Community Biodiversity Management Research Articles

Riparian buffers provide refugia during secondary forest succession

AbstractAimSecondary forests regenerating from human disturbance are increasingly becoming a predominant forest type in many regions, and they play a significant role in forest community dynamics. Understanding the factors that underlie the variation in species responses during secondary succession is important for understanding community assembly and biodiversity monitoring and management. Because species vary in ecology and behaviour, responses to ecosystem change should vary among species. Here, we show that habitat type (riparian, upland), phylogeny, and species traits mediate anuran and lizard probability of occurrence and species richness in pasture and secondary forest.LocationSarapiquí and Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.MethodsWe used phylogenetic occupancy models to estimate assemblage‐level and species‐specific responses to forest succession in 30 chronosequence sites that include pasture, secondary forest regenerating from pasture, and mature forest sites.ResultsFor the majority of species, we found increasing probability of occurrence in upland habitats as forest regenerated from pasture to secondary forest and similar probability of occurrence in riparian habitats across pasture, secondary forest, and mature forest sites. Species' responses to forest stage were phylogenetically correlated, and the trend was especially strong for anuran response to pasture sites. Anurans with lentic larval habitat had a positive occupancy response to pasture upland habitat, and anurans with lotic larval habitat had a variable response to different forest stages compared to mature forest.Main ConclusionsOur study, which focuses on sites that are minimally isolated from mature forest reference sites, indicated that anuran and lizard occupancy rapidly recovered to a level similar to mature forest in a relatively short time span (approximately 20 years). Riparian habitats are key ecosystem features in our system and provide refugia for organisms in early successional stages. Maintenance of vegetation along streams shows that we can mitigate forest conversion by maintaining riparian buffers.

Assessment of on-Farm Management And Associated Knowledge of Agro-Biodiversity In Climate Smart Viilages of Nawalpur District in Nepal

The study was conducted in Nawalpur district of Nepal to assess status of on-farm management and associated knowledge of agrobiodiversity. Further, this study identified the farmers perception and their local interventions in on-farm agrobiodiversity conservation and management. The snowball and simple random sampling technique were used to identify the farmers practicing on-farm management and those who do not respectively. The pretested questionnaire was administered to 100 farmers of two villages, 50 from each village, from 2nd to 5th March 2018. Descriptive and analytical statistical tools were used to determine and compare the factors associated with on-farm management of agrobiodiversity. The study revealed that out of 98.0% of the respondents practicing on-farm management, almost all had home garden followed by 74.50% involved in value addition, 59.20% agrodiversity fair, 55.10% Community Biodiversity Management (CBM) and 36.10% travelling seminar. There was a significant relation between the type of the farming system and CBM (at p 0.00), travelling seminar (at p 0.043) and value addition (at p 0.036). The majority of respondents were commercial farmers, they sell what they produce for livelihood, and were practicing on-farm management of agrobiodiversity. Different means of information were used, where major being the information given by the respondents. Lack of government’s technical support and information on Community based Biodiversity Management (CBD), were the major reasons for farmers for not being able to acquaint with it, and practice it on local conditions. Proper training and awareness, agricultural promotion programs are the absolute imperative to improve on-farm agrobiodiversity conservation and management status. SAARC J. Agric., 19(1): 259-268 (2021)

Ethnobotany, Systematic Review and Field Mapping on Folkloric Medicinal Plants in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao, Philippines

With the recent resurgence towards phytotherapy, ethnobotany played a crucial role. This study documents the ethnobotanical practices of the different ethnolinguistic groups in the Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen), Mindanao, Philippines, with a thorough systematic review and a defined field mapping. ZamPen is regarded as a center of floral diversity and, at the same time, rich in ethnic diversity. Eight (8) ethnolinguistic groups were purposively chosen as representatives from the five cities and three provinces of ZamPen. These are the Chavacano, Visayan, Tausug, Bajau, Sama, Yakan, Subanen, and Subanon. A total of 330 respondents are interviewed through a snowball sampling method, with at least 30 key informants per tribe. For the systematic review on ethnobotanical studies conducted in the Zamboanga Peninsula, four published articles were recorded. Results revealed two hundred eight (208) medicinal plant species belonging to 74 families utilized by the ethnolinguistic groups where Family Fabaceae is the most represented with 18 species. Among the different ethnolinguistic groups based on ethnobotanical studies and systematic reviews, the Visayans of Ipil and Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay, and the Subanens of Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur obtained the highest number of medicinal plant utilized (50 species in 32 families and 89 species in 41 families respectively). Among the 10 DOH-approved medicinal plants, Blumea balsamifera (sambong) of the Family Asteraceae is the most frequently utilized herbal plant among all ethnic tribes being studied. Leaves are the topmost utilized plant parts through the process of decoction. Physical relapse (bughat) is the commonly cited illness among locally-termed diseases. Field samplings attested the availability of medicinal plants as the second topmost health-seeking behavior of the key informants to ethnobotanical practices after having experienced its effectiveness. Literature reviews of the plants’ bioactivities and bioisolates validate its medicinal use, however, there are some which needs futher studies supporting its claim. Documentation of this traditional knowledge and practices provides a framework for future drug discovery, promotes culture preservation, and offers opportunities for community biodiversity management.

Revitalizing cultivation and strengthening the seed systems of fonio and Bambara groundnut in Mali through a community biodiversity management approach

AbstractFonio (Digitaria exilis(Kippist) Stapf) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea(L.)Verdc.) are native crops grown at a small scale in Mali that have potential to support agricultural productivity under climate change. A community biodiversity management approach was explored in this study as a means to reinforce the cultivation of these crops by increasing farmers' access to intraspecific diversity and developing capacities of community institutions for their management. The research involved six communities in Ségou and Sikasso regions. Multiple varieties of fonio (10–12) and Bambara groundnut (8–12) were established in diversity fields in each site over 2 years where farmers engaged in experiential learning over the crop cycle. Significant adoption of fonio and Bambara groundnut was detected in several study sites. The precise drivers of adoption cannot be definitively determined but likely include increased seed access and awareness gained through the diversity field fora, seed fairs and community seed banks. No significant yield advantage was detected for any of the varieties in the diversity fields, which showed variable performance by site and year. The number of varieties registered and managed by community seed banks in each site increased from 1–5 varieties of each crop to 11–12 varieties following the interventions. The number of Bambara groundnut varieties cultivated in farmers' fields also increased, while there was evidence of a slight decline in fonio diversity in some communities. The results of this study can inform efforts to strengthen seed systems and cultivation of neglected and underutilized species in Africa.

Benefiting communities by using plant genetic resources in some community biodiversity management areas in Indonesia

Benefiting communities by using plant genetic resources in some community biodiversity management areas in Indonesia

Farmers’ Perception on On-farm Conservation of Mango andCitrusDiversity in Indonesia

A study was conducted in 2014 to measure Indonesian farmers’ perception of mango and Citrus conservation, to analyse which non-behavioural factors affect the farmers’ perceptions and to analyse the impact of farmers’ participation in project activities based on their perception. Eighty respondents were selected randomly from two sub districts in South Kalimantan and two sub-districts in East Java, and a questionnaire was administered. Simple linear regression showed that farmers’ participation in on-farm conservation programs positively affect their perceptions about on-farm conservation. Multivariate regression analysis indicated furthermore that the following non-behavioural factors do affect farmers’ perceptions significantly a) the accessibility of mango and Citrus planting materials, b) farmers’ knowledge about conservation benefits, c) the level of government support, and d) farmers’ knowledge about conservation purposes. Farmers suggest that the Indonesian government should focus on creating access to qualitative saplings, access to farm inputs and assistance to improve their skills in bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide production. The community biodiversity management approach, as used in the project, seems an appropriate approach to influence farmers’ perceptions and behaviour related to conservation activities, especially when incentives and needs of farmers are recognised and addressed.

Moving Beyond the Dilemma: Practices that Contribute to the On-Farm Management of Agrobiodiversity

The definition provided by the Convention on Biological Diversity for in situ conservation has caused a dilemma for those involved in agrobiodiversity conservation, as to how to implement this strategy in practical terms. A diversity of organizations has been engaged in efforts referred to as “on-farm management of agrobiodiversity.” Their efforts are assessed according to their impact on socioeconomic, cultural, genetic, and ecological dynamics. This assessment enables them to move beyond the dilemma and contributes to the social construction of the methodology for “community biodiversity management,” which is increasingly recognized as a process for achieving in situ conservation.

Implementing ABS Regime in Nepal through Community Based Biodiversity Management Framework

It is very evident that there is lack of well accepted and verified mechanisms as well as institutional set up for the realization of farmers' rights, including the effective implementation of International Regime on Access to and Benefit Sharing (IRABS). Community Biodiversity Management (CBM) embed good practices, proven to be effective in in-situ conservation of biodiversity through conservation through use, they also provide a base for a range of practices which serve the basis for IRABS to be affable and affordable to local communities. CBM encompasses the good practices serving documentation, conservation, facilitating exchange, providing access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. Moreover, CBM also provide institutional structure and mechanism to share the benefits accruing from commercial use of the genetic resources, directly and indirectly.Key words: Genetic resources; Associated traditional knowledge; Access and benefit sharing; farmers’ rights; Community biodiversity managementThe Journal of AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT Vol. 11, 2010Page: 148-157Uploaded date: 16 September, 2010

Multiple nuclear and mitochondrial genotyping identifies emperors and large-eye breams (Teleostei: Lethrinidae) from New Caledonia and reveals new large-eye bream species

Species identification is fundamental to address questions about community ecology, biodiversity, conservation and resource management, at any life history stage. Current studies on fish larval ecology of tropical species are hampered by the lack of reliable and effective tools for identifying larvae at the species level. Emperors and large-eye breams comprise fish species from the perciform fish family Lethrinidae. They inhabit coastal and coral-reef habitats of the tropical Indo-Pacific, and they are important fishery resources. Their taxonomy is considered difficult and identification to species is often problematic. Lethrinidae larvae and juveniles can be identified on the basis of meristic counts at the sub-family level, but no further. In this study, we developed a set of polymorphic PCR markers (size polymorphisms at the intron regions from 4/5 nuclear protein-coding genes and single-strand conformation polymorphism of a 205-bp fragment at the mitochondrial 16S rRNA locus), to characterize 341 specimens from 21 Lethrinidae species from New Caledonia (southwestern tropical Pacific). A genetic data-bank was constructed using the genotypes screened from the multiple gene loci of adult or sub-adult specimens used as references for these species. The 16S rRNA gene fragment was able to differentiate species for the genus Lethrinus, but it provided little diagnostic resolution among different species within the genus Gymnocranius. A combination of the 16S rRNA marker and 4 nuclear markers developed herein allowed to sort out species within Gymnocranius spp. from New Caledonia. Using genotype distributions at nuclear loci to test for reproductive isolation, we found that three apparently undescribed large-eye bream species may exist, provisionally referred to as Gymnocranius sp. A, sp. B and sp. C. Subsequent genotyping of 137 Lethrinidae larvae collected from the bays of the Noumea peninsula, New Caledonia, found a total of three species ( Lethrinus genivittatus, Lethrinus olivaceus and Gymnocranius sp. A).