Relational Values of Mangroves Shaped by Local Narratives, Social Changes and Gender Roles: Case Study of an Oceanic Island in the Western Indian Ocean

There is a long‐standing relationship between humans and vertebrate scavengers, as scavengers' contributions take on regulating (e.g. nutrient recycling and disease control), material (e.g. competition and livestock depredation) and non‐material (e.g. sky burials and ecotourism) roles in society. A social–ecological approach to studying biodiversity is increasingly needed, since the inclusion of local perceptions and knowledge has proven critical for effective conservation programs and ecosystem management. We examine livestock farmers' perceptions and knowledge related to vertebrate scavengers in the highly diverse Chitwan‐Annapurna Landscape (Nepal) and assess the socio‐demographic traits that influence their perceived value of scavengers' ecosystem service provisioning (ESP) index, and function via scavenging services (SS). Farmers' perceptions of functional importance (SS) showed species‐specific gradation, unlike ESP, where only avian scavengers were perceived as beneficial. Our results show that the perception of scavenging as a beneficial ecosystem service and its importance as a biological function are decoupled for facultative scavengers and coupled for obligate scavengers. Relatedly, we identify that affluence‐related traits drove positive perceptions of ESP, and local ecological knowledge‐based traits were linked to increased knowledge of function via SS. Thus, this increased awareness of functional importance based on close contact with nature does not guarantee positive valuations of scavengers' contributions, whereas formal education did influence positive perceptions despite reduced awareness of function. Additionally, our findings suggest that existing environmental education measures are targeting the right groups, as these respondents coincide with lower favourability of scavengers' ecosystem services, but may be unable to overcome existing human–wildlife conflict. For the first time in South Asia, we survey relevant community stakeholder's attitudes towards an entire scavenging guild and their associated benefits, detriments and functional importance. Our study illustrates the varied perceptions that exist for different scavenger species and closely examines a wide‐ranging set of socio‐demographic traits that show disparate influences on farmers' knowledge of ecological function and perceived ecosystem service benefits. Crucially, these findings can guide conservation and management priorities by considering the differences in public perception and awareness of scavenging, as well as the interpretation of nature's contribution to people. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Fishers, scientists and policy makers need to describe, understand and “agree on” variations in fish catches caused by exploitation and climate change for effective fisheries management. To achieve this, relevant data with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution is a necessity. In regions of the Global South, such as the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), fish catch data useful for management is scarce or non-existing. Still, the potential of local ecological knowledge to provide such information has not been fully utilised in these regions. In this study, we evaluated fishers’ local ecological knowledge (based on interviews) against detailed seasonal fish catch variability data based on catch per unit effort (CPUE) records. Because of the importance of the monsoon seasons for marine resource variability, differences in fish catches during the northeast (NE) and southeast (SE) monsoon seasons were investigated. Fishers’ perceptions generally agreed with catch data records, both showing that the NE monsoon season generally provides higher catch rates than the SE monsoon season. The fishers’ perceptions at two of the landing sites (Nyamisati and Shangani) contradict the recorded observations by showing highest fish catches during the SE monsoon season. It was clear, however, that fishers’ perceptions in these two sites focused on the most valuable target species (prawn and tuna in Nyamisati and Shangani, respectively) rather than total catches. In this particular case, fishers’ perceptions facilitated the significance of taking target species into consideration. The findings of this study highlight the importance of integrating local ecological knowledge into scientific research to help understand the complex dynamics of coastal fisheries and improve the management of data-poor fisheries.

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.

Global decline in capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services

Nature's contributions to people: Weaving plural perspectives

Agroforestry landscapes in the Philippines provide benefits or ecosystem services that have traditionally and sustainably supported food production for rural communities and the protection of natural resources. However, the very continuity and sustainability of agroforestry is in question because of the rise of new generations of landscape users that can ascribe different values toward these benefits. Thus, this study highlights age-based local ecological knowledge (LEK) on these agroforestry-based ecosystem services to understand differences in the generational persistence and sources of their LEK. A structured survey was conducted with 36 youth, 36 middle-aged, and 36 elderly users of an agroforestry landscape in Libungan-Alamada Watershed in Mindanao, Philippines. This survey focused on the presence of LEK on seven provisioning and five regulating ecosystem services previously identified through multiple participatory exercises in the agroforestry landscape. Results indicated high LEK (more than 50% of knowledgeable respondents in all age groups) across all the ecosystem services, highlighting strong socialecological interdependence on the agroforestry landscape. While generational persistence of local knowledge was observed, the knowledge sources varied depending on the age group or the ecosystem service. Intergenerational transfer of knowledge was prominent for provisioning ecosystem services. However, institution-based learning was essential for regulating services (e.g., climate change mitigation), especially for the youth. Experiential learning was the primary mode of knowledge acquisition for regulating services (e.g., biodiversity conservation) for the older generations. These results provide strong evidence to help guide policy actors, decision makers, and program managers as they promote, conserve, and restore agroforestry practices, especially in production-protection landscapes such as the Libungan-Alamada Watershed. The revised policy should be based on age-targeted interventions and proper learning entry points that have been found effective in this study.

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.

Coastal villages have different characteristics from villages in rural areas. This difference is not only on the geographical-ecological aspect, but also on economic and socio-cultural characteristics. Geographically, coastal villages are on the border between land and sea. Geographical-ecological conditions of coastal villages affect economic activities in them. Economic activities in coastal villages are characterized by activities in the utilization of coastal environmental resources and services. Economic activities include fisheries, trade, maritime tourism, and transportation This study seeks to study the application of tough coastal development programs as an effort to build an oriented coastal region to facilitate the economic activities of villages in coastal areas that are expected to reduce the poverty rate of coastal communities in the middle of the city. This study uses a qualitative research design using descriptive methods that intend to explain how the phenomenon of resilient coastal village development and coastal area development as an effort to reduce the number of coastal communities in Central Java province by using purposive sampling sampling techniques and research samples taken in coastal communities The results of the north coast of Java and cilacap districts were as follows: that the implementation of the strong Coastal Village Development Program in the coastal communities of Central Java showed that the three focuses of development activities had been carried out properly. The development activities are resource development, environmental / infrastructure development, and disaster preparedness development. While activities that are not carried out are human development and business development. The recommendations given in this study are that the implementation of the program must be supported by sufficient funds, need coordination and cooperation with other stakeholders, and the need for effective monitoring and evaluation
 Keywords: program implementation, coastal village, coastal area development, Poverty, Central Java

Even though small-scale fisheries throughout the globe are based on local ecological knowledge (LEK), it is often not involved in the decision-making process. An attempt is made to review the potential of using LEK of traditional coastal fisher communities in Sri Lanka and self-governing institutions in managing fisheries commons sustainably. Fisheries management in Sri Lanka is mainly a top-down system through the state legislation, while many fishing communities still maintain some level of informal or traditional management systems. The traditional community-based fisheries management (CBFM) systems in coastal fisheries of Sri Lanka, which are essentially based on LEK of fisher communities, hold long history from several decades to centuries. In active fisheries, i.e ., beach seining and stilt fishing, traditional fishers accurately use LEK for day-to-day fishing activities for predicting harvests before operating the fishing gear. Long-term viability of beach seining, stilt fishing, brush park fishing, kraal fishing and stake net fishing systems in coastal fisheries of Sri Lanka confirms that CBFM systems in coastal fisheries provide better economic and livelihood standards for fisher communities. Empirical studies confirm that the coastal fisher communities manage fisheries commons through self-governing institutions through which the property rights are vested to fisher communities averting the common pool dilemma. This synthesis confirms that fishers’ LEK is an integral part of CBFM systems of coastal fisheries, which strengthen the collective action of the fishers, and is invaluable for sustaining the CBFM systems for the long run. It is clear that CBFM systems governed through robust customary institutions and evoked by traditional authority and LEK of fishers are vital for the sustainability of the coastal fisheries. In conclusion, CBFM systems and LEK can be hailed as smart management options, which can be an alternative to centralized fisheries management in Sri Lanka.

Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) play a crucial role in mangrove ecosystem management, restoration, and community livelihoods. Over the past decade, scholarly interest in this topic has grown, yet research remains scattered across regions and disciplines. This study employed a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications from 2014–2024, focusing on LEK/TEK in mangrove ecosystems. A total of 93 open-access articles and conference papers were identified. Results show two major research clusters: (i) ecosystem restoration, conservation, and ecosystem services, and (ii) ethnobotany and medicinal applications of mangrove species. Global publication patterns highlight Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh as leading contributors, while citation impact is distributed across both ecological and ethnobotanical studies. Despite growing attention, gaps remain in cross-regional comparisons, integration of LEK/TEK into policy, and interdisciplinary approaches bridging ecological, cultural, and governance perspectives. The findings provide a comprehensive overview of global scholarship and highlight future directions to strengthen the role of LEK/TEK in sustaining mangrove ecosystems.

Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change

The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) offers a wealth of opportunity for the profitable and beneficial use of coastal and marine resources – a prospect for a true ocean economy. These benefits are derived from a range of human activities in the coastal and marine environment. Shipping moves, by a large margin, the bulk of the goods to the region, through many of the ecosystems described in this book. The region is also a source of, amongst others, fossil fuels for the generation of energy, and minerals for manufacturing and other uses. These extractive and non-renewable resources offer substantial economic benefit, if the negative environmental and social impacts can be mitigated. Coastal land as a resource allows for development, settlement and recreation opportunities, but is also a source of biodiversity and ecosystem services. These services contribute to the wellbeing of coastal communities. Urbanisation and coastal development result in permanent conversion of this resource and often the loss of most of the freely provided ecosystem goods and services. The exploitation of WIO genetic resources is a largely unexplored opportunity for the benefit of the regional and indeed the global population. Furthermore, the attractive and desirable coastal and marine habitats of the WIO, a non-extractive and renewable resource, are the basis for a growing tourism industry in the region.

An ecological integrity assessment of a Brazilian Atlantic Forest watershed based on surveys of stream health and local farmers' perceptions: implications for management

Threats to dragonflies on land islands can be as great as those on oceanic islands

Using local ecological knowledge (LEK) to provide insight on the tuna purse seine fleets of the Indian Ocean useful for management