A critical perspective on the concept of biocultural diversity and its emerging role in nature and heritage conservation

Bridgewater, Peter; Rotherham, Ian D.

doi:10.1002/pan3.10040

Cited by 162 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

105

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…It is a productive mosaic of habitats where the harmonious interaction of people and nature sustains biodiversity and provides humans with an ecosystem that supports various livelihoods and well-being [74,75]. This bio-cultural diversity is a major source of change response capacity which is strongly linked to community resilience [76,77] and needs to be further enhanced and promoted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation to Climate Change: Does Traditional Ecological Knowledge Hold the Key?

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The traditional knowledge of indigenous people is often neglected despite its significance in combating climate change. This study uncovers the potential of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) from the perspective of indigenous communities in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, and explores how TEK helps them to observe and respond to local climate change. Data were collected through interviews and field work observations and analysed using thematic analysis based on the TEK framework. The results indicated that these communities have observed a significant increase in temperature, with uncertain weather and seasons. Consequently, drought and wildfires have had a substantial impact on their livelihoods. However, they have responded to this by managing their customary land and resources to ensure food and resource security, which provides a respectable example of the sustainable management of terrestrial and inland ecosystems. The social networks and institutions of indigenous communities enable collective action which strengthens the reciprocal relationships that they rely on when calamity strikes. Accordingly, the communities maintain their TEK through cultural festivals and oral traditions passed from one generation to another. TEK is a practical tool that helps indigenous communities adapt to climate risks and promotes socio-ecological resilience, which upholds social empowerment and sustainable resource management.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation to Climate Change: Does Traditional Ecological Knowledge Hold the Key?

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These results suggest that recognising cultural heritage is important for current patterns of biodiversity and its conservation (e.g. Rotherham 2015;Bridgewater and Rotherham 2019;Cicinelli, Salerno, and Caneva 2018), not the least in forest ecosystems (e.g. Eriksson 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

’Gooseberry is the only thing left’ – a study of declining biological cultural heritage at abandoned crofts in the province of Södermanland, Sweden

Eriksson

Lundin

2020

International Journal of Heritage Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This is a study about cultivated and 'wild' plants as components of the material heritage of crofters, an overlooked group of people in former agrarian landscapes. Despite abundant remains of crofts in Sweden, inhabited during the period from the eighteenth century until the 1940s, crofters have been subject to few studies. We used a survey conducted 1967 of botanical remains at abandoned croft as a basis for a re-survey in 2019. As with all biological traces of former human activities, cultivated plants and wild species favoured by former management ultimately disappear, but with long delays. We describe the patterns of this decline. In general, about a third of the species were gone after 52 years. The rate of disappearance of single species occurrences was about 1% annually. We discuss the interpretation of botanical remains from since long abandoned crofts in the context of heritage. In some cases, the botanical remains were the only material evidence left. We conclude that the material heritage of crofters deserves further studies and that botanical remains at abandoned crofts should be documented and at least at some sites protected.

show abstract

“…Protection of ES within integrated strategies that balance ecological and societal needs must thus recognize the climatic, economic and social context in which a socio‐ecological system operates (Boulton, Ekebom, & Gíslason, 2016; Ormerod, 2014). Despite concerns that socio‐ecological integration may compromise the effectiveness of biodiversity protection (Boon, 2012; Dudgeon, 2014), ES provision can relate positively to ecological quality (Grizzetti et al., 2019), with concepts of biocultural diversity identifying positive feedbacks between biodiversity and CES (Bridgewater & Rotherham, 2019). Management strategies can therefore legitimately seek to maximize delivery of ES bundles without compromising ecosystem quality (Bennett, Peterson, & Gordon, 2009; Gilvear et al., 2013), aligning with the ‘wise use of wetlands’ philosophy proposed by the Ramsar Convention.…”

Section: Protecting Ecosystem Service Provision Within Socio‐ecologicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem services of temporary streams differ between wet and dry phases in regions with contrasting climates and economies

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Temporary streams are dynamic ecosystems in which mosaics of flowing, ponded and dry habitats support high biodiversity of both aquatic and terrestrial species. Species interact within habitats to perform or facilitate processes that vary in response to changing habitat availability. A natural capital approach recognizes that, through such processes, the ‘natural assets’ of all ecosystems deliver services that benefit people. The ecosystem services of temporary streams remain largely unexplored, in particular those provided during ponded and dry phases. In addition, recent characterizations have focused on dryland systems, and it remains unclear how service provision varies among different climatic regions, or between developed and developing economies. We use evidence from interdisciplinary literature to examine the ecosystem services delivered by temporary streams, including the regulating, provisioning and cultural services provided across the continuum from flowing to dry conditions. We focus on service provision during dry phases and wet–dry transitions, across regions with contrasting climates and economic development. Provision of individual services in temporary streams may be reduced, enhanced or changed by surface water loss. Services enhanced by dry phases include provision of higher‐quality subsurface drinking water and unique opportunities for recreation. Shifts between dry and wet phases enable groundwater recharge that mitigates water scarcity, and grant dry‐phase access to sediments deposited during flowing phases. However, the accessibility and thus perceived value of these and other services varies considerably among regions. In addition, accessing provisioning services requires careful management to promote sustainable resource use and avoid ecological degradation. We highlight the need for environmental managers to recognize temporary streams as aquatic–terrestrial ecosystems, and to take actions promoting their diversity within functional socio‐ecological systems that deliver unique service bundles characterized by variability and differing availability in space and time. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

show abstract

A critical perspective on the concept of biocultural diversity and its emerging role in nature and heritage conservation

Cited by 162 publications

References 34 publications

Adaptation to Climate Change: Does Traditional Ecological Knowledge Hold the Key?

Adaptation to Climate Change: Does Traditional Ecological Knowledge Hold the Key?

’Gooseberry is the only thing left’ – a study of declining biological cultural heritage at abandoned crofts in the province of Södermanland, Sweden

Ecosystem services of temporary streams differ between wet and dry phases in regions with contrasting climates and economies

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About