scholarly journals Socio-Cultural Values of Ecosystem Services from Oak Forests in the Eastern Himalaya

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tshewang Dorji ◽  
Justin Brookes ◽  
José Facelli ◽  
Robin Sears ◽  
Tshewang Norbu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Eastern Himalaya ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Local Setting ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Forest Users

Identification and assessment of socio-cultural values of ecosystem services are increasingly important for the planning and management of forest resources. Key information necessary is how different forest user groups perceive and prioritize different ecosystem services based on their local setting. We assessed the socio-cultural values of ecosystem services of high-altitude oak forests in Western Bhutan using participatory approaches with two important forest users: local communities and forest experts. We found that these forests serve as a pool of 22 ecosystem services under four MEA categories of provisioning (9), regulating (8), supporting (2), and cultural (3) services. Fresh water was unanimously identified as the most valuable service, as well as the most vulnerable, by both the groups. The priorities of local communities inclined towards provisioning and cultural services due to their dependence on these services for their livelihood and wellbeing. Forest experts’ priorities were more evenly spread over three categories of services: provisioning, regulating, and supporting services, reflecting their broader interest in resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. Several regulating and supporting services were not easily identified by many villagers, suggesting that bridging the priorities of local interests with broader national forestry goals may require public partnerships and integrated decision-making about the entire suite of ecosystem services. Several management interventions proposed by the groups were presented for consideration by local users, scientists, and policy makers. For all ongoing and future ecosystem service assessments, we recommend the integration of socio-cultural values with biophysical and monetary assessments to fully value the benefits from the high-altitude oak forests.

scholarly journals Community values and perceptions of ecosystem services of high-altitude oldgrowth oak forests of BhutanHimalayas

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorji T. ◽  
Baral H. ◽  
Brookes J. ◽  
Facelli J. ◽  
Sears R. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Community Values

scholarly journals Connaissances et Pratiques traditionnelles versus Conservation de la biodiversité dans les aires protégées : Cas des populations riveraines du lac Lungwe, Est RD Congo

2021 ◽  
pp. 18-35
Author(s):  
Léonard K. MUBALAMA ◽  
Jean de Dieu WASSO ◽  
Germaine BUHENDWA ◽  
Félix IGUNZI ◽  
Bernard KANDJI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Current Mode ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Policy Makers

The issues of conservation and development, cultural norms and the enhancement of natural resources are linked and cannot be understood in isolation. In the current context of Lungwe Lake, understanding such relationships necessarily requires a better understanding of the different natural resource management systems in place. In this context, better understanding and preserving the ecosystem services and socio-cultural values of Lake Lungwe in the Itombwe Nature Reserve (RNI) is a necessity for its development. This is the objective of this study on the beliefs of local communities regarding the management of Lungwe Lake. The importance and contribution of local beliefs and traditions of indigenous peoples is no longer demonstrated in the management of a protected area and the enhancement of ecosystem services. Lungwe Lake is a concrete example. Indeed, at the end of the surveys carried out in the villages surrounding Lungwe Lake in the chiefdom of Lwindi, the results showed that several myths were once attributed to Lungwe Lake by ancestors. These practices continue to be passed down from generation to generation. However, cultural practices relating to biodiversity conservation represent a value that has been overlooked or considered less unimportant by policy makers or some scientific circles, simply because they are linked to superstition. different interpretations and or negligence on the part of certain people. These surveys revealed to us the current awakening of consciousness of local communities wishing to enhance the value of Lungwe Lake through tourism activities. Also, the rehabilitation of such practices would be part of the national strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits of the exploitation of natural resources. This strategy is based, among other things, on taking into account traditional methods of cultural practices and biodiversity conservation within the RNI and relating to the management of natural resources. This turns out to be not only a possible solution for the opening up and development of entities around the lake, but also, a realistic avenue with regard to the challenge of the current mode of management of the Itombwe Natural Reserve which encompasses them.

scholarly journals Perception is everything: how people see ecosystem services can guide management and modeling efforts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
OCTO
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
The State ◽  
Participatory Mapping ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Wellbeing ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Compare And Contrast

In their paper, the authors described ways to determine which ecosystem services matter most to community wellbeing through participatory mapping, key informant interviews, and semi-structured interviews. Once the list of ecosystem services was determined, the authors used a questionnaire to elicit the perceptions of various user-groups. By binning users into groups (like those that directly depended on functional ecosystem services for their livelihoods), the authors could compare and contrast how people perceived the state and importance of different aspects of the estuary. Importantly, the authors included closed and open-ended questions in their survey to determine how people surmised potential management interventions would impact the environment and the wellbeing of them and their families.

Wald und Klimawandel in der inneralpinen Trockenregion Visp

2012 ◽  
Vol 163 (12) ◽  
pp. 481-492
Author(s):  
Andreas Rigling ◽  
Ché Elkin ◽  
Matthias Dobbertin ◽  
Britta Eilmann ◽  
Arnaud Giuggiola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services

Forest and climate change in the inner-Alpine dry region of Visp Over the past decades, observed increases in temperature have been particularly pronounced in mountain regions. If this trend should continue in the 21st Century, frequency and intensity of droughts will increase, and will pose major challenges for forest management. Under current conditions drought-related tree mortality is already an important factor of forest ecosystems in dry inner-Alpine valleys. Here we assess the sensitivity of forest ecosystems to climate change and evaluate alternative forest management strategies in the Visp region. We integrate data from forest monitoring plots, field experiments and dynamic forests models to evaluate how the forest ecosystem services timber production, protection against natural hazards, carbon storage and biodiver-sity will be impacted. Our results suggest that at dry low elevation sites the drought tolerance of native tree species will be exceeded so that in the longer term a transition to more drought-adapted species should be considered. At medium elevations, drought and insect disturbances as by bark beetles are projected to be important for forest development, while at high elevations forests are projected to expand and grow better. All of the ecosystem services that we considered are projected to be impacted by changing forest conditions, with the specific impacts often being elevation-dependent. In the medium term, forest management that aims to increase the resilience of forests to drought can help maintain forest ecosystem services temporarily. However, our results suggest that relatively rigid management interventions are required to achieve significant effects. By using a combination of environmental monitoring, field experiments and modeling, we are able to gain insight into how forest ecosystem, and the services they provide, will respond to future changes.

scholarly journals Medicinal Plants Used for Treating Human and Livestock Ailments in Tiyo District, Arsi Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misbahu Aman ◽  
Zemede Asfaw ◽  
Gemedo Dalle
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Preference Ranking ◽  
Healthcare Needs

Abstract Background Systematic documentation and promotion of indigenous knowledge associated with medicinal plants are limited. The aim of this study was to undertake ethnobotanical investigation on medicinal plants used for the treatment of human and livestock ailments and document indigenous knowledge of local communities on the preparation and administration of herbal remedies in the study area. Methods The study involved 153 informants from nine kebeles, comprising traditional healers, knowledgeable elders and local user communities. Various ethnobotanical techniques were used to collect and analyze data: semi- structured interview, guided field walk, group discussion, preference ranking, and fidelity level index. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. Results Local communities had rich and diverse indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants, types of ailments, methods of remedy preparations and routes of applications. There were differences in this indigenous knowledge across age and sex. A total of 83 medicinal plants were documented during this study. Fifty two (62.65%) plants were used for treating human ailments, 20 species (24.10%) for treating health problems of livestock and the remaining 11 (13.25%) for treating both human and livestock ailments. The highest informant consensus was documented for the plants Allium sativum , Asparagus africanus and Azadirachta indica. Leaves were the most commonly used parts of medicinal plants accounting for 51.81% of the total followed by roots (20.48%) and barks (2.41%). Oral administration of the herbal medicine was the dominant route 66.3%, followed by dermal (22.7%) which included washing, holding on, rubbing and brushing. Smoking (8.5%) was also important. It was documented that 27 species (32.5%) were used in fresh, 13 species (15.7%) dried and 43 species (51.8%) either in dry or fresh state. Conclusion Owing to their access, curing ability, manageable charges, existence of deep indigenous knowledge and other associated cultural values, medicinal plants continued to play a significant role in meeting healthcare needs of the community in the study area. Conservation and sustainable use of the diverse medicinal plants need to be promoted. Systemic documentation and protection of the rich knowledge of local communities and further research on selected potential species was recommended as a result of this study.

scholarly journals The Woods around the Ivory Tower: A Systematic Review Examining the Value and Relevance of School Forests in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Kimberly J. Coleman ◽  
Elizabeth E. Perry ◽  
Dominik Thom ◽  
Tatiana M. Gladkikh ◽  
William S. Keeton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Ivory Tower ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Research And Teaching

Throughout the United States, many institutions of higher education own forested tracts, often called school forests, which they use for teaching, research, and demonstration purposes. These school forests provide a range of benefits to the communities in which they are located. However, because administration is often decoupled from research and teaching, those benefits might not always be evident to the individuals who make decisions about the management and use of school forests, which may undervalue their services and put these areas at risk for sale, development, or over-harvesting to generate revenue. To understand what messages are being conveyed about the value and relevance of school forests, we conducted a systematic literature review and qualitatively coded the resulting literature content using an ecosystem services framework. While school forests provide many important benefits to academic and local communities, we found that most of the existing literature omits discussions about cultural ecosystem services that people may receive from school forests. We discuss the implications of this omission and make recommendations for addressing it.

scholarly journals Population structure and regeneration of Himalayan endemic Larix species in three high-altitude valleys in Nepal Himalaya

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Kumar Dhamala ◽  
Prakash Chandra Aryal ◽  
Madan Krishna Suwal ◽  
Sijar Bhatta ◽  
Dinesh Raj Bhuju
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Graphical Representation ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Diameter Distribution ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Nepal Himalaya ◽  
Regeneration Status ◽  
Management Interventions

Abstract Background The Himalayan forests are of great importance to sustain the nature and community resource demands. These forests are facing pressures both from anthropogenic activities and ongoing global climatic changes. Poor natural regeneration has been considered a major problem in mountainous forests. To understand the population structure and regeneration status of Larix (Larix griffithiana and Larix himalaica), we conducted systematic vegetation surveys in three high-altitude valleys namely Ghunsa (Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, KCA), Langtang (Langtang National Park, LNP), and Tsum (Manaslu Conservation Area, MCA) in Nepal Himalaya. The average values of diameter at breast height (DBH), height, and sapling height were compared for three sites and two species using Kruskal-Wallis test. Population structure was assessed in terms of proportion of seedlings, saplings, and trees. Regeneration was analyzed using graphical representation of frequencies of seedlings, saplings, and trees in histograms. Results The results showed that the population structure of Larix in terms of the proportion of seedling, sapling, and tree varied greatly in the three study areas. KCA had the highest record of seedling, sapling, and tree compared to other two sites. Seedlings were the least among three forms and many plots were without seedlings. We found no seedling in MCA study plots. The plot level average DBH variation among sites was significant (Kruskal-Wallis χ2 = 7.813, df = 2, p = 0.02) as was between species (Kruskal-Wallis χ2 = 5.9829, df = 1, p = 0.014). Similarly, the variation in average tree height was significant (Kruskal-Wallis χ2 = 134.23, df = 2, p < 0.001) among sites as well as between species (Kruskal-Wallis χ2 = 128.01, df = 1, p < 0.001). All the sites showed reverse J-shaped curve but more pronounced for KCA and MCA. In comparing the two species, Larix griffithiana has clear reverse J-shaped diameter distribution but not Larix himalaica. Conclusion The varied responses of Larix manifested through regeneration status from spatially distinct areas show that regeneration limitations might be more pronounced in the future. In all the three studied valleys, regeneration of Larix is found to be problematic and specifically for Larix griffithiana in MCA and Larix himalaica in LNP. To address the issues of disturbances, especially serious in LNP, management interventions are recommended to sustain the unique Himalayan endemic conifer.

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