Showing papers in "Human Ecology in 2021"
TL;DR: It is proposed that attention should be given to the nature of the disturbance that may alter forest ecology, the forms of regeneration that follow, and the governance context within which this takes place.
Abstract: Forests have long been locations of contestation between people and state bureaucracies, and among the knowledge frameworks of local users, foresters, ecologists, and conservationists. An essential framing of the debate has been between the categories of primary and secondary forest. In this introduction to a collection of papers that address the questions of what basis, in what sense, and for whom primary forest is 'primary' and secondary forest is 'secondary,' and whether these are useful distinctions, we outline this debate and propose a new conceptual model that departs from the simple binary of primary and secondary forests. Rather, we propose that attention should be given to the nature of the disturbance that may alter forest ecology, the forms of regeneration that follow, and the governance context within which this takes place.
18 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the use of 83 taxa belonging to 35 families in four high-altitude remote villages of Central Italy was investigated, and the authors found no relationship between SNS and the richness of traditional knowledge.
Abstract: Profound socioeconomic changes affected mountains of Central Italy during the last century and many traditional agro-pastoral activities were abandoned. A few ethnobotanical studies in this area have specifically documented local wild plants used decades ago, but without analyzing in-depth how and why Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has eroded or changed over time. In this study, we 1) document ethnobotanical uses of four high-altitude remote villages of Central Italy, 2) discuss how these uses have changed over time, comparing them with fieldwork that was conducted 40 years earlier; and 3) assess how plant uses have changed across space, particularly whether the remoteness of villages or the occurrence of Sacred Natural Sites (SNS) have affected TEK linked to wild plants. Sixty semi-structured interviews revealed the use of 83 taxa belonging to 35 families. We did not find any relationship between SNS and the richness of TEK, as these SNS were not inhabited by monastic communities that could have shared their scholarly knowledge. There was not a relationship between remoteness and richness of TEK. The common statement emerging from the field, “We became rich and lost everything”, revealed how socio-economic changes resulted in the rapid abandonment of traditional practices, while the ubiquity of pharmacies may have contributed to the erosion of ethnomedicinal knowledge.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the positive and negative externalities of the expansion of the forestry industry in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations located in six regions of Southern Chile, where 73% of the rural Indigenous people live, over the period 1997-2015.
Abstract: Since the 1980s, forest plantations have expanded globally in response to commercial demand for wood products. Research has focused mainly on the economic and environmental impacts (carbon reduction) of the forestry industry. However, our research focuses on the social impact of large-scale forestry plantations, particularly the effect of the expansion of tree plantations on local communities. We evaluate the positive (employment and income) and negative (poverty and income inequality) externalities of the expansion of the forestry industry in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations located in six regions of Southern Chile, where 73% of the rural Indigenous people live, over the period 1997–2015. Our findings show that the forestry industry’s expansion has not reduced unemployment or improved incomes for the Indigenous or non-Indigenous population. On the contrary, it has increased poverty and inequality between them.
11 citations
TL;DR: The available evidence suggests that in indigenous inhabitants of Yakutia, the indicators of lipid metabolism are not a matter for concern and the role of LepR, LPL, CETP, IL6, PON1 genes in the development of metabolic disorders in the Yakut population is discussed.
Abstract: Extreme climatic conditions of the North with low temperatures and the traditional diet are responsible for development of a specific mechanisms of lipid metabolism among the indigenous peoples of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. The evolutionary patterns of lipid metabolism fixed in the genome in the form of polymorphic genetic markers are important for the development of regional healthcare programs for prevention of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristic features of lipid metabolism and metabolic disorders in the Yakut population. A systematic review of the results of studies of lipid profile parameters and key candidate genes involved in lipid metabolism among the indigenous inhabitants of Yakutia over the past 10 years was performed. The available evidence suggests that in indigenous inhabitants of Yakutia, the indicators of lipid metabolism are not a matter for concern. Participants of the most studies have a high concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low concentrations of triglycerides and low plasma atherogenic index, which are associated with physiological adaptation to environmental conditions. However, changes in dietary patterns including increased consumption of carbohydrates and lifestyle changes including reduced physical activity and abandonment of traditional activities have led to the spread of metabolic disorders in recent decades. Prevalence estimates for the metabolic syndrome in the indigenous inhabitants of Yakutia aged 20 years or older vary from 4.9 % in men to 49.4 % in women in the Arctic regions. We also discuss the mechanisms of lipid metabolism and the role of LepR, LPL, CETP, IL6, PON1 genes in the development of metabolic disorders in the Yakut population.
11 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the association between age and knowledge regarding the use of wild fruits among people living on Awaji Island in Japan and found that the decline in knowledge among young people can be attributed to loss of experience.
Abstract: Previous studies have reported that older people are more knowledgeable about nature than the younger generation. The relationship between people’s age and level of knowledge can be explained via two mechanisms: knowledge increases with age (wisdom of the elders), and opportunities to acquire knowledge decrease with successive generations (loss of experience). In this study, we examined the association between age and knowledge regarding the use of wild fruits among people living on Awaji Island in Japan. Analysis of the results revealed that the decline in knowledge among young people can be attributed to loss of experience. Furthermore, we found that the channels of knowledge transfer have changed between generations, earlier, children received it from their peers, but in recent years, it has been coming to them from older people and teachers.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a comparison between secondary forests (SF) and other land uses in shifting cultivation landscapes was made for carbon storage, biodiversity, and soil variables, concluding that secondary forests were in most cases inferior to old-growth forests in terms of carbon storage and biodiversity, whereas soil quality comparisons varied.
Abstract: It is often asserted that secondary forests (SF) provide inferior forest-based ecosystem services (ES), but there is limited research to generalize this claim. Here, we review comparisons between ES provision in SFs and other land uses in shifting cultivation landscapes. We searched the peer-reviewed literature and selected only studies that compare ES from SF with ES from other land uses. In total, 212 ES and 347 comparisons of different land use systems were recorded. Comparisons were mainly made for carbon storage, biodiversity, and soil variables. Very few provisioning ES were compared in the literature and no cultural services were recorded. SF were in most cases inferior to old-growth forest in terms of carbon storage and biodiversity, whereas soil quality comparisons varied. ES provision in SF was superior to agricultural systems, whereas comparisons with plantation crops varied. We conclude that the narrow focus on specific ES categories strongly limits understanding of SF in shifting cultivation areas and that it is more relevant to compare SFs with other agricultural systems rather than with old-growth forests.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a sample of 28 ethnographic cases was used to argue that people increasingly agree the climate is changing and humans are the cause, but this conclusion might be premature and that this agreement is often understood differently and leads to diverging ways of allocating meaning about humans and the weather.
Abstract: International surveys suggest people increasingly agree the climate is changing and humans are the cause One reading of this is that people have adopted the scientific point of view Based on a sample of 28 ethnographic cases we argue that this conclusion might be premature Communities merge scientific explanations with local knowledge in hybrid ways This is possible because both discourses blame humans as the cause of the changes they observe However, the specific factors or agents blamed differ in each case Whereas scientists identify carbon dioxide producers in particular world regions, indigenous communities often blame themselves, since, in many lay ontologies, the weather is typically perceived as a local phenomenon, which rewards and punishes people for their actions Thus, while survey results show approval of the scientific view, this agreement is often understood differently and leads to diverging ways of allocating meaning about humans and the weather
10 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, mental models of farmers in Kapuas Hulu, Kalimantan, were assessed in three distinct landscape contexts: i) oil palm (OP), ii) national park (NP), and iii) transition (T) sites.
Abstract: Catastrophic uncontrolled fires are a leading social-environmental challenge that now occur even in the humid tropics. In 2015 extensive Indonesian peatland fires commanded national and international attention and resulted in a ban on all burning in the country extending to traditional farmers practicing small-scale fire-based agriculture on mineral soils. However, the impacts of, and responses to the ban on these fire-dependent communities is not well understood. Understanding the mental models of communities exposed to environmental change and its corresponding policy responses can provide salient insights into the place-based experience of change to identify contested perceptions and serve to improve the distributional equity of associated impacts. We assessed the mental models of Dayak farmers in Kapuas Hulu, Kalimantan, in three distinct landscape contexts: i) oil palm (OP), ii) national park (NP), and iii) transition (T) sites. These locations enabled insights into how different contemporary landscape contexts and livelihood opportunities are related to experiences and coping strategies. We collected data using the Conceptual Content Cognitive Mapping approach in two communities in each landscape context (n = 24 participants per landscape), and 72 interviews in total. Results show that the NP and T sites were most similar, whilst the OP communities held distinct perceptions of fire. In addition to the agricultural value of fire, cultural and relational values are associated with fire use across sites and would be severed through fire prevention. Finally, we show that the burdens of the burn ban for farmers and forests were most pronounced in the NP and T sites where farmers are most reliant on traditional agriculture, have the fewest livelihood alternatives and least external support to fight uncontrolled fires.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a methodological approach for communities of enquiry to engage communities of practice through context-specific sociocultural and ecological relations driven by seasonal change.
Abstract: Seasonal rounds are deliberative articulations of a community’s sociocultural relations with their ecological system. The process of visualizing seasonal rounds informs transdisciplinary research. We present a methodological approach for communities of enquiry to engage communities of practice through context-specific sociocultural and ecological relations driven by seasonal change. We first discuss historical precis of the concept of seasonal rounds that we apply to assess the spatial and temporal communal migrations and then describe current international research among Indigenous and rural communities in North America and Central Asia by the creation of a common vocabulary through mutual respect for multiple ways of knowing, validation of co-generated knowledge, and insights into seasonal change. By investigating the relationship between specific biophysical indicators and livelihoods of local communities, we demonstrate that seasonal rounds are an inclusive and participatory methodology that brings together diverse Indigenous and rural voices to anticipate anthropogenic climate change.
10 citations
TL;DR: This document is intended to help clarify the role of Twitter in the operation of this website and its role in the lives of members of the public.
Abstract: Severe natural and climatic conditions, special features of work, rest, nutrition, physical activity and communication of people in the Arctic zone can seriously affect intestinal microbiota. This review summarizes the research results indicating the decrease in the number, changes in the morphological and biological properties of lacto-and bifidobacteria, activation of opportunistic and pathogenic intestinal flora of the inhabitants of the Far North. Mechanisms of a complex interplay between the human body and intestinal microbiocenosis are presentd The influence of microbiota on intestinal permeability, nerve endings of the enteral nervous system, and immuno-inflammatory processes is shown. Data on the participation of microbial molecules in the modulation of neurotransmission in the brain and spinal cord, activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system are summarized. The positive effects of pro-, prebiotics and dietary supplements in the correction of conditions associated with environmental and occupational stress are highlighted.
9 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate the impact of environmental variation on human communities over the last four millennia in the southern Lake Titicaca basin of the Andes, known as Lake Winaymarka.
Abstract: Investigations of how past human societies managed during times of major climate change can inform our understanding of potential human responses to ongoing environmental change. In this study, we evaluate the impact of environmental variation on human communities over the last four millennia in the southern Lake Titicaca basin of the Andes, known as Lake Winaymarka. Refined paleoenvironmental reconstructions from new diatom-based reconstructions of lake level together with archaeological evidence of animal and plant resource use from sites on the Taraco Peninsula, Bolivia, reveal frequent climate and lake-level changes within major cultural phases. We posit that climate fluctuations alone do not explain major past social and political transformations but instead that a highly dynamic environment contributed to the development of flexible and diverse subsistence practices by the communities in the Titicaca Basin.
TL;DR: In this paper, the atomic absorption method was used to assess concentrations of trace elements in hair of children - permanent residents of rural areas with different climatic and geochemical conditions in the Irkutsk region, South-Eastern Siberia.
Abstract: Introduction: Monitoring of different elements in human biological samples is one of the promising areas of environmental health and medicine. Aim: To assess concentrations of trace element in hair of children - permanent residents of rural areas with different climatic and geochemical conditions in the Irkutsk region, South-Eastern Siberia. Methods: Altogether, 372 children aged 6-15 years took part in the study. Hair concentrations of three essential elements (zinc, copper and magnesium) and three toxic elements (mercury, lead and cadmium) were assessed by the atomic absorption method using AAS-240DUO spectrophotometer (Agilent Technologies, USA). Data were presented using medians (Me) and interquartile ranges (Q1 - Q3) across the settings and age-groups. Results: The most pronounced deviations from the normal concentrations were observed for copper and magnesium. Concentration of copper in children's hair in the 7 areas varied between 3.48-6.15 pg/g. A half of the children of the Kazachinsky district had concentration of magnesium between 8.89-20.54 pg/g which is below the limit. Concentrations of zinc were greater in the northern districts of the region (212.89-308.52 pg/g) while in the foothill area a deficiency of zinc (53.01-66.21pg/g) was observed. An excessive levels of level of mercury were found in the Alarsky (0.66-2.30 pg/g), Balagansky (0.56-1.82 pg/g) and Katansky (0.34-1.20 pg/g) districts. An increased level of lead was observed in the Alarsky region (1.17-4.26 pg/g) while increased concentrations of cadmium were observed in the Katansky region (0.22-0.64 pg/g). Conclusions: Concentrations of essential and toxic elements in children's hair varied between the districts of the Irkutsk region. Our results warrant more biomonitoring research including variables on children's health particularly from the vulnerable groups.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use three sources of data, land cover change, policy maps, and interviews, to triangulate the main issues of land use change in Indonesian coastal ecosystems.
Abstract: Understanding land-use change is imperative in the management of Indonesian coastal ecosystems with numerous environmental impacts generated from land-use conversion. To assess these impacts in holistic perspective, we use three sources of data, land cover change, policy maps, and interviews, to triangulate the main issues. Combining these sources, we analyze land-use changes in the past based on perception interviews and secondary data from the government spatial plan policy map and observable land-cover. In Tanjung Batu and Derawan Island we found that local populations were more aware of the changes related to infrastructure development, but that there are discrepancies between assigned and actual land-use, illustrating the value of a triangulated framework.
TL;DR: Identification of the associations between pathogenetic factors of metabolic and circulatory syndromes in young adults in the Arctic shows the importance of their early detection, prevention and correction at young age with the further going aim reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases inThe Arctic.
Abstract: Introduction. The presence of pathogenetic factors of metabolic and circulatory syndromes from a young age substantially increases the risk of atherosclerosis later in life. Extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic may also contribute to early onset of atherogenesis and neuroendocrine metabolic disorders. Aim. To study the complex associations between a large set of anthropometric, clinical, laboratory, and genetic factors in young adults in a Russian Arctic city. Methods. In total, 185 young adults participated in a cross-sectional study in a city of Arkhangelsk. Data on180 anthropometric, clinical and laboratory and genetic variables were collected for a comprehensive analysis of their interactions and identification of complex patterns related to proatherogenic conditions. Statistical methods of topological and metric data analysis were applied. Results. Anthropometric and bioimpedance indicators of excess weight were associated with glucose levels, insulin, HOME index, lipid profile (HDL, LDL), vitamin D- and iron deficiencies. Hyperglycemia was associated with lower waist/hip ratio (p = 0.042), higher extracellular water content (p = 0.0283), amount of adipose tissue (p = 0.030), increased uric acid levels (p < 0.001), HOMA index (p < 0.001) and insulin growth factor (p = 0.006) as well as decreased levels of red blood cells (p = 0.016), T4 (p < 0.001) and pyruvate (p = 0.016). Iron deficiency was associated with low levels of red blood cells (p = 0.003), hemoglobin (p < 0.001), elevated levels of creatine kinase (p = 0.028) and parathyroid hormone (p = 0.031), decreased blood antioxidant resource (ImAnOx index, p = 0.034), and decreased blood lactate levels (p = 0.035). Conclusions. Identification of the associations between pathogenetic factors of metabolic and circulatory syndromes in young adults in the Arctic shows the importance of their early detection, prevention and correction at young age with the further going aim reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the Arctic. The analysis also suggests the role of vitamin D deficiency in development of metabolic and circulatory syndromes.
TL;DR: This paper used archaeological radiocarbon records to evaluate a hypothesis drawn from resilience thinking that may explain the stability of human populations: Faced with long-term increases in population density, greater variability in the production of food leads to less stable populations, while lower variability leads to more stable populations.
Abstract: Explaining the stability of human populations provides knowledge for understanding the resilience of human societies to environmental change. Here, we use archaeological radiocarbon records to evaluate a hypothesis drawn from resilience thinking that may explain the stability of human populations: Faced with long-term increases in population density, greater variability in the production of food leads to less stable populations, while lower variability leads to more stable populations. However, increased population stability may come with the cost of larger collapses in response to rare, large-scale environmental perturbations. Our results partially support this hypothesis. Agricultural societies that relied on extensive landscape engineering to intensify production and tightly control variability in the production of food experienced the most stability. Contrary to the hypothesis, these societies also experienced the least severe population declines. We propose that the interrelationship between landscape engineering and increased political-economic complexity reduces the magnitude of population collapses in a region.
TL;DR: This work discusses the human-initiated model in which wolf pups were brought to camp sites by male hunters and cared for by nursing women, and a good relation between the more sociable and playful pups and the women and their children likely formed affiliative bonds and led to the survival of such pups into maturity.
Abstract: Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the initial steps in the domestication process of the wolf. We discuss the human-initiated model in which wolf pups were brought to camp sites by male hunters and cared for by nursing women. A good relation between the more sociable and playful pups and the women and their children likely formed affiliative bonds and led to the survival of such pups into maturity. Some of these animals could have reproduced and delivered at least one litter. A selection on the behaviour of subsequent generations could ultimately have led to Palaeolithic dogs.
TL;DR: A review of health impact assessment methods can be found in this article, where the authors focus on two main methodological concepts, namely, calculation of illness costs and assessment of willingness to pay to minimize the risk of negative heath consequences.
Abstract: This paper presents a review of national and international theoretical and applied research on methods of health impact assessment. We focuse on two main methodological concepts of health impact monetization, namely, calculation of illness costs and assessment of willingness to pay to minimize the risk of negative heath consequences. The theoretical grounds and principles of application for both approaches are presented. An example of calculation using the data on of the willingness to pay to reduce the risk of death from hazardous environmental influences is presented. The internal structure of the approach to the assessment of health impact based on calculation of illness's cost is also presented. Calculation of costs, research perspectives and competing approaches to estimate indirect costs are given using the human capital method and the frictional cost method. Possible areas of application of various methodologies for assessing environmental health impact are described, their advantages and disadvantages are identified from the point of view of their applicability in various settings. Conclusions on the basic principles of choosing and adjusting the methodology for determining the economic burden of the disease for solving various research problems are presented.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an analytical contrast of the dynamics of secondary forest regeneration in Nepal and Peru framed by a set of common themes: land access, boundaries, territories, and rights, seemingly more secure in Nepal than Peru.
Abstract: We provide an analytical contrast of the dynamics of secondary forest regeneration in Nepal and Peru framed by a set of common themes: land access, boundaries, territories, and rights, seemingly more secure in Nepal than Peru; processes of agrarian change and their consequences for forest-agriculture interactions and the role of secondary forest in the landscape, more marked in Peru, where San Martin is experiencing apparent agricultural intensification, than in Nepal; and finally processes of social differentiation that have consequences for different social groups, livelihood construction and their engagement with trees, common to both countries. These themes address the broader issue of the necessary conditions for secondary forest regeneration and the extent to which the rights and livelihood benefits of those actively managing it are secured.
TL;DR: In this paper, the management of trees and forests through the lens of land-ease capital is discussed and the importance of undertaking a critical analysis of labor investment and its landscape legacies in relation to ecological processes, social dynamics, and political economy.
Abstract: We discuss the management of trees and forests through the lens of “landesque capital.” A theoretical point of departure is how landesque capital accumulates through a process that relies on both the ‘work of nature’ and the ‘work of people.’ This approach highlights the importance of undertaking a critical analysis of labor investment and its landscape legacies in relation to ecological processes, social dynamics, and political economy. Empirically we draw on the case of smallholder production of coffee and annual crops in southwestern Ethiopia. We show how both the production (generation and maintenance) and destruction of forests in the study area are largely shaped by processes of landesque capital accumulation and discuss the importance of analyzing how people contribute to produce forests to meet production goals in contrast to the ubiquitous notion of humans as a solely destructive force of change in forest ecosystems.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used anthropological and archaeological data to assess six hypotheses concerning the roles of dogs in the traditional villages on the Mid Fraser Canyon in British Columbia and found that it is likely that village dogs lived in traditional Mid-Fraser villages where they may have consumed human food waste, but were also used for hunting, possibly hauling loads, as a source of products, and as a target of ritual treatments.
Abstract: Dogs (Canis familiaris) are ubiquitous in human settlements. A range of studies suggests that uses of dogs vary with ecological context. High seasonality and reliance upon large game appears to favor investments in the uses of dogs as aids in hunting and hauling. Regional cultural traditions may also play significant roles in attitudes and behaviors towards dogs. We use ethnographic and archaeological data to assess six hypotheses concerning the roles of dogs in the traditional villages on the Mid-Fraser Canyon in British Columbia. We find that it is likely that village dogs lived in traditional Mid-Fraser villages where they may have consumed human food waste, but were also used for hunting, possibly hauling loads, as a source of products, and as a target of ritual treatments. Given their importance in numerous activities, dogs may have been wealth items for select households.
TL;DR: In this article, the governance challenges faced by two different types of aquatic protected areas in Bangladesh for fish stocks and elasmobranch and cetacean species are assessed, and the authors argue that to achieve Aichi Target 11 and SDG14 goals, expanding the MPAs’ spatial coverage in Bangladesh should be coupled with ensuring effectiveness and social equity.
Abstract: This study assesses the governance challenges faced by two different types of aquatic protected areas in Bangladesh for fish stocks and elasmobranch and cetacean species. Establishing a network of sanctuaries across six riverine and estuarine zones has yielded positive ecological outcomes in the revitalization of hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) fisheries. The combination of firm political commitment, a meaningful partnership among various government agencies toward more vigorous enforcement, and a compensation scheme has contributed to this success. However, less attention has been given to the sanctuaries’ social outcomes leading to underperformance in effectiveness and social equity. The drivers of ecological outcomes for hilsa shad sanctuaries may also be useful for marine megafauna conservation. In addition, fishers’ needs, and participation should be considered when developing a management plan for marine protected areas (MPAs). Finally, I argue that to achieve Aichi Target 11 and SDG14 goals, expanding the MPAs’ spatial coverage in Bangladesh should be coupled with ensuring effectiveness and social equity.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that state co-option of community lands is unwarranted and argue that rural communities on all continents ably demonstrate the will and capacity to conserve forests.
Abstract: I address a contentious element in forest property relations to illustrate the role of ownership in protecting and expanding of forest cover by examining the extent to which rural communities may legally own forests. The premise is that whilst state-owned protected areas have contributed enormously to forest survival, this has been insufficiently successful to justify the mass dispossession of customary land-owning communities this has entailed. Further, I argue that state co-option of community lands is unwarranted. Rural communities on all continents ably demonstrate the will and capacity to conserve forests – provided their customary ownership is legally recognized. I explore the property rights reforms now enabling this. The replication potential of community protected forestlands is great enough to deserve flagship status in global commitments to expand forest including in the upcoming new Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the gendered nature of forest conflicts and the "quiet politics" of resistance to violence grounded in the everyday work of care that are crucial to understanding forests and their governance, and highlight the importance of close attention to seemingly mundane actions rooted in people's daily lives and experiences.
Abstract: We address two aspects of forest lives—violence and care—that are central to forest outcomes but often invisible in mainstream discussions on forests. We argue that questions of violence and care work in forests open up debates about what forests are, who defines them, and how. We draw primarily on feminist work on forestry, violence, and care to examine the gendered nature of forest conflicts and the ‘quiet politics’ of resistance to violence grounded in the everyday work of care that are crucial to understanding forests and their governance. We show how varied practices of resistance to violence and injustice are grounded in cooperative action of care and are an intrinsic part of shaping and regenerating forests. We highlight the importance of close attention to seemingly mundane actions rooted in people’s daily lives and experiences that shape forests.
TL;DR: The authors explored socio-ecological resilience and fire management in China by examining the interaction of wildfires and successive fire policies, the fundamental transformation of fire suppression after 1949, along with adaptive cycles of disruption and recovery in fire prone areas.
Abstract: China has a long history of both using and managing fire use while still regularly forced to fight forest fires. My approach seeks to generate historical insights that explain how the wildfire paradox developed over the past 150 years in northeastern and southwestern China. To explore these dynamics, I use the concepts of “panarchy” and adaptive cycles, rigidity and wildfire paradox, and fire fences and corridors to explore socio-ecological resilience and fire management. By examining the interaction of wildfires and successive fire policies, the fundamental transformation of fire suppression after 1949, along with adaptive cycles of disruption and recovery in fire prone areas, I hope to broaden perspectives on how ideas, policies and people influenced forest ecosystems and resilience through total fire suppression concepts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared seed exchange networks supporting two contrasting livestock production systems to identify bottlenecks in seed availability and determine the influences of the market, institutions, and cultural context of seed exchange, using interview-based methods for'seed tracing' and network analysis.
Abstract: In Southeast Asia, access to improved forages remains a challenge for smallholder farmers and limits livestock production. We compared seed exchange networks supporting two contrasting livestock production systems to identify bottlenecks in seed availability and determine the influences of the market, institutions, and cultural context of seed exchange, using interview-based methods for ‘seed tracing’ and network analysis. Government agencies were the primary sources of high-quality genetic materials, with secondary diffusion in the Philippines dairy case being dominated by key individuals in active cooperatives. In the Vietnamese beef-oriented production context, farmer to farmer dissemination was more substantial. In both cases, formal actors dominated where botanical seed was exchanged, while farmers frequently exchanged vegetatively propagated materials among themselves. To improve access to forage seed in these contexts, government agencies and development actors should coordinate quality seed production upstream while supporting the creation of appropriate training, structures, and incentives for seed exchange network improvement downstream.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed present human-nature interactions during COVID-19 and projected future interactions after the pandemic, based on review on academic literature and reports from international development organizations.
Abstract: The frequency of pandemics occurrence has increased, from every 200 years in period before the 18th century, to occurring every 10 to 50 years in the last century. The illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, the devastation of forests and other wild places, and rapid human mobility were the driving forces behind the increasing number of diseases leaping from wildlife to humans. This article analyzes present human-nature interactions during COVID-19 and projecting future interactions after the pandemic, based on review on academic literature and reports from international development organizations. We found that global pandemic such as COVID-19 is altering human-nature interactions in three major global ecological issues: wildlife, urban emission, and land use. For wildlife, COVID-19 affects human perception towards wildlife consumption and trade, as well as animal conservation. For land use, COVID-19 makes countries reduced efforts for forest monitoring and conservation. For urban emission, lockdown/mobility limitation and physical or social distancing policies are proven to some extent resulted in better human-nature interactions that reduce environmental problems. Reduced emission occurred from decreased industrial activities and mobilities. But this positive impact on environment may end once COVID-19 ends and human activities return to previous pattern. Therefore, structural change is required to prepare a resilient sustainable development by continuing existing positive human behavior during COVID-19 as a new normal of human-nature relationships. It is proven to reduce emission and if it is continued, it can have long term impacts on climate change mitigation.
TL;DR: In this article, a case study from Northwestern China's Xinjiang examines a national program of building "ecological civilization" that connects ethnic hierarchies, epistemic violence, and ecological imperialism, arguing that China's utopian vision of building ecological civilization in Xinjiang is at the expense of excluding Indigenous populations as knowledge and stakeholders in resource management.
Abstract: As China entered a more “ecology-conscious” phase of development in 2012, the Chinese Communist Party utilized the slogan “ecological civilization” as part of its ideological framework of controlling borders, biopower, and resources. This case study from Northwestern China’s Xinjiang examines a national program of building “ecological civilization” that connects ethnic hierarchies, epistemic violence, and ecological imperialism. I argue that China’s utopian vision of building “ecological civilization” in Xinjiang is at the expense of excluding Indigenous populations as knowledge and stakeholders in resource management. Instead of improving livelihood and ecology, the rehabilitation-centric “ecological civilization” projects and ecotourism diminished local resilience and agency. The Chinese state capitalizes on pastoral landscape and labor through the powerful discourse of “ecological civilization” while the native community experiences grief for the loss of environment and landscape.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined how market processes and conservation enforcement interact to influence livelihood responses in Nam Et-Phou Louey (NEPL) National Park in northern Lao PDR and found that market linkages, historical conservation interventions, and local access conditions shape livelihoods and differences between villages.
Abstract: Despite the popularity of integrated conservation and development approaches to protected area management, adjacent communities increasingly face livelihood dilemmas. Yet understanding of how market processes and conservation enforcement interact to influence livelihood responses remains limited. Targeting eight villages in Nam Et-Phou Louey (NEPL) National Park in northern Lao PDR, we draw on survey data with 255 households, 93 semi-structured interviews, and meso-level data on village conditions to examine how residents navigate associated livelihood dilemmas. A cluster analysis reveals five livelihood types with divergent capacities to engage in market development and cope with enforcement pressures. We show how market linkages, historical conservation interventions, and local access conditions shape livelihoods and differences between villages. Our approach yields a nuanced picture of how global conservation efforts result in an uneven distribution of costs and benefits at local scales. Conservation measures must account for highly divergent capacities to cope with access loss and diversify livelihoods.
TL;DR: This paper explored the attraction of volcanoes in a Southeast Asian context through a comparative examination of the communities surrounding Mount Mayon in the Bicol peninsula of the Philippines and Gunung Awu on the island of Sangihe Besar in Indonesia, and argued that risk awareness programmes that disregard the extent to which a volcano is embedded within the physical and mental fabric of a society and fail to connect to local historical cultural memory are likely to have little lasting effect on reducing people's vulnerability.
Abstract: Volcanoes are surrounded by villages, towns, and polities that are constantly shifting location to benefit from the rich soils generated in the aftermath of eruptions, while, at the same time, avoiding the worst of their destructive potential. We explore the attraction of volcanoes in a Southeast Asian context through a comparative examination of the communities surrounding Mount Mayon in the Bicol peninsula of the Philippines and Gunung Awu on the island of Sangihe Besar in Indonesia. These volcanoes influence the location of settlements, forms of community identity, and the expression of cultural memories. We argue that risk awareness programmes that disregard the extent to which a volcano is embedded within the physical and mental fabric of a society and fail to connect to local historical cultural memory are likely to have little lasting effect on reducing people’s vulnerability.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors apply and combine Ostrom's social-ecological systems framework (SESF) and Bennett's perception framework to identify the contextual variables influencing different perceptions in a case study of small-scale fisheries co-management in Costa Rica implementing a marine protected area.
Abstract: There are few studies about how social-ecological context is linked to actor perceptions in environmental governance, although it is evident that resource use behavior, participatory processes, rule compliance, and cooperation are influenced by actors’ perceptions. We apply and combine Ostrom’s social-ecological systems framework (SESF) and Bennett’s (2016) perception framework to identify the contextual variables influencing different perceptions in a case study of small-scale fisheries co-management in Costa Rica implementing a marine protected area. Analytically, we use network analysis tools to analyze qualitative interview data in a way that links the two frameworks, and content analysis to provide contexutally meaningful descriptions of those network patterns in practice. Our findings suggest Bennett’s perceptions framework can be expanded and that the SESF is useful to identify how perceptions relate to more social and ecological variables than prior research suggests. Our findings demonstrate the importance of understanding perceptions and context in environmental governance analyses and practice. We conclude with reflections on local policy challenges.