Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Rural Communities in Areas of a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Serra do Cipó, Brazil

Abstract

Understanding the value of biodiversity through interdisciplinary scientic research is one tool for mitigating the looming environmental crisis (Leff 2006; Hissa 2008). In this sense, ethnobotany, the study of relationships between humankind and plants can substantially contribute to overcoming the environmental crisis (Alcorn 1995; Albuquerque 2005; Oliveira et al. 2009). Ethnobotany lies by denition within the ethnosciences eld and seeks to build a fruitful dialog between empirical knowledge coming from local communities and connect it to traditional livelihoods and academic scientic knowledge (Blaikie et al. 1997; Berkes 2008). From this dialog, it is possible to build a new hybrid knowledge closer to sociobiodiversity (Sillitoe 2009). The knowledge of rural and traditional communities about their environment is not restricted to the utilitarian character of plant species but also encompasses their distribution in space and time as well as the interactions established with the local fauna (e.g., pollinators). This traditional ecological knowledge, in addition to being an important tool for conservation policies, is the basis for maintaining the livelihoods and cultural diversity of rural and traditional communities. Thus, communities and traditional knowledge have played an essential role in the conservation debate to achieve alternative development models and promote sociobiodiversity.