Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

The Theory of Island Biogeography

Indigenous groups offer alternative knowledge and perspectives based on their own locally developed practices of resource use. We surveyed the international literature to focus on the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in monitoring, responding to, and managing ecosystem processes and functions, with special attention to ecological resilience. Case studies revealed that there exists a diversity of local or traditional practices for ecosystem management. These include multiple species management, resource rotation, succession management, landscape patchiness management, and other ways of responding to and managing pulses and ecological surprises. Social mechanisms behind these traditional practices include a number of adaptations for the generation, accumulation, and transmission of knowledge; the use of local institutions to provide leaders/stewards and rules for social regulation; mechanisms for cultural internalization of traditional practices; and the development of appropriate world views and cultural values. Some traditional knowledge and management systems were characterized by the use of local ecological knowledge to interpret and respond to feedbacks from the environment to guide the direction of resource management. These traditional systems had certain similarities to adaptive management with its emphasis on feedback learning, and its treatment of uncertainty and unpredictability intrinsic to all ecosystems.

http://wildrodopi.org/data/documents/Rediscovery-Traditional-Ecological=20Knowledge.pdf

Rediscovery of traditional ecological knowledge as adaptive management

Enchantment and Disenchantment: The Role of Community in Natural Resource Conservation

The application of bio-char (charcoal or biomass-derived black carbon (C)) to soil is pro- posed as a novel approach to establish a significant, long-term, sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. Apart from positive effects in both reducing emissions and increasing the sequestration of greenhouse gases, the production of bio-char and its application to soil will deliver im- mediate benefits through improved soil fertility and increased crop production. Conversion of biomass C to bio-char C leads to sequestration of about 50% of the initial C compared to the low amounts retained after burning (3%) and biological decomposition (<10-20% after 5-10 years), therefore yielding more stable soil C than burning or direct land application of biomass. This efficiency of C conversion of biomass to bio-char is highly dependent on the type of feedstock, but is not significantly affected by the pyrolysis temperature (within 350-500 ◦ C common for pyrolysis). Existing slash-and- burn systems cause significant degradation of soil and release of greenhouse gases and opportunies may exist to enhance this system by conversion to slash-and-char systems. Our global analysis revealed that up to 12% of the total anthropogenic C emissions by land use change (0.21 Pg C) can be off-set annually in soil, if slash-and-burn is replaced by slash-and-char. Agricultural and forestry wastes such as forest residues, mill residues, field crop residues, or urban wastes add a conservatively estimated 0.16 Pg C yr −1 . Biofuel production using modern biomass can produce a bio-char by-product through pyrolysis which results in 30.6 kg C sequestration for each GJ of energy produced. Using published projections of the use of renewable fuels in the year 2100, bio-char sequestration could amount to 5.5-9.5 Pg C yr −1 if this demand for energy was met through pyrolysis, which would exceed current emissions from fossil fuels (5.4 Pg C yr −1 ). Bio-char soil management systems can deliver tradable C emissions reduction, and C sequestered is easily accountable, and verifiable.

/pdf/bio-char-sequestration-in-terrestrial-ecosystems-a-review-11nd7n5wu0.pdf

Bio-char sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems - a review

Black Carbon (BC) may significantly affect nutrient retention and play a key role in a wide range of biogeochemical processes in soils, especially for nutrient cycling. Anthrosols from the Brazilian Amazon (ages between 600 and 8700 yr BP) with high contents of biomassderived BC had greater potential cation exchange capacity (CEC measured at pH 7) per unit organic C than adjacent soils with low BC contents.Synchrotron-based near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy coupled with scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) techniques explained the source of the higher surface charge of BC compared with non-BC by mapping crosssectional areas of BC particles with diameters of 10 to 50 mm for C forms. The largest cross-sectional areas consisted of highly aromatic or only slightly oxidized organic C most likely originating from the BC itself with a characteristic peak at 286.1 eV, which could not be found in humic substance extracts, bacteria or fungi. Oxidation significantly increased from the core of BC particles to their surfaces as shown by the ratio of carboxyl-C/aromatic-C. Spotted and non-continuous distribution patterns of highly oxidized C functional groups with distinctly different chemical signatures on BC particle surfaces (peak shift at 286.1 eV to a higher energy of 286.7 eV) indicated that non-BC may be adsorbed on the surfaces of BC particles creating highly oxidized surface. As a consequence of both oxidation of the BC particles themselves and adsorption of organic matter to BC surfaces, the charge density (potential CEC per unit surface area) was greater in BC-rich Anthrosols than adjacent soils. Additionally, a high specific surface area was attributable to the presence of BC, which may contribute to the high CEC found in soils that are rich in BC.

/pdf/black-carbon-increases-cation-exchange-capacity-in-soils-3fak9ns4e1.pdf

Black Carbon Increases Cation Exchange Capacity in Soils

Historical ecology is a new interdisciplinary research program concerned with comprehending temporal and spatial dimensions in the relationships of human societies to local environments and the cumulative global effects of these relationships. Historical ecology contains core postulates that concern qualitative types of human-mediated disturbance of natural environments and the effect of these on species diversity, among other parameters. A central term used in historical ecology to situate human behavior and agency in the environment is the landscape, as derived from historical geography, instead of the ecosystem, which is from systems ecology. Historical ecology is similar to nonequilibrium dynamic theory, but differs in its postulate of human-mediated disturbance as a principle of landscape transformation. Such disturbances counterintuitively may involve anthropogenic primary and secondary succession that result in net increases of alpha and even beta diversity. Applied historical ecology can s...

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/53/outlines/2014-15/NECU5311/Balee_2006_AnnRevAnth_HistoricalEcology.pdf

The Research Program of Historical Ecology

Quantitative data are presented on the use of trees in terra firme dense forest by four indigenous Amazonian groups: the Ka'apor and Tembe, both Tupi-Guarani-speaking groups of Brazil; the Panare, a Cariban-speaking group of Venezuela; and the Chacobo, a Panoan-speaking group of Bolivia. In each case, an ethnoecological forest inventory was conducted of a 1-hectare parcel of forest. All trees at least 10 centimeters diameter at breast height (DBH) were marked, and botanical specimens were collected Specimens were presented to indigenous informants to gather data on use. Based on these interviews and the identifcation of specimens collected, it was possible to calculate the percentage of tree species on each hectare that was useful to each group: Ka'apor, 768 percent; Tembe 61.3 percent; Panare, 48.6 percent; Chacobo, 78.7 percent. Furthermore, by dividing the trees into various use categories (food construction, technology, remedy, commerce, and other), and designating the cultural importance of each species as “major” or “minor,” it was possible to devise a “use value” for each species, and by summation, for each plant family. Based on these calculations, it was determined that the Palmae was the most useful family for all four indigenous groups. Our data support the assertion that the terra firme rainforests of Amazonia contain an exceptionally large number of useful species and that certain plant families (e.g. Palmae) deserve special consideration in terms of conservation. The fact that each indigenous group has different suites of most useful species is, in fact, more a reflection of plant endemism within Amazonia than intercultural differences per se. High indigenous plant use combined with high endemism has important implications for conservation policy: many reserves are needed throughout Amazonia



Resumen: Se presentan datos cuantitativos sobre el uso de aarboles en bosques densos de terra firme, por cuatro grupos de indigenas amazonicos: los Ka'apor y los Termbe brasilenos de la familia linguistica Tupi-Guarani; los Panare, venezolanos de la familia linguistica Cariban; y los Chacobo, bolivianos de la familia linguistica Panoan. En cada uno de los casos se hizo un inventario forestal etnoecologico en una parcela de bosque de una hectarea; se marcaron todos los aarboles depor lo menos 10 cm de diametro a la altura del pecho (DAP), se colectaron muestras botanicas y se mostraron a los indigenas para obtener datos acerca de su uso. Basados en las entrevistas y la identificacion de los especimenes colectados fue posible calcular los siguientes porcentajes de especies arboreas utiles para cada grupo: 768% para los Ka'apor, 61.3% para los Tembe, 48.6% para los Panare y 78.7% para los Chacobo. Ademas, dividiendo los arboles en varias categories de uso (alimento, construccion, tecnologia, medicina, comercio y otros), y designando la importancia cultural de cada especie como “mayor” o “menor” fue posible estimar un “valor de uso” para cada especie y un “valor total” para cada familia de plantas. Estos datos indican que la familia Palmae era la mas util para los cuatro grupos. Nuestros datos sustentan la afirmacion de que los bosques lluviosos de terra firme contienen un numero excepcionalmente grande de especies utiles y que ciertas familias de plantas (e.g, Palmae) merecen especial atencion en terminos de conservacion. El hecho de que cada grupo indigena tenga diferentes colecciones de especies es mas un reflejo de endemismo vegetal en la Amazonid que diferencias interculturales per se. El gran uso de plantas nativas combinado con el alto endemismo tiene implicaciones para la politica de conservacion: se necesitan muchas resmas a traves de la Amazonia.

Quantitative Ethnobotany and the Case for Conservation in Ammonia

1. Introduction 2. The Botanical and Ethnographic Setting 3. Ka'apor History 4. Activity Contexts of Plants and People 5. Medicine, Magic, and Poison 6. Indigenous Forest Management 7. Plant Nomenclature and Classification 8. Toward a Comparative Ethnobotany of Lowland South America

Footprints of the Forest: Ka'Apor Ethnobotany- The Historical Ecology of Plant Utilization by an Amazonian People

Footprints of the Forest: Ka'apor Ethnobotany-the Historical Ecology of Plant Utilization by an Amazonian People.

PrefaceContributorsTime, Complexity, and Historical Ecology, by William Balee and Clark L. EricksonPart 11. The Feral Forests of the Eastern Peten, by David G. Campbell, Anabel Ford, Karen S. Lowell, Jay Walker, Jeffrey K. Lake, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Andrew Townesmith, and Michael Balick2. A Neotropical Framework for Terra Preta, by Elizabeth Graham3. Domesticated Food and Society in Early Coastal Peru, by Christine A. Hastorf4. Microvertebrate Synecology and Anthropogenic Footprints in the Forested Neotropics, by Peter W. StahlPart 25. Pre-European Forest Cultivation in Amazonia, by William M. Denevan6. Fruit Trees and the Transition to Food Production in Amazonia, by Charles R. Clement7. The Historical Ecology of a Complex Landscape in Bolivia, Clark L. Erickson and William Balee8. The Domesticated Landscapes of the Bolivian Amazon, by Clark L. Erickson9. Political Economy and Pre-Columbian Landscape Transformations in Central Amazonia, by Eduardo G. Neves and James B. Petersen10. History, Ecology, and Alterity: Visualizing Polity in Ancient Amazonia, by Michael Heckenberger11. Between the Ship and the Bulldozer: Historical Ecology of Guaja Subsistence, Sociality, and Symbolism After 1500, by Loretta A. Cormier12. Landscapes of the Past, Footprints of the Future: Historical Ecology and the Study of Contemporary Land-Use Change in the Amazon, by Eduardo S. BrondizioIndex

William Balée

Papers

The Research Program of Historical Ecology

Quantitative Ethnobotany and the Case for Conservation in Ammonia

Footprints of the Forest: Ka'Apor Ethnobotany- The Historical Ecology of Plant Utilization by an Amazonian People

Footprints of the Forest: Ka'apor Ethnobotany-the Historical Ecology of Plant Utilization by an Amazonian People.

Time and Complexity in Historical Ecology: Studies in the Neotropical Lowlands