Tag: indigenous knowledge
Assessment of natural vegetative contour strips for soil conservation on shallow calcareous soils in the central Philippines: accomplishment report for the period Nov. 2000 – July 2003
While a good understanding exists of the effects of low-cost natural vegetative contour strips (NVS) in deep acidic soil environments, little is known about the benefits and constraints of using NVS under severely degraded calcerous soil condition. Calcerous soils cover about 20% of the total land area of the philippines, and are also wide-spread in other parts of Southeast asia. They therefore, characterize an important environment that millions of upland farmers depend upon for a living in the region. Shallow calcareous soils are particularly common in the Central Phillipines covering more than half of the total land area of the Visayan islands. Under shallow soil conditions, the effects of soil scouring can be severe because the entire soil may be removed down to the parent rock material.
Rethinking the effectiveness of public protected areas in Southwestern China
It is internationally recognized that conservation policies should respect indigenous cultures and consider the livelihoods of people affected by conservation restrictions. Countering this are concerns that human occupation and use of natural reserves is incompatible with conservation aims. But in China today the continued use and management of natural areas by local communities is likely to deliver better conservation outcomes than the current drive to establish public protected areas. The effectiveness of many protected areas in China is compromised by institutional conflicts, lack of ongoing financial and technical support, confusion between the objectives of generating revenue and conservation, dubious scientific definitions, lack of community trust in policies, and obscure user rights and land tenures. Southwestern China-one of the most biologically and ethnologically diverse areas on Earth-is a good illustration of a place where culture and biological diversity are closely linked. The indigenous people in this area have shown that local livelihood practices can be advantageous for the long-term maintenance of conservation goals. Rather than creating new protected areas, we argue that China is better advised to support ongoing sustainable use of natural areas by the people who have lived and nurtured these environments for generations.
Ethnoscientific understandings of Amazonian dark earths
This chapter illustrates some of the benefits of ethnoscientific research on Amazonian Dark Earths. Ethnoscientific data complement data derived from empirical research in a number of important ways (DeWalt, 1994). Of relevance to research on ADE is the extended temporal perspective provided by long-time users (of the pedological impact of specific practices over time, for example) and a more nuanced understandings of the benefits and limitations of ADE from the perspective of the current and intended beneficiaries themselves. The perspectives of long-time ADE farmers are as of yet little studied, however, and could be productively explored in the effort to build complex understandings of ADE formation, function and intraregional variation.
Local knowledge of land degradation and restoration influences the adoption and success of restoration options for dryland systems: the case of Samre
This local knowledge study applied the Agro-ecological Knowledge Toolkit (AKT5) and methodological framework (Sinclair & Walker, 1998; Walker & Sinclair, 1998). Local knowledge was elicited by using knowledge-based methodologies and semi-structured interviews, which were conducted on farmers willing to participate in the exercise and who had detailed knowledge of the study topic. The knowledge elicited was then represented using the AKT5 software (Dixon et al., 2001).
Indigenous fodder species in Kenya-assessing the wealth
The article presents a study whose objective was to find out from farmers which indigenous trees and shrubs are most popularly used for fodder, how they are used, their qualities and which species they would consider planting on their own farmland.
Indigenous miombo fruit trees-health and wealth for the Sukuma people
A survey was conducted in Maswa District, Tanzania, in 1995, to collect information on the production and uses of miombo fruit trees. The following indigenous trees were mentioned by at least 10% of the respondents: Adansonia digitata, Azanza garckeana, Canthium burttii, Diospyros fischeri, Ficus natalensis, Grewia fallax, Tamarindus indica, Vitex mombassae, Vitex payos and Ximenia caffra. The Kiswahili and Sukuma names, and the various flower, fruit, leaf, bark, root, stem and branch uses were recorded. Recommendations for a domestication programme of indigenous fruit tree species are provided.
Factors influencing consumption of nutrient rich forest foods in rural Cameroon
Studies show that a number of forest foods consumed in Cameroon are highly nutritious and rich in health boosting bioactive compounds. This study assessed the knowledge and perceptions towards the nutritional and health promoting properties of forest foods among forest dependent communities. The relationship between knowledge, perceptions and socio-demographic attributes on consumption of forest foods was also determined. A total of 279 females in charge of decision making with respect to food preparation were randomly selected from 12 villages in southern and eastern Cameroon and interviewed using researcher administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting consumption of forest foods. Baillonella toxisperma (98%) and Irvingia gabonesis (81%) were the most known nutrient rich forest foods by the respondents. About 31% of the respondents were aware of the nutritional value and health benefits of forest foods. About 10%-61% of the respondents expressed positive attitudes to questions related with health benefits of specific forest foods. Consumption of forest foods was found to be higher among polygamous families and also positively related to length of stay in the forest area and age of respondent with consumption of forest foods. Education had an inverse relationship with use of forest foods. Knowledge and positive attitude towards the nutritional value of forest foods were also found to positively influence consumption of forest foods. Since knowledge was found to influence attitude and consumption, there is need to invest in awareness campaigns to strengthen the current knowledge levels among the study population. This should positively influence the attitudes and perceptions towards increased consumption of forest foods. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
Farmers’ preferences and use of local fodder trees and shrubs in Kenya
Indigenous fodder trees and shrubs are now receiving increased research attention. Systematic information from farmers about the species they use is, however, scanty. The objective of this study was to find out farmers’ ranking of local fodder tree species of their choice; their criteria for assessing fodder trees; how the most preferred species rated on each criterion; species’ uses, management, and ways of establishment; and implications of these results for the design of similar studies in the tropics. The study consisted of informal and formal surveys in three agroecological zones with mean annual rainfall of 775, 950 and 1300 mm, respectively. Farmers used an indigenous board game, bao, to rank species. Improved, stall-fed dairy animals were the dominant livestock type in the subhumid zone whereas communally-grazed, local-breed cattle and goats were common in the dry zone. A total of 160 different local fodder trees and shrubs were used by farmers in the three zones. The three most preferred species in the subhumid zone were Triumfetta tomentosa, Commiphora zimmermanii, and Bridelia micrantha; in the medium zone, Aspilia mossambicensis, Lantana camara, and Grewia tembensis, and in the low zone, Melia volkensii,Crotalaria goodiiformis, and A. mossambicensis. In the subhumid zone, the most frequently mentioned criteria were the ability of the fodder to satisfy hunger and contributions to animal health. Palatability and drought resistance of the tree were the most important criteria in the medium zone and, effect on the condition of the animal and palatability were most important in the dry zone. Farmers’ ratings on palatability for cattle and goats, and milk production for goats differed significantly among tree and shrub species (P < 0.05). The study has helped identify species for further research and development activities, with the aim of improving their productivity and disseminating them among farmers.
Farmers’ perceptions of tree mortality, pests and pest management practices in agroforestry in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia
Pest management research within the context of agroforestry is in its infancy, and it is often difficult to say when a particular pest justifies investment in research to establish facts. Understanding the potentials and drawbacks of farmers’ indigenous ecological knowledge (ethnoecology) may form the basis for constructive collaboration between farmers, agroforestry scientists and extension staff. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to (1) assess farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of pests, (2) prioritize pest problems that limit tree planting and maize production based on farmers’ own criteria and (3) to identify farmers’ indigenous pest management practices for priority pests. Data were collected using community meetings, individual interviews and direct observation by the first author. The farmers involved in this study in eastern Zambia had over ten years of experience, while most of the farmers in Mozambique and parts of southern Malawi were new to agroforestry. Farmers perceived insects as the major causes of tree mortality, followed by drought, bush fires and browsing by livestock. Among the biological constraints to maize production, insects (particularly termites and stalk bores) and weeds (particularly Striga asiatica) were more important in farmers’ minds than crop diseases. Fundamentally, the farmers’ perception of the causes of tree mortality and crop pests agreed with researchers’ perceptions and the literature. Both termite and witch weed problems were associated with low soil quality, and farmers use various indigenous control practices to control these pests. Some farmers did not know the causes of tree mortality, and hence do not take action. Farmer’s perception of tree mortality was found to be a function of operator-specific variables such as sex, level of education and years of experience with tree species.