Role Of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Research Articles

The role of traditional ecological knowledge, given the transformation of pastoralism in Central and Eastern Mongolia.

Mongolian nomadic herders traditionally pass on ecological knowledge intergenerationally, mainly within families. However, little is known about how current societal transformation processes may impact the application and transfer of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) amongst herders. Combining quantitative household survey data with qualitative interviews, we show that TEK is still widely applied amongst herders. Our data show that households living under conditions of greater societal transformation apply TEK more often in order to adapt to the situation than households under lower transformation pressure. High transformation pressure goes along with high human population and livestock density and thus competition for good pastureland. In addition, our results show that intragenerational knowledge transfer between families is gaining more importance nowadays. For Mongolia, we recommend facilitating access to and strengthening the exchange of TEK to prepare herders for the future due to the high level of uncertainty accompanying societal transformations.

Local Ecological Knowledge and Use of the Pacific Seahorse (Hippocampus ingens) by Residents of the State of Sinaloa, Mexico

The Pacific seahorse ( Hippocampus ingens) is an important cultural and economic resource for coastal communities in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. However, the conservation of this species is threatened by overfishing, habitat loss, and lack of awareness about its ecological importance. In this study, we examine the local ecological knowledge and use of the Pacific seahorse by residents of Sinaloa. Through ethnographic interviews and participant observation, we document the traditional knowledge and practices associated with this species, including its habitat, behavior, and uses. We find that local ecological knowledge has played a crucial role in the management and conservation of the Pacific seahorse, and that community-based approaches are necessary to address the conservation challenges facing this species. Our study provides important insights into the role of traditional ecological knowledge in marine conservation and highlights the need for more collaborative and participatory approaches to marine management and conservation in Sinaloa and other coastal regions.

English

Since time immemorial indigenous people (IP) utilised resources to meet their cultural needs. While the long-established utilisation of these resources modified land, however, the alteration was negligible with fewer detrimental impacts on the environment. The adoption of Western Science (WS) saw people shunning the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), resulting in accelerated resources degradation. Utilising institutional bricolage theory, this study combined remote sensing, geographical information systems, literature review and survey data to examine land use and land cover (LULC) change in three villages within the Okavango Delta and the role of TEK in resources management with a special reference to vegetation, land and water. Results revealed a widespread conversion of land and related resources and also that the adoption of formal education and religions significantly affected the utilisation of TEK in the management of resources. The study concludes that TEK is vital and is crucial in the conservation of natural resources.   Key words: Indigenous, land use and land cover (LULC), Shakawe, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), remote sensing, religion, water.

Adjustments in Indigenous peoples' forest use and management in the context of climate change: a global systematic literature review

The global diversity of forest use and management responses of forest-dependent Indigenous peoples to climate change remains poorly understood and lacks synthesis. Yet, such knowledge is essential for informed policy decisions and inclusive mitigation strategies. Through a systematic literature review, forest-dependent Indigenous peoples' responses to climate change and extreme weather events were analysed, including the prevalence of the strategies, their drivers, the role of sensitivity to climate change and the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in forest use and management. Also, an assessment was made of how forest dependence and traditional knowledge are acknowledged in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The results show knowledge clusters around coping and adaptation, mitigation, and joint strategies in North and South America and Asia. Multiple Correspondence Analysis showed that articles documenting adaptations trategies were associated to a reactive response time, Indigenous peoples as drivers and the integration of TEK and information on their climate sensitivity. The diversity of applied strategies found, mostly related to non-timber forest products (NTFPs), comprised ecologically sustainable and unsustainable practices. Mitigation s trategies, mostly REDD+ projects, which were significantly associated with proactive and external initiatives, largely omitted information on the sensitivity of the studied Indigenous group and the involvement of traditional knowledge. Joint strategies seem to be a good compromise of participatory efforts and were largely linked to integrating Indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge. Knowledge gaps include evidence of forest-related resilient livelihood strategies. Future research should focus on participatory and sustainable climate measures, the role of TEK and the drivers for the success of forest-related climate responses, as well as the potential effectiveness of joint adaptation-mitigation measures for forest-dependent Indigenous peoples on a global scale.

Exploring Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) as an Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change in Turkey

The aim of this paper is to determine the role of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in coping with climate change and adapting to projected climate changes in the case of Turkey. In order to accomplish this research objective, we have set out to present TEK examples on themes such as (1) local climate information, (2) understanding climate change, (3) coping with climate change and developing adaptation strategies, and (4) correct management and protection of natural resources. This paper uses the qualitative research design of ethnographic research. The data were collected using qualitative data collection methods such as observations and interviews between 2018-2021, with the data analysis using the descriptive analysis technique. The purposeful sampling method of convenience sampling was used to select the places to be observed and the study group. This paper reveals the local communities to have developed TEK practices and strategies against climate change and the problems that arise as a result in Turkey. Integrating these TEK examples with scientific knowledge in Turkey is believed to be able to play an important role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Role of traditional ecological knowledge on field margin vegetation in sustainable development: A study in a rural-urban interface of Bengaluru

Field Margin Vegetation (FMV) is an important part of agrobiodiversity which provides a range of ecological and economic benefits. Those services are mostly unaccounted in spite of having potential contribution to biodiversity conservation, well-being of farming households, climate change mitigation etc. The structure and composition of FMV and socioeconomic transformation are closely linked to each other. Transformation which influences FMV negatively leads to erosion of traditional ecological knowledge of the community that is associated with the use, management and conservation of native vegetations in the agroecosystems. There has been research on the function and composition of field margin vegetations, more specifically in the West but the documentation of traditional ecological knowledge on field margin vegetation from the viewpoint of socio-ecological sustainability is not readily available. Through this research an attempt is made to understand and document the uses of FMV by farmers and related traditional knowledge in rural-urban interface of Bengaluru, India. The agricultural landscape under study was found to be rich in FMV species belonging to 43 families. These species are used for a variety of purposes by the people l living in the rural-urban fringe of the northern transect of Bengaluru. This is a preliminary, yet substantial attempt that provides insights into the socioecological significance of the FMV component of agroecosystem. The findings would help in strategising actions to enhance its stake in initiatives to achieve sustainable development goals through health and nutrition, sustainable farming, environmental conservation and economic well-being. The study suggests that the scientific assessment of ecosystem services from FMV along with integration of traditional ecological knowledge in contemporary science would certainly contribute towards enhancement of its values.

Regeneration Status and Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Cloud Forest Ecosystem Restoration in Ecuador

The importance of forests for biodiversity conservation has been well recognized by the global community; as a result, conservation efforts have increased over the past two decades. In Ecuador, the lack of integrated information for defining and assessing the status of local ecosystems is a major challenge for designing conservation and restoration plans. Thus, the objectives of this study were (1) to examine the regeneration status of cloud forest remnants, some of which had experienced past human disturbance events, (2) to explore a local rural community’s traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) relevant for restoration and (3) to investigate the integration between TEK and ecological science-based approaches. A survey of regeneration status was conducted in four remnants of cloud forests (n = 16) in Cosanga, Napo Province, in the Andes of northeastern Ecuador. The species of young trees (0.5–5 m height) were identified over 0.16 ha. In-depth interviews of individuals from local communities (n = 48) were conducted to identify socio-ecologically important native species. The results showed significant differences (p < 0.001) in species richness and the stem density of seedlings and saplings in gaps. The stem density of Chusquea sp., a bamboo species, explained 63% of the variation in species richness and 48% of the variation in the abundance of seedlings and saplings between plots. Informants cited 32 socio-ecologically important species, of which 26 species were cited as sources of food and habitats for wildlife. The ranking of species based on a relative importance index and a cultural value index—taking into account both the spread of knowledge among local informants and the multiplicity of uses—revealed that Hyeromina duquei, Citharexylum montanum, Eugenia crassimarginata and Sapium contortum were traditionally the most valuable species for both humans and wildlife. Informants also recommended 27 species for future planting, of which 19 species were amongst the rarest species in the regeneration survey. In conclusion, the results demonstrate a synergy between TEK and ecological science-based approaches (regeneration survey) to natural ecosystem research. Thus, traditional ecological knowledge can provide insights into ecosystem–plant–animal interaction, and to identify native species useful for both humans and wildlife for forest restoration projects to reconnect isolated cloud forest fragments.

Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Wellbeing: Evidence and Opportunities From Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu

Climate change and urbanisation in combination put great pressure on terrestrial and ocean ecosystems, vital for subsistence and wellbeing in both rural and urban areas of Pacific islands. Adaptation is urgently required. Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer great potential, with the region increasingly implementing NbS and linked approaches like ecosystem-based adaptation in response. This paper utilises three Pacific island nation case-studies, Kiribati, Samoa and Vanuatu, to review current NbS approaches to adapt and mitigate the converging resilience challenges of climate change and urbanisation. We look at associated government policies, current NbS experience, and offer insights into opportunities for future work with focus on urban areas. These three Pacific island case-studies showcase their rich cultural and biological diversity and, importantly, the role of traditional ecological knowledge in shaping localised, place-based, NbS for climate change adaptation and enhanced wellbeing. But gaps in knowledge, policy, and practice remain. There is great potential for a nature-based urban design agenda positioned within an urban ecosystems framework linked closely to Indigenous understandings of wellbeing.

The game changing role of traditional ecological knowledge based Agri amendment systems in nutrient dynamics in the stress prone semi arid tropics

The major crop nutrients determine the nutritional content and vigor of crops. The deficiency or occurrence below minimal level of any of the nutrients are often seen as a cause of poor growth or complete crop failure. The present study was an attempt to understand the impact of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) (A1)vis-à-vis conventional chemical intensive (A2)agriculture amendment systems in altering/modifying the nutrient dynamics of the soil with respect to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) levels in the pre, mid and post-harvest phases of crop in six cropping seasons spread across four years. The study area was a geo-ecologically unique terrain of Kachchh, Western India, a typical representative of allied arid and semi-arid tropics that are prone to various natural threats and stressors like drought, salinity and erratic rainfall pattern that affect the agri-management activities. Seasonal amendment data, clearly depicts that TEK based systems were efficient in soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual over seasons, an important trait required in challenging settings of tropical aridisols. The major primary (N, P, K) and secondary (S, Ca, Mg) nutrients were at par or higher than integrated chemical intensive systems. TEK based amendments ensured proper and timely management of nutrients in the soil. This inherent value addition offered by indigenous manure applications is an important step in climate change mitigation measures and overall agricultural sustainability.

Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Field Margin Vegetation in Sustainable Development: A Study in a Rural-Urban Interface

Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Field Margin Vegetation in Sustainable Development: A Study in a Rural-Urban Interface

The Role of Traditional Knowledge in Coastal Adaptation Priorities: The Pamunkey Indian Reservation

Coastal reservations are increasingly vulnerable to hazards exacerbated by climate change. Resources for restoration projects are limited. Storm surge, storms, tidal flooding, and erosion endanger artifacts and limit livelihoods of tribes in coastal Virginia. GIS offers a platform to increase communication between scientists, planners, and indigenous groups. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe engaged in a participatory mapping exercise to assess the role of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in coastal management decision-making and its capacity to address flooding. Priorities and strategies were spatially referenced using maps of potential sea level rise for 2040, 2060, and 2080, input into a resilience matrix to identify benchmarks for each phase of disaster resilience building, and contextualized with oral histories. Results highlight increased immediacy to protect housing and heritage sites along the shoreline as well as maintain access to the Reservation. Preferences toward structural solutions guided by and facilitating TEK options were expressed. Additional community capacities, tribal council support, federal assistance, impact assessments, and coordination would facilitate risk reduction project implementation. The screening process integrates TEK with planning and is transferable to neighboring tribes.

Local Knowledge for Global Actions: The role of traditional ecological knowledge in climate change adaptation

The scale of climate change put indigenous people at higher risk than the others. Nonetheless, due to their intimate knowledge of their land, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) held by the indigenous peoples may be the key to combating climate change. This article aims to explain the role that TEK plays in adapting to climate change. Document review included grey literature alongside peer-reviewed literature and project websites related to indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation. The findings show that TEK not only helps indigenous people cope with environmental and climate pressures, but the knowledge system fosters resilience of socio-ecological systems.Keywords: climate change adaptation; traditional knowledge; traditional ecological knowledge; resilienceeISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v5i13.2059

Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Seasonal Calendars in the Context of Climate Change: A Case Study from China

A seasonal calendar, based on traditional knowledge of ecological indicators, seasonal variations and associated activities, can provide a baseline for understanding the practices of indigenous along with climatic variation. This paper investigates the ethno-ecological knowledge of indigenous people in Taxkorgan regarding the use of ecological cues to conduct seasonal activities that harmonize with climatic variations. Meteorological data from the nearest station was used to understand climatic variations and develop indices. The results revealed that indigenous elders still adopt traditional methods to decide the time of various annual activities observing and using seasonal cues, such as the height and color of grass, the arriving of migratory birds and phenological observations. Moreover, same or diverse indicators were used at settlements located in different elevations. The analysis revealed that the region was recently getting warmer and wetter compared to previous decades, and local perceptions were matched with climatic recordings. Local inhabitants already practiced earlier plantation of crops (e.g., wheat) in recent years. Climatic indices calculated revealed and validated recent weather condition can support earlier plantation of crops. Hence, the strong forecasting system using meteorological evidence to support existing local knowledge on ecological indicators and adjust seasonal calendars can improve indigenous people’s abilities to cope with climate risks. Furthermore, this can support in developing adaptation schemes that respond to community needs. The approaches and findings can be used to facilitate the management of these natural resource based on the adaptive framework and to create data that can be tested in subsequent studies.

The Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for Climate Change Adaptation

The Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for Climate Change Adaptation

RaráMuri Bird Knowledge and Environmental Change in the Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Mexico.

The role of traditional ecological knowledge in identifying trends in environmental change is potentially complicated by the impact environmental and cultural changes may have on knowledge maintenance. This study examines these possibilities in a case study in which traditional knowledge of forest birds was examined in two indigenous Rarámuri communities in southwestern Chihuahua, Mexico—Cabórachi, which had been logged extensively for close to 50 years, and Pino Gordo, which retains unharvested pine-oak forests. Research participants in both communities shared their knowledge of pine-oak (Pinus–Quercus) forest birds by sorting of 105 color bird pictures into those birds they could name in Rarámuri or Spanish, those which they recognized but which had no names, and by offering their observations of changes in bird abundance witnessed over the course of lifetimes. We assessed differences between the communities in these categories and in recognizing birds which the literature indicates as more common within old growth forests. Cabórachi residents were statistically less likely to recognize old-growth associated species and demonstrated lower recognition and naming rates for birds than residents of Pino Gordo. Few small birds receive unique Rarámuri names in either community and species which share the same Rarámuri name in Pino Gordoi often are referred to in Spanish in Cabórachi. Respondents reported changes in abundance for 15 bird species and species groups, along with the presumed sources of those changes, including the overharvest of dead trees, the loss of highland wetlands, and the war on drugs.

The Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Disaster Risk Management Strategies of Island Communities in Cat Hai, Vietnam

The Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Disaster Risk Management Strategies of Island Communities in Cat Hai, Vietnam

The role of traditional ecological knowledge in ecosystem services management: the case of four rural communities in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACTThis study combines qualitative and quantitative research to examine perceptions held by rural households in Northern Ghana regarding the value of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in the management of ecosystem services. Key informant interviews (n = 14), household questionnaire surveys (n = 195), field observations, and dissemination meetings were employed to collect data. Results suggest the regular use of different but interrelated forms of TEK, i.e. taboos and totems, customs and rituals, rules and regulations, and traditional protected areas, to manage ecosystem services through existing sociocultural mechanisms. However, household awareness of TEK did not equate with compliance. A wide discrepancy in views on TEK was observed across surveyed households. A generalized linear model (GLM) regression analysis suggests age to be the most significant determinant of TEK awareness and compliance. Compared with mature and younger adults, the elderly appear more likely to be aware of and comply with characterized TEK systems. Notwithstanding these findings, the use of traditional protected areas as a form of TEK appears to be highly valued by the majority of survey participants. Demand-led research aimed at examining TEK’s role in the face of changing socioeconomic and environmental conditions can contribute to the formulation and implementation of policy-relevant strategies.EDITED BY Leni Camacho

Coupling technology with traditional knowledge and local institutions to deal with change in rural households: A focus on the semi-arid tropics

Contemporary industrial societies typically rely on engineering and technological means to control variability threatening food production or other aspects of survival. But before the advent of industrial mechanization and fuel-driven agriculture, societies had other types of adaptation strategies often oriented to spread risk across space (mobility), time (storage), asset classes (diversification), and households or communities (sharing and pooling). The storyline of this paper is that, for long stretches of history, and in many places still today, the effectiveness of the abovementioned risk-spreading strategies (and derived technologies) relied on coupling them with a) a deep knowledge of the local environment (traditional ecological knowledge); and b) a set of shared rules, norms and conventions on how to apply society’s technology and knowledge (locally evolved institutions). Drawing in our own research among different contemporary small-scale societies, we present one example of each of those strategies highlighting the role of traditional ecological knowledge and local institutions in the application of risk-spreading strategies and related technologies. In the last section, we discuss the role of traditional ecological knowledge and local institutions in dealing with change in the semi-arid tropics. We propose that attempts to increase the adaptive capacity of such social-ecological systems to deal with disturbances should make an effort to couple technological innovations with local knowledge of the environment and locally evolved institutions.

On the role of traditional ecological knowledge as a collaborative concept: a philosophical study

The concept of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), along with synonymous or closely related terms like indigenous knowledge and native science, has some of its origins in literatures on international development and adaptive management. There is a tendency to want to determine one definition for TEK that can satisfy every stakeholder in every situation. Yet a scan of environmental science and policy literatures reveals there to be differences in definitions that make it difficult to form a consensus. What should be explored instead is the role that the concept of TEK plays in facilitating or discouraging cross-cultural and cross-situational collaboration among actors working for indigenous and non-indigenous institutions of environmental governance, such as tribal natural resources departments, federal agencies working with tribes, and co-management boards. This is a philosophical paper that explores how the concept of TEK is defined in science and policy literatures and what purpose it serves for improving cooperative environmental and natural resources stewardship and management between indigenous and non-indigenous institutions. The philosophical method applied here is one that outlines numerous possible meanings of a concept (TEK, in this paper) and the implications of each meaning for science and policy. In science and policy literatures, there are different definitions of TEK. Controversy can brew over TEK when people hold definitions that are based on different assumptions. There are two kinds of assumptions about the meaning of TEK. The first kind refers to assumptions about the mobilization of TEK, or what I call knowledge mobilization. The second kind involves assumptions about how to understand the relationship between TEK and disciplines like ecology or biology, or, in other words, the relation between TEK and science. Different positions that fall under the two kinds of assumptions (knowledge mobilization; TEK and science) can generate disagreements because they imply differences about “whose” definition of TEK gets privileged, who is counted as having expert authority over environmental governance issues, and how TEK should be factored into policy processes that already have a role for disciplines like forestry or toxicology in them. In light such disagreements, I argue that the concept of TEK should be understood as a collaborative concept. It serves to invite diverse populations to continually learn from one another about how each approaches the very question of “knowledge” in the first place, and how these different approaches can be blended to better steward natural resources and adapt to climate change. The implication is that environmental scientists and policy professionals, indigenous and non-indigenous, should not be in the business of creating definitions of TEK. Instead, they should focus more on creating long term processes that allow the different implications of approaches to knowledge in relation to stewardship goals to be responsibly thought through.

The role of culture and traditional knowledge in climate change adaptation: Insights from East Kimberley, Australia

Indigenous peoples offer alternative knowledge about climate variability and change based on their own locally developed knowledges and practices of resource use. In this article we discuss the role of traditional ecological knowledge in monitoring and adapting to changing environmental conditions. Our case study documents a project to record the seasonal knowledge of the Miriwoong people in northern Australia. The study demonstrates how indigenous groups’ accumulate detailed baseline information about their environment to guide their resource use and management, and develop worldviews and cultural values associated with this knowledge. We highlight how traditional ecological knowledge plays a critical role in mediating indigenous individuals and communities’ understandings of environmental changes in the East Kimberley region of north-west Australia, and how these beliefs may influence future decision-making about how to go about adapting to climate change at a local level.