Journal ArticleDOI
Use of indigenous knowledge for rapidly assessing trends in biodiversity: a case study from Chiapas, Mexico
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In this article, a case study was conducted in two rural communities, Juznajab and Muquenal, in Chiapas, Mexico, using a variety of Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques.Abstract:
In order to evaluate the usefulness of rapid surveys of indigenous knowledge for assessing trends in biodiversity, a case study was undertaken in two rural communities, Juznajab and Muquenal, in Chiapas, Mexico. This involved the use of a variety of rapid rural appraisal (RRA) and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques, including semi-structured interviews, transect walks and participatory mapping. These approaches were used in conjunction with analysis of land use maps and aerial photographs to evaluate recent changes in vegetation cover and abundance of utilised species. In both communities, the extent of forest cover was considered by local people to have declined substantially in recent decades, with an annual decline in forest cover of 0.3% and 0.6% estimated by local people in Juznajab and Muquenal, respectively. Results from RRA indicated that this has been accompanied by significant declines in the abundance of useful species. In Juznajab 60% and 79%, and in Muquenal 96% and 85% of plants and animal species, respectively, were considered to have declined within living memory. These declines appear to result from over-utilization as well as habitat changes. For example, most of the tree species used for timber and the animal species used for meat were considered to have declined substantially in both communities. These results indicate that indigenous knowledge is potentially a valuable source of information about biodiversity trends, which could be assessed during Rapid Biodiversity Assessments and incorporated into the process of resource management by local communities. However, the contradictions recorded between assessments of vegetation change by local people and data obtained from other sources indicates the need for caution in the use of indigenous knowledge for this purpose.read more
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References
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Participatory learning for sustainable agriculture
TL;DR: The authors argue that the dominant scientific paradigm of positivism has served us well over three to four centuries, but it is not well suited to contexts where uncertainties are high, and problems are open to interpretation.
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TL;DR: The 'People and Plants' Initiative' is a network of 120 institutions, including universities, think tanks, and non-governmental organisations that are committed to promoting human and plant welfare.
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An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests
TL;DR: Part 1 What are tropical rain forests?
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