Opportunities to utilize traditional phenological knowledge to support adaptive management of social-ecological systems vulnerable to changes in climate and fire regimes

Christopher A Armatas,Brooke B Mcbride,Alan E Watson,Steve J Carver,Tyron J Venn

doi:10.5751/es-07905-210116

Abstract

Armatas, C. A., T. J. Venn, B. B. McBride, A. E. Watson, and S. J. Carver. 2016. Opportunities to utilize traditional phenological knowledge to support adaptive management of social-ecological systems vulnerable to changes in climate and fire regimes. Ecology and Society 21(1):16.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-07905-210116

Highlights

There is broad agreement, though not consensus, that fire regimes in dry, low-elevation forests in the western United States, which are often dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), are significantly different from historic fire regimes because human interventions, such as fire suppression and cessation of indigenous burning have replaced frequent, low-severity fires with relatively infrequent fires of greater severity (Keane et al 2002, Schoennagel et al 2004, Stephens et al 2013, Williams 2013)
We advocate the integration of traditional phenological knowledge (TPK), a subset of indigenous knowledge (IK), and highlight opportunities for this knowledge to support policy and practice of adaptive management with reference to policy and practice of adapting to uncharacteristic fire regimes and climate change in the western United States
Indigenous peoples have a wealth of place-based traditional phenological knowledge (TPK) that is based on empirical observations gathered over hundreds to thousands of years, and intervention in the environment that is grounded in norms of respect and reciprocity

Summary

Introduction

There is broad agreement, though not consensus, that fire regimes in dry, low-elevation forests in the western United States, which are often dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), are significantly different from historic fire regimes because human interventions, such as fire suppression and cessation of indigenous burning have replaced frequent, low-severity fires with relatively infrequent fires of greater severity (Keane et al 2002, Schoennagel et al 2004, Stephens et al 2013, Williams 2013). In addition to changed fire regimes, climate change and associated effects, such as increased weather variability, e.g., the occurrence of extreme temperature and precipitation events, and shifting seasonal events, e.g., timing of spring river runoff, have led to a decline in the integrity of many ecosystems in the western United States (Romero-Lankao et al 2014) Together, these changes pose a threat to the capacity of social-ecological systems (SES) to provide important benefits to humans (Keane et al 2002, Venn and Calkin 2011, Armatas 2013, Romero-Lankao et al 2014). There is some concern that IK may not be as reliable in the face of rapid climate change and increased uncertainty, proponents of IK for improved adaptation and increased resilience of SESs in uncertain times stress that the benefit is derived less from a specific piece of knowledge, and more from the hyperawareness gained through the knowledge-development process, and the inherent worldview that fosters a responsibility to treat the environment more like a relative than resource (Ford et al 2007, Nakashima et al 2012, Wildcat 2013)

Objectives

Conclusion