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.

Toward productive complicity: Applying ‘traditional ecological knowledge’ in environmental science

Culture and tradition have long been the domains of social science, particularly social/cultural anthropology and various forms of heritage studies. However, many environmental scientists whose research addresses environmental management, conservation, and restoration are also interested in traditional ecological knowledge, indigenous and local knowledge, and local environmental knowledge (hereafter TEK), not least because policymakers and international institutions promote the incorporation of TEK in environmental work. In this article, we examine TEK usage in peer-reviewed articles by environmental scientists published in 2020. This snapshot of environmental science scholarship includes both critical discussions of how to incorporate TEK in research and management and efforts to do so for various scholarly and applied purposes. Drawing on anthropological discussions of culture, we identify two related patterns within this literature: a tendency toward essentialism and a tendency to minimize power relationships. We argue that scientists whose work reflects these trends might productively engage with knowledge from the scientific fields that study culture and tradition. We suggest productive complicity as a reflexive mode of partnering, and a set of questions that facilitate natural scientists adopting this approach: What and/or who is this TEK for? Who and what will benefit from this TEK deployment? How is compensation/credit shared? Does this work give back and/or forward to all those involved?

Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to assist resilient food production in the Solomon Islands. A case study of Soluve community

<p>The study of indigenous peoples and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has been of particular interest in recent years. While TEK has been used in areas such as anthropology and conservation biology in the past, little has been done around TEK and resilient food production. The coming years will see the increasing effects of climate change on food production and food security. This research aims to understand and document TEK within the Soluve community in order to understand how people in the community can find ways to be more resilient in the future. In carrying out this research, ten members of the Soluve community were interviewed on food production practices in the light of their knowledge of TEK along with their knowledge of TEK. A thorough search of relevant literature was also central to my research method. The community of Soluve are affected by frequent flooding and rainfall resulting in limited food yields from gardens. The results of my research indicate that TEK is still practised and maintained in the Soluve community in terms of food production. In particular, traditional preservation methods such as smoking and drying in the Motu can help food last longer. Further research is needed, however, on the erosion of TEK, and how the people of Soluve can document this knowledge.</p>

Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to assist resilient food production in the Solomon Islands. A case study of Soluve community

<p>The study of indigenous peoples and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has been of particular interest in recent years. While TEK has been used in areas such as anthropology and conservation biology in the past, little has been done around TEK and resilient food production. The coming years will see the increasing effects of climate change on food production and food security. This research aims to understand and document TEK within the Soluve community in order to understand how people in the community can find ways to be more resilient in the future. In carrying out this research, ten members of the Soluve community were interviewed on food production practices in the light of their knowledge of TEK along with their knowledge of TEK. A thorough search of relevant literature was also central to my research method. The community of Soluve are affected by frequent flooding and rainfall resulting in limited food yields from gardens. The results of my research indicate that TEK is still practised and maintained in the Soluve community in terms of food production. In particular, traditional preservation methods such as smoking and drying in the Motu can help food last longer. Further research is needed, however, on the erosion of TEK, and how the people of Soluve can document this knowledge.</p>

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

This chapter argues that the concept of Traditional Ecological Knowlegde means more than the accumulated environmental knowledge and comprehension of natural phenomena. Rather, it is constituted by a set of evolving beliefs and practices that understands its own dynamic relationship with other beings in the environment. The examples of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) illustrated in this chapter include Apurinã and Manchineri communities in Brazilian Amazonia, and Sámi communities in the Arctic.

Regional Ranking of Marine Turtle Nesting in Remote Western Australia by Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Remote Sensing

Western Australia’s remote Kimberley coastline spans multiple Traditional Owner estates. Marine turtle nesting distribution and abundance in Indigenous Protected Areas and newly declared Marine Parks were assessed by aerial photogrammetry surveys for the Austral summer and winter nesting seasons. Images of nesting tracks were quantified in the lab and verified by ad hoc ground patrols. The rankings of log-scaled plots of track abundance and density give guidance to regional co-management planning. Spatial and temporal differences were detected in that remoter islands had higher nesting usage and few terrestrial predators. The surveys found year-round green turtle nesting peaking in summer, as well as spatial boundaries to the summer and winter flatback stocks. Summer surveys recorded 126.2 island activities per km and 17.7 mainland activities per km. Winter surveys recorded 65.3 island activities per km and quantified a known winter mainland rookery with 888 tracks/km. The three highest density rookeries were found to be winter flatback turtles at Cape Domett, summer green turtles at the Lacepede Islands and summer flatback turtles at Eighty Mile Beach. Moderate to lesser density nesting by summer green turtles and winter flatback turtles occurred in the North Kimberley offshore islands. Traditional Ecological Knowledge and ground-based surveys verified the harder-to-detect species (olive ridley or hawksbill turtles) with irregular nesting, low track persistence and non-aggregated nesting. Higher-density rookeries may provide locations for long-term monitoring using repeated aerial or ground surveys; however, the sparse or infrequently nesting species require insights gleaned by Tradition Ecological Knowledge. Common and conspicuous nesters are easily detected and ranked, but better-informed co-management requires additional ground surveys or surveys timed with the reproductive peaks of rarer species.