Application Of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Research Articles

Integration of Indigenous Research Methodologies, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and molecular scatology in an assessment of mesocarnivore presence, diet and habitat use on Yurok Ancestral Lands.

Partnerships between Tribes and researchers in wildlife monitoring and application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) have taken a variety of forms, and some scholars have noted a need for culturally sensitive approaches. Guided by Indigenous Research Methodologies, this research is coupled with Yurok TEK, or hlkelonah 'ue-megetohl ('to take care of the earth'), enabling an applied, culturally sensitive approach in partnership with the Yurok Tribe. We present results from a molecular scatology study of wildlife within the ancestral territory of the Yurok Tribe. Scats were collected opportunistically on road transects. All samples (N = 132) were analysed via DNA barcoding and results matched to documented 'Oohl 'we-toh (Yurok language) names to determine the depositor species (N = 8). Though there were four focal mesocarnivore species in our study, only bobcat (Chmuuek; Lynx rufus) and gray fox (Wergers; Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were detected as depositor species. Post hoc analyses were conducted to explore distribution, habitat use and selection in a use-availability context, and food habits of these two species. We found almost complete separation of bobcat and gray fox use of transects, as well as indication of partitioning of vegetation cover types and food. We demonstrate an integrated framework of Western and Indigenous sciences that allows the Indigenous researcher to transcend structured academic disciplinary boundaries. Our approach can be modified for partnerships between Tribes, agencies, academics and students for wildlife monitoring in broader geographic regions in various research applications.

Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge to Understand the Diversity and Abundance of Culturally Important Trees

Combining Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with scientific research holds promise for more effectively meeting community objectives for the conservation of cultural forest resources. Our study focuses on predicting the abundance of western redcedar trees ( Thuja plicata) within the traditional territories of five Indigenous Nations that are part of the Nanwakolas Council in British Columbia, Canada. Indigenous people in this region use western redcedar extensively for cultural practices, such as carving dugout canoes, totem poles, and traditional buildings. However, after more than a century of industrial logging, the abundance of redcedar suitable for these types of practices is in decline and no longer reflects past baseline conditions. We assess how using TEK from interviews with Indigenous carvers refines predictions of resource abundance compared to using only conventional field surveys. Our findings reveal that western redcedar trees suitable for traditional carving are generally rare, and that some important growth forms, such as those associated with carving community canoes, are nearly extirpated from the landscape. We demonstrate a useful application of TEK in conservation planning and highlight concerns about the impact of industrial forestry on culturally important trees.

Challenges during the execution, results, and monitoring phases of ecological restoration: Learning from a country-wide assessment.

Outcomes from restoration projects are often difficult for policymakers and stakeholders to assess, but this information is fundamental for scaling up ecological restoration actions. We evaluated technical aspects of the interventions, results (ecological and socio-economic) and monitoring practices in 75 restoration projects in Mexico using a digital survey composed of 137 questions. We found that restoration projects in terrestrial ecosystems generally relied on actions included in minimal (97%) and maximal (86%) intervention, while in wetlands, the preferred restoration strategies were intermediate (75%) and minimal intervention (63%). Only a third of the projects (38%) relied on collective learning as a source of knowledge to generate techniques (traditional management). In most of the projects (73%), multiple criteria (>2) were considered when selecting plant species for plantings; the most frequently used criterion was that plant species were found within the restoration area, native or naturalized (i.e., a circa situm criterion; 88%). In 48% of the projects, the biological material required for restoration (e.g., seeds and seedlings) were gathered or propagated by project implementers rather than purchased commercially. Only a few projects (between 33 and 34%) reached a high level of biodiversity recovery (>75%). Most of the projects (between 69 to71%) recovered less than 50% of the ecological services. Most of the projects (82%) led to improved individual relationships. The analysis revealed a need to implement strategies that are cost-effective, the application of traditional ecological knowledge and the inclusion of indigenous people and local communities in restoration programs at all stages—from planning to implementation, through monitoring. We also identified the need to expand research to develop effective tools to assess ecosystems’ regeneration potential and develop theoretical frameworks to move beyond short-term markers to set and achieve medium- and long-term goals. Cautious and comprehensive planning of national strategies must consider the abovementioned identified gaps.

Application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Food and Water Security in the Semi-Arid Turkana County, Kenya

Weather extremes negatively affect socioeconomic developments in arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) and increase vulnerability of residents to food and water insecurity. Thus, communities adapt to such extremes of weather using Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and/or Modern Technologies. Modern farming technologies and land resource developments in ASALs have in past ignored TEK, and in most cases led to undesired outcomes. It’s against this backdrop that this study was conceived to assess TEK among the Turkana people, its application and contribution to food and water security. The research adopted a cross-sectional social survey in collecting data from Central Turkana Sub-County residents. The study revealed that the Turkana people possess vast knowledge related to their environment; that this TEK plays a significant role in food production, preservation and in natural resource management. For instance, in 82% of the respondents use TEK in enhancing livestock production through the selection of livestock species that are suitable and drought tolerant; over 70% of them use TEK in reducing risk associated with livestock losses due to prolonged droughts. Further, TEK influenced the development and conservation of the water resources (r = 0.631; p < 0.01) including siting boreholes and wells. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.755; p < 0.01) between TEK and food security. TEK should be incorporated into the decision-making processes involving development projects within the ASALs.

Tourism and cultural commons in the Ecuadorian Amazon

ABSTRACTTourism is among the largest global market forces driving both environmental and sociocultural change, and indigenous peoples residing in biodiverse regions are particularly vulnerable to this change. As indigenous people engage with global markets, questions arise regarding how different forms of tourism privilege particular indigenous knowledge, and how local communities proactively leverage their knowledge to improve the social and environmental outcomes of tourism. The aim of this ethnographic case study in the region around Misahuallí, Ecuador is to provide a thick description of the tourism-related social, cultural, and environmental changes being faced by this indigenous community, itself a microcosm of the challenges being faced by indigenous communities across the globe. Common pool resource theory and the concepts of subtractability and non-excludability are invoked to analyze the ways that tourism influences the management of traditional cultural knowledge, and alternatively, how this knowledge influences the ways that tourism manifests in the local community. This novel application of traditional ecological knowledge and common pool resource theory to tourism research provides a critical link between these theories, and it extends existing analyses of tourism’s influence on common pool environmental resources to common pool cultural resources, in this case, traditional knowledge in Kichwa communities.

Traditional ecological knowledge and flood risk management: A preliminary case study of the Rwenzori.

The shift from flood protection to flood risk management, together with recent arguments on incorporating culture in managing risk, underscores the application of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in managing disasters from flood hazards. Yet, documentation and incorporation of TEK into practice remains a challenge. This article contributes to addressing this challenge by exploring the existence of TEK to flooding in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from residents of the Nyamwamba watershed where intense flash floods caused deadly impacts in May 2013. Collected data were analysed using content, thematic and interpretive analysis techniques. Results indicate that TEK is exhibited through various traditional ecological approaches (TEAs). Although endangered, TEAs (conducted through collective action for a communally accepted end) are framed in three main activities: (1) assessment and prediction of rainfall and flood by the traditional hydro-meteorologist (diviner) and the traditional rain forecaster (rainmaker); (2) the mountain cleansing ritual (which act as flood risk awareness platform); and (3) immunising riverine communities through planting certain indigenous plants, which improve hydrological systems through their high conservation value for native ecological diversity. As most TEAs are conducted through collective action, they represent a platform to understand local capacities and enhance adoption of measures, and/or a source of knowledge for new measures to address flood risk. Therefore, full-scale investigations of these TEAs, determining how relevant TEAs are fine-tuned, and (scientific) measures enculturated based on fine-tuned TEAs could result in effective flood risk management in various flood hotspots where TEAs influence action.

The Application of Citizen Science Approach in an Ichthyofaunal Survey at Tagal Sites in Upper Moyog River, Sabah, East Malaysia

This study explores and describes the effects of citizen science and the application of traditional ecological knowledge in data collection. A monthly survey of 10m transact were conducted in Kibunut Bawah and Notoruss tagal sites during the period of February to May 2016 to determine the fish species composition for setting the biological baselines for river monitoring purposes. A total of 279 individuals representing 8 species from 3 families were recorded and the dominant species was Tor tambra. Shannon Index of Diversity (H’) in Kibunut Bawah and Notoruss was 0.747 and 0.825 respectively. Deeper waters were found to host higher abundance. Local participants’ familiarity with local habitats and species were the key factors that influenced the sampling results. Some site observations and community responses are also discussed to guide future studies.

The effects of indigenous prescribed fire on riparian vegetation in central California

Introduction: Fire has a long history, but little documented role, as a process in riparian ecosystems. For millennia California Indians have applied fire to riparian ecosystems for a variety of purposes, but the effects of such fires on riparian vegetation are poorly known outside of traditional knowledge structures of indigenous communities. Methods: This study involved the seasonal application of fire based on traditional ecological knowledge versus alternate burn methods to assess fire effects on riparian vegetation in central California. Results: While the annual variation amongst treatments was not significant, the results of this study suggest that fall burns support higher overall richness and native species richness; spring burns yield a decrease in overall richness, but an increase in native species richness; and summer burns contribute to an initial decline in overall and native species richness. The evenness indices of treatments increase most with spring and summer burning. Conclusion: These findings are key to understanding the seasonal role of fire in managing native species in areas prone to non-native or other invasive species. This research demonstrates the application of traditional ecological knowledge to facilitate an understanding of how prescribed fire could aid in the management and conservation of riparian ecosystems.

Tribal-Federal Collaboration in Resource Management

The increase in collaborative projects involving American Indian tribes and natural resource management agencies in the United States reflects two emergent trends: 1) the use of collaborative approaches between agencies and groups in managing natural resources; and 2) the concurrent increased recognition of American Indian rights, institutionalization of consultation processes, and a general movement of Indian self-determination. This article focuses on institutional mechanisms that bring together tribes and natural resource management agencies in collaborative processes to achieve mutually desired resource management objectives. Using qualitative analysis of data from ten collaborative projects across the United States, we identify attributes of collaborative arrangements emerging from tribal–federal collaboration: decision-making authority; transfer of funds from agency to the tribe(s); the level of mutual dependency; the sharing or transfer of various forms of knowledge, including scientific and cultural; and responsibility for conducting management field work. Examining the similarities and differences across the attributes, we characterize the projects into five types (co-management, contractual, cooperative, working relationship, and conservation easement), and find that considerable variation exists in the forms and functions of tribal–federal collaborative arrangements. We explore two types of collaborative arrangements in more depth to better understand what factors influence the integration of traditional ecological knowledge. Comparing gray wolf (Canis lupus) recovery in Idaho and forest restoration in northern California, we find that traditional ecological knowledge was a key factor in initiating both collaborative projects, but also that the application of traditional ecological knowledge on-the-ground differed. Donoghue et al. / Tribal–Federal Collaboration Forests (Lesko and Thakali 2001), the Navajo hogan project (KenCairn 2002), and Yakama Nation huckleberry management on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (Fisher 1997). Contracts, memoranda of understanding, and partnership agreements define the collaborative processes and rules for many types of natural resource projects. Although mechanisms provide structure to collaboration, many aspects of stakeholder participation are not formally defined, including how mutual objectives are identified, how information is shared, how work is done on-the-ground, how financial and human resources are used, and how knowledge is respected, shared and transferred. Norms and culture shape the roles and responsibilities of participants in collaborative processes. Resource management agencies have rules and procedures and a culture of management; American Indians have distinct norms, beliefs, values and traditions related to the environment and resource management. Although there are many definitions and forms of traditional ecological knowledge, for many American Indian tribes, traditional ecological knowledge is the reflection of cultural norms and practices that influence how tribal members steward and coexist in natural environments. Traditional ecological knowledge is important in collaborative arrangements because it brings other forms of knowledge and practice to solve resource management problems, and creates opportunities for mutual learning and building respect for different ways of knowing. Given that these collaborative arrangements tend to explicitly define roles and responsibilities, this research asks the question to what extent do formal institutions, such as contracts and partnership agreements, limit or facilitate the integration of traditional ecological knowledge in collaborative resource management projects? And, does this vary depending on the type of institutional arrangement that governs the col-

The Past, Present, and Future of Traditional Resource and Environmental Management

We live in a world where biological and cultural diversity are being lost at dizzying rates. As ethnobiologists we know that losses of diversity in both of these realms are inextricably intertwined. The loss of habitats and species, in combination with a plethora of socio-political factors, prevents local and indigenous peoples from interacting with their surrounding environments in traditional ways (e.g., Deur, Turner et al., Weiser and Lepofsky this volume). Traditional practices are important not just because they are often efficient or sustainable ways to harvest and tend economically important resources, but because, for many peoples, these traditional practices are inseparably linked to cultural heritage and cultural survival. Understanding and documenting these practices also can be critical for modern conservation efforts since they often rely on understanding how ecosystems functioned in non-industrial settings, the role of humans in modifying environments, or how human-environmental interactions changed through time and space (e.g., Heckenberger et al. 2003; Pauly 2001; Weiser and Lepofsky this volume). Given that humans had a hand in modifying most landscapes worldwide, understanding the role of humans in ecosystem history is a fundamental first step in managing ecosystems today. This volume arose out of the awareness that 1) there is a welded link between cultural and biological preservation, and 2) there can be considerable benefit in bringing together the ecological knowledge and practice of local and indigenous peoples with current efforts to understand, manage, and conserve today’s ecosystems (e.g., Frazier 2007; Johnson et al. 2005; Lertzman this volume; Lyman and Cannon 2004; Willis et al. 2004). The authors in this volume bring together these topics by examining past, present and future human-environmental interactions that fall under the rubric ‘‘traditional resource and environmental management’’ (TREM; Fowler and Lepofsky in press). Following the lead of others, Kay Fowler and I define TREM as ‘‘the application of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to maintain or enhance the productivity, diversity, availability, or other desired qualities of natural resources or ecosystems’’. The term traditional here means the knowledge and practice that are passed down inter-generationally. There is nothing static implied by the term. Rather, it recognizes that such knowledge and practice are built over generations of experimentation and observation about what works given particular cultural and ecological settings (e.g., Berkes and Turner 2006). Sometimes this ecological knowledge emerges from an intimate relationship with one’s surroundings that

Application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Practices of Indigenous Hawaiians to Re-vegetation of Kaho'olawe

Kaho&lsquo;olawe Island has been established as a natural and cultural&nbsp; reserve,&nbsp; and&nbsp; an&nbsp; ongoing&nbsp; process&nbsp; of&nbsp; removal&nbsp; of dangerous unexploded ordnance&nbsp; is&nbsp; to be&nbsp; followed by a restoration&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; native&nbsp; vegetation&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; island,&nbsp; now largely denuded and highly disturbed by alien weeds. As part of the planning process for this effort, a review of Ha-waiian traditional ecological knowledge and land manage-ment practices was undertaken, offering many premises, precedents, and practica for the effort, all stemming from chants and recorded practices of Hawaiians.&nbsp; It becomes clear&nbsp; that&nbsp; traditional approaches have much&nbsp; to offer&nbsp; the modern restoration effort.He wahi&nbsp; kapu&nbsp; &lsquo;o Kaho&lsquo;olawe no nā&nbsp; kaiāulu maoli&nbsp; a me&nbsp; ka hana no&lsquo;eau o ka po&lsquo;e Hawai&lsquo;i maoli. Ke lawe aku nei nā mea weliweli kaua mai Kaho&lsquo;olawe&nbsp; i kahi&nbsp; &lsquo;ē, ma hope, e ho&lsquo;ōla hou &lsquo;ana ka moku, ma o ke kanu ana o nā meaulu maoli ma nā wahi māneoneo o ka &lsquo;āina i laila. I ho&lsquo;omākaukau no keia hana ho&lsquo;ōla, ua ho&lsquo;oma&lsquo;ama&lsquo;a mākou&nbsp; i nā oli, nā mo&lsquo;olelo, a me nā leo kūpuna e pili ana i ka hana kuhikuhi pu&lsquo;uone a me ko ka po&lsquo;e kahiko mālama&nbsp; &lsquo;āina. Ua&nbsp; &lsquo;ike nō mākou: he mea nui ka hana no&lsquo;eau a me ka &lsquo;ike o ka po&lsquo;e Hawai&lsquo;i no ka ho&lsquo;ōla hou o Kaho&lsquo;olawe i keia mau lā. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ho&lsquo;okaka&lsquo;a lani i loli ka honua &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kau mai ka &lsquo;ahu&lsquo;ula ke ēwe ka piko o ke akua &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I luna i Hālulu ka lani &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I ka hale mahina poepoe &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I ka puka hāiki pilikia &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Puka kīkēkē a ke akua &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ka wai hiona a Kanaloa&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A ke aka i malu o hu&lsquo;ahu&lsquo;akai&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lsquo;O Lono-i-ka-owali&lsquo;i&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lsquo;O Kū-&lsquo;i-&lsquo;io-moa&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lsquo; O wau nō ia&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lsquo; O Pōuliuli, &lsquo; O Pōwehiwehi&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lsquo; O ka pōpolo kū mai a Kāne la e&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hō mai ka &lsquo; ike i &lsquo; ike nui&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lsquo; Āmama, ua noaThis pule, which comes to us from Theodore Kelsey, ac-companies rituals when asking for visions of the future. It is prayed that such visions continue to come to those ded-icated&nbsp; to&nbsp; the&nbsp; restoration&nbsp; of Kaho&rsquo;olawe&nbsp; (Figure&nbsp; 1). This pule is presented here that efforts to reconcile the recov-ery of Hawaiian natural resources with the richness of Ha-waiian cultural knowledge continue to grow.

Transformations in the sociocultural values and meanings of reefs and resources on Mwoakilloa

People have been living on Mwoakilloa, a coral atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), for well over a millennium. Foreign interlopers, colonial governments, global commerce, and a host of internal and external forces have all played a role in shaping the uses, values, and meanings assigned to the atoll, its reefs, and its resources. This paper explores the changing relationships among the people and reefs of Mwoakilloa, highlighting the multiple, co-existing, and sometimes competing meanings and values assigned to atoll resources. It emphasizes the point that even in a small, ethnically homogeneous population there exists a diversity of meanings associated with reef resources that are dependent upon wider socioeconomic contexts. Identifying the sources of these cultural meanings is critical for understanding behaviors toward and uses of reef resources, the status and application of traditional ecological knowledge, and the success and failure of local management measures on Mwoakilloa.

Application of traditional ecological knowledge in the management and sustainability of fisheries in East Africa: a long-neglected strategy?

Management and sustainability of fisheries has been guided by theories and models derived from modern ecological science. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has been ignored in all spheres of decision-making for management and sustainability of fisheries in East Africa. TEK guided African communities in the way they associated and interacted with the natural environment around them. Spiritual rituals, religious practices, social taboos and sacred animal totems guided the peoples on how and when to utilize the available natural resources. In the advent of modern scientific knowledge, the African traditional knowledge quickly faded away and is generally seen as irrelevant. Today the potential of TEK in the management and sustainability of fisheries in East Africa has not been realized and its status and future is unknown. TEK should be complementary to modern scientific knowledge in the management and sustainability of fisheries. This paper therefore focuses on the potential application of TEK in the management and sustainability of fisheries in East Africa and the issues that impede its application.