Traditional knowledge in Restoration Ecology: a study of case about native trees of dry forest in Chiapas, Mexico

Ecosystem Restoration: Global Initiatives in Science and Practice webinar series

May-17thBy Mercedes Gordillo

Ministry of Environment and Natural History

Traditional knowledge (TK)? The potential contribution of TK was

recognized in 1970s

Brundtland Commission, The Convention

on Biological Diversity, The Forests

Principles and Agenda 21

Berkes et al. (1995) was proposed a definition for TK:

“as a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving byadaptive processes and handed down through generations by culturaltransmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) withone another and with their environment”

TK… a complex system Other names: Traditional Ecological Knowledge or Indigenous knowledge

(Berkes, 2102)

How can TK contribute to restoration ecology?

Partnership

Information about ecosystem references

Offers practices for improve the current models

Site and species selection for restoration plantation

Spectrum of approaches in the selection of trees

• Multi-purpose or cultural value: quality, intensity, preference, exclusivity

and language (Turner et al. 1990; Garibaldi and Turner, 2004).

• Cultural and ecological value: number of uses and perception of

abundance (Meli et al. 2014; Allen et al., 2010)

In cultural ecosystems the restoration of these should include theconcomitant recovery of indigenous ecological managementpractices ….(SERI, on line)

NASA Earth Observatory

Critically/threatened High endemic

High cultural value

Biocultural landscape in Mexico• From classical and

posclasical periods• High number use

species• 45% indigenous

groups live near• Center of

leguminousendemism (Souza, 2010)

• High superficie current isdeterioration

• The restoration can not be postponed

Superficie Potential Curent % loss

Km2 258,579 164,357 36.44

- - - % deteriorated

Conserved - 70,720 56.97

Deteriorated - 93,637 -

Gaps• Local governments have promoted restoration forestry with on

commercial timber forest

• The use with few species contrast with the floristic found in the forest

• Integration the interests of local communities with conservation

biodiversity

Dry forest in reserveVilla Allende…..as modelstudy

Dry forest in Villa Allende

Purpose of the studyDescribe of use value of tree natives that grow up in the secondary dry

forest and its relationship with ecological importance through structure

parameters in the forest reserve Villa Allende, Chiapas

Hypothesis

Exist relationship between the value use with the structure parameters of

secondary dry forest

Study Area and background

Age 1

Age3

Age 2

Fieldwalks

10 years

19 years

35 years

More 40

Enterviews

Selection site criteria:homogeneity in the type of soiland previous land use

Study Area and Background

LocalityNumber of

entervieweesAverage

age Ocupation

Man Woman Man Women A A+LA/L+SR L SR

Berriozábal 50 162.2

(10.8)60.0 (0.0)* 25 7 15 3 1

Plan de Ayala 29 4

69.0 (11.3)

52.75 (14.9) 18 1 12 0 2

Viva Cárdenas 26 1

63.3 (12.8)

58.0 (0.0)* 21 0 4 0 2

A=Agriculture; L=Livestock; SR= Employe

Methods: floristic inventory

Number of speciesNumber of individuals

High > 1 mDHB > 5 cm

Variables measure

Kalacska et al. 2014

20 m

50 m

Specimen comparison and consultation with specialists

Methods: interviewsFree list (Quilan, 2005)

Can you tell me the names of all the useful wild tree you know?

What do you use them for?

Do you know any other wild tree that can be used for?

Analyst of dataUse value Ecological importance

Use value index by Phillips and Gentry (1993), and as modified by Rossato et al.(1999), using this formula:

UV=Σ Usi.N-1

UV is the total use value, where UV isequals the number of use mentioned byinformant i, for specie s. N is the total number informant interviewed for eachspecie (N=119)

Using the ecological importance value (EIV) according Mueller-Dombois and

Ellenberg (2002), by using the following formula:

EIV= Relative Dominance + Relative Density + Relative Frequency/ 3

We estimated the UV for every use categories

We estimated the EIV for every age abandoned the forest

Correlations Spearman:

• Comparing total and category use value with EIV global • Total use vale with EIV of every age abandoned

Results and discussion• 102 use species, integrate in 77 genera and 37 families• Fabaceae was the most importan family with 29 species

Results and discussionUse categories Number of species Proportion

Firewood 72 18.6

Pole 66 17.0

Construction 63 16.2

Medicinal 43 11.1

Wood 39 10.1

Ornamental 30 7.7

Food 24 6.2

Live fence 22 5.7

Fodder 18 4.6

Religious 11 2.8

Results and discussion

Use categories Use subcategories Number of species

FirewoodDomesticIndustrial

738

ConstructionStructure of house

Others585

Medicinal

Circulatory systemGastrointestinal systemMusculoskeletal system

Urinary systemOthers

63310814

Wood

Structure cartDomestic tools

Work tolos FornitureOthers

21129303

Within the evaluated categories of use, seven were registered in 22 subcategories of use and 78 specific uses

Results and discussionUse value global

• Eysenhardtia adenostylis Baill. (1.36) and Acacia pennatula (Schltdl. & Cham.) Benth. (1.29).

• 16 species multi-propouses showed a intermedie use value (0.34-0.97)

• 84.6% showed lower use values than 0.3

Ecological Importance general

• Luehea candida (Moc. & Sessé ex DC.) Mart. (3.88)• Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth (3.40)• Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (3.42)• Montanoa tomentosa Cerv. (3.56)• The species with high use value showed low ecological

value (EVI=0.27-0.69)

Results and discussionUse value by category

• Firewood and Fodder Acacia pennatula(UV= 0.82, 1.06)

• Construction and Pole was E.adenostylis (0.71, 0.64),

• Medicinal Bursera simaruba (0.46)• Wood Cedrela odorata (1) and

Swietenia humilis (0.95)• Ornamental Tecoma stans (0.18)• Food Persea americana Mill. (1.07)• Religious Sideroxylum capiri (1)• Live Fence Bursera simaruba (0.95)

Correlations

• Relative dominance of 19 age adandoned vs Use Value global (rs=0.30, P=0.04)

• Use value of ornamental category with relativedensidad of EIV global (rs=0.41, P=0.03).

Conclusions• The high percentage of species with utilitarian value corroborates the

importance of the secondary BTC in the provision of plant species to theinhabitants of the peri-urban communities of the Villa Allende Reserve

• Eysenhardtia adenostylis and Acacia pennatula recorded the highest use values, cataloged as multipurpose species that satisfy the basic needs of the peasantfamilies

• The hypothesis initially proposed in this study was not fulfilled because we founda null or weak relation between the use value per species and thephytosociological parameters of secondary dry forest

• The secondary dry forest in Villa Allende provides useful tree species to satisfy the basic needs of the communities, although the cultural importance of these does not depend on its ecological importance.

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