社区为主体的保护: 对三江源国家公园生态管护公益岗位的思考

社区参与是实现生物多样性保护目标的重要途径, 也是我国国家公园建设的重要组成部分。青海省三江源国家公园在前期试点中设置了16621个生态管理公益岗位, 当地牧民因此成为三江源保护的主要力量。本文通过对三江源地区已进行的生态管理公益岗位的调研发现, 由于传统文化和环保宣传的影响, 三江源当地藏族牧民具有较高的保护环境意识和参与保护行动的强烈愿望, 生态公益岗位是对这种愿望的良好回应。但在实践中, 因为需要兼顾提升生态保护成效、提升牧民收入、扶贫等多重目标, 生态管护员的选拔、管理、考核等并未按照最大化保护成效的方式进行。国家公园试点村中, 生态管护员全部由贫困户担任的方式, 实质上是将完成扶贫目标摆在了完成自然保护目标之前。这样的选择方式有着深刻的制度根源。为了进一步提升国家公园内生态公益岗位的保护成效, 我们认为应当明确生态管理公益岗位的定位, 明确提升保护成效是第一位的任务; 应当改进现有体制, 使基层政府有更多资源和空间组织管护工作, 并增加社区的参与程度。在这一过程中, 有民间机构参与的广阔空间。     

Eating money: Narratives of equality on customary land in the context of natural resource extraction in the Solomon Islands

Why do Solomon Islands’ villagers continue to engage with large scale logging projects by foreign companies when they have decades of experience of the disadvantages of such deals? This paper explores village level narratives of equality surrounding a logging dispute in a village on Kolombangara Island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Drawing on empirical evidence I seek to understand firstly, why villagers continue to engage with logging companies, and secondly, why seemingly viable and financially attractive alternative forestry projects may not be taken up. Additionally, I examine legal recognition of a local conservation Non‐Government organisation as an environmental ‘stakeholder’, with an accepted interest in customary land as distinct from the categorisation of ‘landowners’. I conclude that village communities may continue to engage with foreign logging companies, despite their clear knowledge of the disadvantages of such projects, partly as a means of maintaining some measure of social equality in the village.     

Projects Come,Projects Go: Lessons from Participatory Monitoring in Southern Laos

This paper examines how a biodiversity monitoring system based on data collected by protected area staff and local communities was established and maintained in Xe Pian national protected area, Laos. Monitoring activities commenced with project support in 1998. Protected area staff, district forestry staff and villagers continued the monitoring work after 2001 when the external advisers left. More than 2500 records of wildlife, natural resource use and threats to the protected area were collected by villagers and protected area staff, mainly through use of patrols, village discussions and village logbooks. The management interventions that followed the monitoring activities were a reaction to immediate threats or perceived trends in biodiversity rather than to trends revealed by analyses of the collected data. Patrols and village discussions came to a virtual standstill when external funding ceased, probably because of lack of supporting national policies. The annual running cost of the monitoring system was only about US$ 4000 or 0.02 per ha of forest habitat.     

Finding and promoting a local conservation consensus in a globally important tropical forest landscape

Can democratic processes favour conservation outcomes in the tropics? This study focuses on local viewpoints within a forested landscape of high conservation significance in East Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Stakeholders received posters displaying results from a previous study; these posters emphasised local priorities and views regarding local biodiversity. We assess local attitudes to this information, and consider some implications. Knowledge of, and agreement with, poster content increased among villagers, townspeople and civil servants after they received posters. All respondents appreciated the posters and all supported some form of forest conservation. All respondents agreed that biodiversity conservation and local views are vital in land-use planning. All agreed that logging companies need to be better controlled, while 80% consider them a “major environmental threat”. These results bolster our belief that involving communities is not only an ethically defensible way to achieve conservation outcomes, but also a pragmatic opportunity to do so.     

Environmental Profile of a Community's Health (EPOCH): an instrument to measure environmental determinants of cardiovascular health in five countries

BACKGROUND: The environment in which people live is known to be important in influencing diet, physical activity, smoking, psychosocial and other risk factors for cardiovascular (CV) disease. However no instrument exists that evaluates communities for these multiple environmental factors and is suitable for use across different communities, regions and countries. This report describes the design and reliability of an instrument to measure environmental determinants of CV risk factors. METHOD/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH (EPOCH) INSTRUMENT COMPRISES TWO PARTS: (I) an assessment of the physical environment, and (II) an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect residents' perceptions of their community. We examined the inter-rater reliability amongst 3 observers from each region of the direct observation component of the instrument (EPOCH I) in 93 rural and urban communities in 5 countries (Canada, Colombia, Brazil, China and India). Data collection using the EPOCH instrument was feasible in all communities. Reliability of the instrument was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient--ICC>0.75) for 24 of 38 items and fair to good (ICC 0.4-0.75) for 14 of 38 items. CONCLUSION: This report shows data collection with the EPOCH instrument is feasible and direct observation of community measures reliable. The EPOCH instrument will enable further research on environmental determinants of health for population studies from a broad range of settings.     

Forest protection in Central India: do differences in monitoring by state and local institutions result in diverse social and ecological impacts?

Protection of forests and wildlife outside protected areas (PAs) is necessary for the conservation of wildlife. Extension of conservation efforts outside the existing PA may result in restrictions on local forest resource use. Such situations arise due to differences in understanding of forest as a resource for communities and as a conservation space for endangered species. A clearer focus is needed on the functionality and socio-ecological outcomes of different forest management institutions to address such issues. We conducted a study in a forest landscape connecting Pench and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves (TRs) in Central India. The two main forest management institutions were the Forest Department (FD) and local communities managing forest resources. We conducted vegetation surveys and focus group discussions in 15 villages selected based on presence or absence of active protection and monitoring of forest resources by either FD or local people. We found that forests with monitoring had significantly higher tree density and vegetation species richness compared to forests without monitoring. Tree density was observed to be higher in sites monitored by villagers rather than those monitored by FD. Self-regulation and resource sharing in locally monitored forests were more acceptable to local communities. In forests monitored by the FD, local communities indicated a feeling of alienation from the forest that weakened their motivation to protect the forest and wildlife. Recognition of local community rights is essential to achieve conservation goals and reduce social conflicts outside PAs, requiring collaboration between state and local institutions.     

The interplay of top-down planning and adaptive self-organization in an African floodplain

Natural floodplains are complex social-ecological systems in which human livelihoods are tightly coupled with flooding dynamics. In this paper, we argue that hydraulic planning in such systems, including to mitigate extreme floods, must consider three key features of adaptive self-organizing systems in floodplains - connectivity, learning feedbacks, and rhythms - to support the resilience of floodplain communities to extreme floods. We illustrate this argument with a case study of the Logone Floodplain, Cameroon. Based on hydrological data, ethnographic research and a series of focus group interviews with floodplain villagers, we analyze the interplay of top-down planning and adaptive self-organization in response to two extreme floods in 2012 and 2015. We show that recent top-down strategies of hydraulic control in the floodplain have led to more hydraulic uncertainty for local populations, and curtailed the conditions for sustainable self-organization in the floodplain.     

Description and evaluation of a sampling strategy for macroinvertebrate communities in Basque rivers (Spain)

This paper describes the results of a pilot study on the macroinvertebrate communities occurring in a fast-flowing river in Northern Spain. The objective was to devise a sampling strategy for use on a series of Basque rivers included in a site classification study. Two contrasted sites were chosen for the pilot-study on the River Lea (Bizkaia), at the headwaters and near the mouth. Taxon richness and distribution across the river was examined using two sampling techniques at each site. It was concluded that, ideally, timed sampling units should be collected at intervals across a river transect in order to acquire a representative list of taxa. In addition, adequate sampling in marginal areas was stressed because a number of taxa appeared to be exclusive to marginal areas. Sampling location and total sampling effort were also shown to be a major consideration when taxon lists were acquired for the application of routine biological surveillance techniques.     

Traditional knowledge about mushrooms in a Nahua community in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico

This paper describes the traditional mycological knowledge of the Nahua of San Isidro Buensuceso, on the slopes of La Malinche Volcano National Park, in the state of Tlaxcala, México. The results described in this paper were obtained through interviews with villagers selected at random; a free-listing technique was used to determine the cultural significance of the mushrooms of the region. A total of 48 species, which had 65 Náhuatl names and 40 in Spanish, were identified. Although San Isidro villagers consider mushrooms to be a natural resource mainly used for food, they also use them for medicine, insecticides and trade. This paper presents traditional information on the morphology, ecology, fenology and consistency of the mushrooms found around San Isidro. It proposes that, from a cultural perspective, Gomphus flocossus, Ramaria spp. and Boletus spp. are the most important species of the region.     

Human–Tiger Conflict in Context: Risks to Lives and Livelihoods in the Bangladesh Sundarbans

People’s perceptions of the risk posed by wild animals to human lives and/or livelihoods can influence the rate at which people intentionally kill these species. Consequently, human–wildlife conflict (HWC) management strategies may benefit from the inclusion of actions which reduce risk perceptions. This study uses Participatory Risk Mapping (PRM) and semi-structured interviews to explore local perceptions and the wider socio-economic context of human–tiger conflict (HTC) in the Bangladesh Sundarbans area. Of the 24 locally-relevant problems identified by the PRM process, tigers were the only problem to be cited by >50 % of respondents. The ‘tiger problem’ was also perceived by villagers to be of relatively high severity. Negative perceptions of tigers in the Sundarbans communities are exacerbated by other locally-experienced poverty-related problems, as well cyclones, floods and soil erosion. Interactions between the problems experienced by villagers, including HTC, result in a complex ‘risk web’ which detrimentally affects lives and livelihoods and ultimately perpetuates poverty levels in the Sundarbans communities. This research demonstrates that PRM and in-depth, qualitative research can enhance understanding of the perceived magnitude and wider socio-economic context of risks from wildlife and aid the identification of risk perception management actions which may help to reduce the number of animals killed by people.     

Quality of Life in Rural Communities: Residents Living Near to Tembeling,Pahang and Muar Rivers,Malaysia

The main aim of this study is to identify the quality of life (QoL) among communities residing near the Tembeling, Pahang and Muar Rivers in Malaysia. This quantitative study used a constructed questionnaire as main tool to collect data on the QoL of river communities. A total of 240 villagers were selected as respondents. The results indicated that the dimensions of settlement, safety, involvement and social relationships, as well as education scored highest, while dimensions of physical environment, financial and job security yielded moderate scores. Dimensions of infrastructure facilities yielded a low mean score. Recommendations are provided, in the hope that our results may be useful for strategies that could enhance QoL of these river communities.     

Local use and cultural and economic value of products from trees in the Parklands of the municipality of Cinzana, Mali

This paper reports on the most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) marketed and used during the dry season in Cinzana, near Ségou, Mali. Data was gathered from villagers through market surveys and interviews with vendors, buyers, and key informants in traditional medicine. In the Sudano-sahelian agricultural region, NTFPs are collected from parklands, comprising of fallows and croplands. Of the 20 species, five were used in handicraft production, 11 yielded human foods, and 11 had medicinal uses. In addition, many tree species have multipurpose value: six of the 20 species were recorded to be food producers in addition to having uses for handicraft production and/or medicine. The contribution of herbaceous species to the NTFPs used and harvested during the dry season is negligible. Only one of the species was non-ligneous, indicating the large significance of tree species for local communities in a region with long seasonal dry periods.     

The Ecological Economics of Harvesting Sharp-Pointed Rush (Juncus acutus) in the Kizilirmak Delta, Turkey

The sustainable harvest of aquatic vegetation is not accounted for in the national economy, in decision-making, and environmental policy in the Kizilirmak Delta, a Ramsar wetland of international importance and a major agricultural area on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. This paper describes the harvesting and marketing of sharp-pointed rush (Juncus acutus) using information obtained from interviews with villagers who were harvesting rush, wholesalers and retailers, government officials, and NGOs. The gross market value of the harvested rush amounts up to U.S. $494,000 annually in 1998 prices, of which U.S. $217,000 is retained by villagers. The economic contribution of the harvest and especially its livelihood for the villagers must be accounted for in projects and policy-making. Encouragement and continuity of the conditions of economic, social, and ecological sustainability of the harvest is essential for the conservation of the delta and its biodiversity.     

A community perspective on participatory conservation in western Tanzania

Local participation is a key component of sound management of protected areas. The starting point for achieving this goal is to establish factors influencing it. In the Ugalla ecosystem of western Tanzania, the government in collaboration with other conservation organisations has initiated efforts to engage local people in conservation. However, the area is under increasing pressure especially from local livelihood activities and exploitation of natural resources. This study used focus group discussions and key informants to explore factors that would promote local engagement in conservation. Fifty-two activities were mentioned and ranked in terms of their effectiveness in reducing illegal use of natural resources. Improving household-level livelihoods ranked highest, followed by improving subsistence agriculture and stopping game rangers from harassing villagers. Reducing land use conflicts between local people and conservation authorities was also commonly mentioned. Capacity building and alternative sources of livelihood cannot be overstated. Additionally, Ugalla should be managed appropriately and transparently, and used effectively to improve participatory conservation. Overall, local communities were interested in a participatory conservation that would strike a fair balance between the improvement of their living standards and the conservation of natural resources. Further, research should include household interviews to reveal household level factors that affect participation in conservation.     

Community concordance between fishes and benthic macroinvertebrates among adventitious and ordinate tributaries of a major river system

We examined patterns of concordance between macroinvertebrate and fish communities among adventitious and ordinate tributaries of the Monongahela River in southwestern Pennsylvania in order to determine their efficacy as mutual surrogates for the assessment of ecosystem integrity. Fish, macroinvertebrates, and 19 water quality parameters were sampled from 20 streams. Collected data were analyzed by principal components analysis, redundancy analysis, and Ward’s distance clustering matrices to determine degrees of community concordance and similarity. Fish and macroinvertebrate communities were assessed utilizing Indices of Biotic Integrity (IBI) in order to compare stream ecosystem health as expressed by each index. Adventitious and ordinate macroinvertebrate communities largely clustered in like groups with adventitious tributaries dominated by the crustacean Gammarus sp. and ordinate streams dominated by the trichopteran, Hydropsyche sp. Adventitious communities were strongly influenced by elevated total alkalinity and total suspended solids; ordinate communities by contrast to elevated total organic carbon and specific conductance. Fish communities showed no significant relationship to water quality parameters among either tributary type, but often grouped with their nearest geographic neighbor. The respective indices revealed a discord between the two communities suggesting that neither community serves as a surrogate for the other as an indicator of stream health in this basin. Both communities appeared to be driven by differences in local environmental conditions.     

Indigenous use and bio-efficacy of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa District,Central Nepal

Ethiopian communities highly depend on local plant resources to secure their subsistence and health. Local tree resources are exploited and used intensively for medicinal purposes. This study provides insight into the medicinal importance of Hagenia abyssinica as well as the degree of threat on its population. An ethnobotanical study was carried out to document medicinal uses of Hagenia abyssinica by rural communities of North and Southeastern Ethiopia. The study was conducted using an integrated approach of group discussions, observation, a local market survey and interviews. A total of 90 people were interviewed among whom elderly and traditional healers were the key informants. Societies in the study sites still depend on Hagenia abyssinica for medicine. All plant parts are used to treat different aliments. Tree identification, collection and utilization were different among the studied communities. In spite of its significance, interest in utilizing flowers of Hagenia abyssinica as an anthelmintic seems to be diminishing, notably among young people. This is partly because the medicine can be harmful when it is taken in large quantities. Nowadays, the widely used Hagenia abyssinica is endangered primarily due to various anthropogenic impacts. This in turn may become a threat for the associated knowledge. It is recommended to assist communities in documenting their traditional knowledge. Measures for conserving species are urgently needed.     

Conserving the forgotten: New insights from a Central African biodiversity hotspot on the anthropogenic perception of nocturnal primates (Mammalia: Strepsirrhini)

Primates - The growing dependence of villagers on local forests (food, wood, etc.) makes the comparative assessment of the perceptions they have of the forest and its wildlife increasingly...     

Contested Etiology: Cancer Risk Among Two Anatolian Populations in Turkey and Europe

This paper discusses the different explanatory models and the contested perceptions of cancer etiology among residents of two Anatolian villages and migrants from these villages in Turkey, Sweden, and Germany. These communities suffer from an endemic, deadly cancer called mesothelioma, the cause of which is associated with exposure to an environmental carcinogenic substance, erionite, which is present in large deposits in the ground, in the stones, and white stucco that the villagers used to build their homes, and in the air in the form of dust. However, an examination of patients' disease trends, experiences, and local explanations has led to new investigations of possible familial risk cofactors. This paper selectively focuses on different aspects of cancer risk and its manifested metaphors, aesthetics, and perceptions. The different categories of cancer risk freely interact, derive an important part of their meaning from the context of the doctor-cancer patient relationship, and are created and navigated by the cancer narrative.