management: Autonomous local monitoring in Prespa, Albania

Increasing human activities around protected area pinpoint to looming degradation and alteration of the component of such areas, especially where adequate measures are not taken to forestall encroachment. The Oban division of the Cross River National Park is one of the oldest rainforests and has been identified as a biodiversity hotspot. However, communities settling around the park have been involved in some economic activities for their livelihood. Resource utilization at the edge of the park may alter the components of the park such as species diversity. Therefore this study is geared towards assessing the impact of human encroachment and the concomitant impact on the distribution of species within the park. The study adopted participatory research methods which included Focus Group Discussion and participatory mapping as well as a plot based survey which involved the laying of sample plots within two zones of the park designated as areas bounded by cultivated land and areas bounded by fallow. Three 40 m × 40 m square plots are laid along a 320 meter transect measured from the boundary of the park at each buffer zone. The plots are separated by 100 m gap. From the result obtained, it is discovered that Musanga cercropoides dominates the outer plots of the cultivated zones and fallow zones comprising 20.2 and 21.5 percent respectively while Terminalia ivorensis dominates the middle and inner areas of the park. Moreover the composition of species decreases inward to the inner part of the park. Diversity index decreases in the order of 2.566 < 2.348 < 2.163 at the cultivated zones and 2.443 < 2.376 < 2.366 at the fallow zones. It is concluded that human activities close to the park alters the species composition of the park. Hence, it’s recommended that adequate alternatives livelihood and incentive be provided to support zone communities to reduce their dependents on the edge of the park.

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) plays an important role in how forest ecosystem services (FES) are used, valued, and managed; however, how LEK and FES perceptions vary along a forest proximity gradient remains poorly understood in the dry Afromontane Forest landscapes in Ethiopia. This study aims to understand how forest proximity and household socio-economic conditions influence local ecological knowledge, forest ecosystem service perceptions, and conservation–livelihood trade-offs, with implications for forest management in the Menagesha Suba forest, central Ethiopia. We surveyed 194 households across six kebeles located inside, adjacent to, and outside the forest, complemented by focus group discussions and key informants’ interviews. Multivariate and regression-based analyses were used to assess spatial and socio-economic patterns in FES perceptions and dependence. Respondents identified 17 FES, including provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, with provisioning services dominating both recognition and use across all proximity groups. Forest proximity significantly influences perceived FES composition and availability (PERMANOVA: R2 = 0.106, p = 0.001). Households living closer to the forest reported higher dependence on provisioning services and greater exposure to conservation-related trade-offs, including wildlife-related crop damage and displacement concerns. Perceptions of forest cover decline, reduced FES availability, and increasing climate variability were widely reported and varied with age, household size, wealth status, and forest proximity. Across all groups, agricultural expansion, grazing pressure, fuelwood extraction, and settlement encroachment were identified as key threats of environmental change. Despite these pressures, households across all proximity gradients expressed strong support for reforestation, community-based forest management, and improved access to non-biomass energy sources. Overall, LEK and perceptions of FES vary across social contexts and proximity gradients. Recognizing social and spatial differences in LEK and FES use is important for designing inclusive forest management approaches that reduce livelihood conflicts and strengthen adaptive management in Menagesha Suba forest landscapes and other similar forest-people systems.

Local ecological knowledge (LEK), cultivated through direct interactions of human communities with their environment, has the potential to utilize customary practices to implement sustainable forest management effectively. Documentation of LEK and farming practices of agroforestry farmers could provide an avenue for preserving forest resources without compromising their forest-dependent livelihoods. This research aimed to identify how the LEK of the Barangay Lalakay agroforestry farmers in Los Baños influences their farming practices in their portion of the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR). This was done through participatory mapping activities, which are integrated in household interviews and a focus group discussion, along with key informant interviews involving relevant stakeholders. The data gathered were then analyzed through thematic analysis, and a thematic LEK map was generated based on the findings. At the end of the study, findings show that the LEK of the agroforestry farmers in Barangay Lalakay is influenced by a multitude of factors, including Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME) technical training sessions, direct interaction with the environment, intergenerational transmission, economic optimization, local innovation, and the history of the community’s settlement in the area. They were also able to demonstrate their ability to adapt to the changing environment through the development of farming system innovations, such as the diversification of crop selections. These innovations are aided by the training sessions provided by MCME, which show the potential for the academic community to enhance LEK. These findings show that integrating LEK in forest land use planning demonstrates a participatory approach in integrated forest management.

Successful long-term conservation relies on strategic planning for pragmatic actions to mitigate threats. Prioritizing actions and areas to support conservation goals in the most cost-effective scenario becomes crucial in resource-limited environments. However, planning and management can be challenging in data-limited contexts. Incorporating local ecological knowledge (LEK) into conservation planning is an underexplored method of addressing these knowledge gaps. We utilized systematic conservation planning to identify key sites for seahorse threat management in a complex social-ecological system in a protected area. Through participatory mapping and interviews with artisanal fishers, we gathered insights about seahorses, threats to them, and their socioeconomic significance for the local community. We compared LEK-derived seahorse conservation priorities with spatial priorities identified using Marxan and with LEK-derived and science-derived data to explore LEK's contribution to spatial planning for a data-poor species and to explore different seahorse threat management scenarios. The LEK-derived and science-derived seahorse abundance Marxan scenarios had a strong spatial agreement, emphasizing LEK's role in conservation planning. Furthermore, LEK-derived data filled key data gaps on the distribution and nature of water-based threats. Threat management scenarios for land and water-based threat management had distinct spatial patterns. Incorporating LEK into decision-making empowered local communities and thus fostered community-based management. These findings offer insights into conservation planning in data-deficient scenarios and can aid decision makers and local stakeholders in inclusive conservation strategies. Our results identified priorities for seahorse conservation in the Rio Formoso Estuary and our methods offer a transferable approach for participatory and interdisciplinary planning, which are essential for biodiversity conservation and livelihoods maintenance.

The management of protected areas worldwide has demonstrated undesirable side-effects in achieving conservation objectives and development objectives. This is in part due to simplified assumptions about human environmental relationships. The social-ecological systems (SESs) way of thinking, that considers the multi-dimensional relationships between people and their environments, provides a way to bridge this gap. A common problem in management of protected areas is that local peoples, who have relied on that environment for livelihoods, are often displaced in the interests of conservation. Little is known about the consequences for the people, or the SES. This thesis examines the case of Cat Ba Island in Vietnam. Cat Ba National Park was established in 1986 and then the Cat Ba Archipelago was recognized as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 2004, with the Cat Ba National Park forming the core area. The two main major objectives of the thesis are (1) to trace the dynamics of forest social ecological systems in Cat Ba Island, before and after declaration of the protected areas, focusing on linkages of local ecological knowledge and local livelihoods; and (2), to explore the implications for conservation and development of the forest social-ecological systems, focussing on livelihood change. The research was guided by a social ecological systems framework, and employed a nested case study approach focusing on three forest dependent communes within the overall case of Cat Ba Island. The data collection was qualitative, using interviews, participant observation and participatory rural appraisal techniques in each commune under investigation. The research shows that the forest social ecological systems are dynamic, and have undergone a transition over several decades from local people having unimpeded access for natural resource exploitation in the forests, to biodiversity conservation combined with new sources of livelihood external to the forests. There are many key drivers of changes in the three study communes including social, political, economic and environmental factors at various scales such as the innovation policy or “Đổi mới” policy (national), establishment of Cat Ba National Park (under national policy) and Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve (under an international program), introduction of integrated conservation and development projects (by international NGOs and the Vietnamese government), tourism development, and infrastructure development. The SES analysis allows us to learn from past experiences for future responses and opportunities to reconcile conservation and development objectives more effectively.

Introduction Mountain ecosystems are particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate change, which, in turn, affect the wellbeing of local populations. In this context, the sustainable use of ecosystem services is crucial to supporting the social and economic welfare of Andean communities in South America. The development of local ecological knowledge has facilitated both environmental adaptation and strengthened environmental awareness. Particularly, the qocha , an ancestral water-related agricultural technology, provides hydro-social value, and represents a local climate-change adaptation measure, however their ecosystem services valuation has not been integrally performed. Thus, we aimed to map and assess the perceived services associated with Yuyuchaqocha, a small reservoir managed by a high-Andean community characterized by pronounced economic poverty. Methods The methodology included semi-structured interviews with key informants, participatory mapping, and field observation. The participatory process involved the community, municipal, and technical stakeholders operating within the study area. The economic valuation was done by contingent valuation, market prices, and travel cost methods. Results The results revealed that local inhabitants recognized 10 ecosystem services (five provisioning services and five cultural services), primarily concentrated along its shores. The total local perceived value of these services was estimated at USD 10,104.97, benefiting the rural communities of Huanupampa and Totos. Among the cultural services, those related to community organization, species conservation, and the pagapu celebration had the highest economic values. Discussions Disseminating the results at various organizational levels would foster the integration of the local worldview into management plans, contributing to their legitimacy and sustainability, and promoting the involvement of institutions engaged in the intervention of mountain water socio-ecosystems. In this regard, integrating local ecological knowledge with ecosystem services valuation can be replicated or adapted in other regions.

Mangroves provide multiple ecosystem services to coastal communities and their fisheries. In the Galapagos, mangroves have been primarily prized for their role as nursery grounds; though, the importance of cultural benefits, including the development of knowledge systems among fishers, needs to be further explored. Fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been employed in the past to answer questions about the marine environment; not yet about mangroves. In such regard, this ethnoecological approach can contribute to unveil mangrove habitat-dependence relationships among fishery taxa across the life cycle, connectivity among habitats, and productivity spatial patterns across the archipelago. To access fishers’ LEK, we conducted 35 semi-structured interviews and 2 facilitated community workshops comprising 3 activities. A photo-elicitation method allowed us to extract values given to mangroves (i.e., ecosystem services), from which indirect use values were considered more relevant for fisheries. As such, the accumulation of LEK might have been crucial for the establishment of these values among fishers. By using a species-habitat association method, we revealed a high perceived connectivity between mangroves and other coastal and marine habitats in the Galapagos. Although this suggests an overall weak dependence to the ecosystem, fishers’ anecdotes allowed us to recognize novel species occurrences and exclusive habitat uses (e.g., spawning inCentropomus viridis). By applying Social Network Analysis to species-habitat association results, we learned that certain migratory commercial species (e.g.,Lutjanus argentiventris,Seriola rivoliana) might constitute critical links in marine trophic webs and across seascapes. Finally, through scoring and participatory mapping methods, we revealed the prominence of western islands’ mangroves for fishery productivity, which were linked to biophysical attributes, like forest canopy and freshwater. Yet, other locations in central and southeastern islands might also be important, as they hold similar attributes. Interviews to other mangrove users (e.g., naturalist guides, park rangers, scientists; N = 33), and past scientific studies allowed us to triangulate LEK and to find complementarity among knowledge sources. Despite having an explorative focus, our work already showcases the potential of fishers’ LEK in improving mangrove research in the Galapagos, and the arising opportunities for ecosystem-based fisheries management and mangrove protection.

The health status of Quaternary red soil is a comprehensive reflection of the production and ecological service functions, which directly affects agricultural productivity and ecosystem sustainability. Based on the Cornell Soil Health Assessment (CASH) system frame, a health evaluation system for Quaternary red soils was established including the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological indicators. The soil’s health status under different land use patterns (the buried Quaternary red soil, sparse forest and grassland, grassland, woodland, and arable land) was systematically diagnosed in the low hilly region of western Liaoning Province. The results showed significant differences in the soil health comprehensive index of the Quaternary red soils under different land use patterns (the whole soil), presenting a trend of woodland (0.64) &gt; arable land (0.61) &gt; grassland (0.49) &gt; sparse forest and grassland (0.37) &gt; buried Quaternary red soils (0.33). The woodland and arable land are at a healthy level, the grassland and sparse forest and grassland are at a sub-healthy level, and the buried Quaternary red soil is at an unhealthy level. The health status of the topsoil layer (A) under different land use patterns has a trend of woodland (0.86) &gt; arable land (0.73) &gt; grassland (0.70) &gt; sparse forest and grassland (0.67). This is consistent with the overall health status of the profile, better than that of subsoil layer (B), which presents a trend of arable land (0.41) &gt; grassland (0.40) &gt; woodland (0.38) &gt; sparse forest and grassland (0.34), with relatively poor soil health conditions. Overall, the soil health status of the four land use patterns is better than that of the buried Quaternary red soils, showing an evolution trend towards healthy soil. This indicates that at this stage, human land use activities have to some extent promoted the healthy development of Quaternary red soils. The Quaternary red soils of the woodland have a healthy status, and the land use pattern is suitable and can be scientifically recommended in low mountain and hilly areas.

Integrating remote sensing and local ecological knowledge to monitor rangeland dynamics

Epistemic justice and the integration of local ecological knowledge for marine conservation: Lessons from the Seychelles