Abstract
BackgroundLocal ecological knowledge (LEK) has been discussed in terms of its similarities to and its potential to complement normative scientific knowledge. In this study, we compared the knowledge of a Brazilian quilombola population regarding the habitat use and life habits of large mammals with in situ recordings of the species. We also tested the hypothesis that quilombola LEK has a special focus on the anthropogenic portion of the landscape.MethodsThe habitats investigated were anthropogenic secondary forests and mature forests in the southeastern Atlantic coast of Brazil. We conducted the faunal survey using the camera-trap method. The sampling effort consisted of deploying 1,217 cameras/day in the mature forests and 1,189 cameras/day in the secondary forests. Statistical comparisons regarding the habitat use of the species were based on the randomization procedure. We interviewed 36 men who were more than 40 years old in the three communities studied. Informal, semi-structured and structured interviews were used. Two variables were considered in the LEK analyses: level of internal agreement and level of convergence with the scientific data.ResultsThe camera trap sampling resulted in a total of 981 records. Animals such as opossums, tayras, armadillos and deer showed a non-selective pattern in the use of habitats. In contrast, the coati was more common in mature forests. We found that nearly 40% of the interviewees’ responses converged with the scientific data on the use of habitats. However, the LEK on the species’ life habits was highly convergent with the scientific data. The hypothesis that secondary forests would have a greater relevance for local knowledge was validated for four of the five analyzed species.ConclusionsWe suggest two principal considerations of ecological and ethnoecological interest: (1) In the Atlantic Forest of the Ribeira Valley, the secondary forests resulting from shifting cultivation were as attractive to the species as the mature forests; (2) The LEK has a special focus on the more anthropogenic portion of the landscape studied. Finally, we argue that this environmental focus in LEK is part of what makes it different from scientific knowledge and unique in its approach toward local environments.
Highlights
Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been discussed in terms of its similarities to and its potential to complement normative scientific knowledge
We gained 981 records of medium- and large-bodied mammals distributed in the mature forests (MF), mosaic of capoeiras (MC) and other capoeiras
Based on the results reported we introduce some considerations of both ecological and ethnoecological interest: (1) in situ recording of large-bodied mammals still represents a challenge for ecologists and zoologists given the difficulties in recording that fauna group; (2) for four of the five species analyzed, the anthropogenic context of the landscape—formed by capoeiras at different stages of re-growth—was as attractive as the mature forest environment; (3) the local knowledge of the species’ life habits was consensual and highly convergent with the scientific data, while that involving habitat use showed higher divergence among the interviewees
Summary
Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been discussed in terms of its similarities to and its potential to complement normative scientific knowledge. We compared the knowledge of a Brazilian quilombola population regarding the habitat use and life habits of large mammals with in situ recordings of the species. The similarities and potential complementarity between local and scientific knowledge are recognized in various fields of biology and ecology [2,3,4,5]. Studies that explicitly compare LEK and ecological research on patterns of space use and abundance of vertebrate species have focused primarily on fish [12,13,14,15,16] and birds [17,18,19]. Only the caribou (Rangifer tarandus) [20] and the artic fox (Vulpes lagopus) [19] have been the focus of such studies
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