Indigenous Forest Knowledge (IFK) and Nature Reserve Workers’ Perceptions of IFK: A Case Study of Leigongshan National Nature Reserve, China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Indigenous forest knowledge (IFK) plays an important role in the sustainable utilization and protection of forest resources as it affects the implementation of forest management. The Leigongshan National Nature Reserve (LNNR) is located in the southeastern region of Guizhou Province, China. The Reserve plays an important role in regional ecological protection. The Miao people who have lived in Leigongshan for generations have managed the forest resources in this area for more than 1000 years and developed a unique body of forest knowledge. Thus, the study of IFK in the LNNR can be used as a starting point to improve the regional development and management of forest resources. In this study, we investigated IFK in the LNNR by interviewing 315 Miao people across 26 Miao villages. A questionnaire survey of 66 nature reserve workers (NRWs) (excluding nongovernmental employees) in the LNNR was used to record their perceptions of Miao IFK (MIFK), and the factors contributing to these perceptions were analyzed. The results show the following. First, MIFK includes mainly three layers (material culture, spiritual culture, system culture) and 11 types (such as logging and agroforestry patterns). It has distinct ecological protection characteristics and a simple sustainable development concept. With the development and transformation of the economy and society, the material culture and spiritual culture layers of MIFK have tended to decline, while the system culture layers present the characteristics of an initial decline and rapid recovery. Second, most of the NRWs have a positive attitude toward MIFK. They believe that MIFK has a positive effect on the management of forest resources in the reserve, especially the customary laws at the village level. This attitude is closely related to the implementation of an “ecological forest ranger project” and a “community comanagement model” in the LNNR. Third, logistic regression analysis revealed that the major factors influencing NRWs’ perceptions were the level of awareness of forest knowledge, participation in activities, and education of the interviewees. Finally, in forestry management, forest workers should fully respect the value of IFK, and forest workers’ knowledge of IFK should be continuously improved through various measures to ensure the effectiveness of forest management and sustainable development.