Traditional and local ecological knowledge about forest biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest
By: Susan Charnley, A. Paige Fischer, and Eric T. Jones.
Contributors: Fischer, A. Paige; Jones, Eric T., 1965-; Pacific Northwest Research Station (Portland, Or.)
Series: General technical report PNW-GTR -- 751; General technical report PNW -- 751.
Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Portland, OR
Language: eng
Number of pages: 52
Subjects: Traditional ecological knowledge -- Northwest, Pacific; Forest biodiversity -- Northwest, Pacific
Description: This paper synthesizes the existing literature about traditional and local ecological knowledge relating to biodiversity in Pacific Northwest forests in order to assess what is needed to apply this knowledge to forest biodiversity conservation efforts. We address four topics: (1) views and values people have relating to biodiversity, (2) the resource use and management practices of local forest users and their effects on biodiversity, (3) methods and models for integrating traditional and local ecological knowledge into biodiversity conservation on public and private lands, and (4) challenges to applying traditional and local ecological knowledge for biodiversity conservation. We focus on the ecological knowledge of three groups who inhabit the region: American Indians, family forest owners, and commercial nontimber forest product (NTFP) harvesters. Integrating traditional and local ecological knowledge into forest biodiversity conservation is most likely to be successful if the knowledge holders are directly engaged with forest managers and western scientists in on-the-ground projects in which interaction and knowledge sharing occur. Three things important to the success of such efforts are understanding the communication styles of knowledge holders, establishing a foundation of trust to work from, and identifying mutual benefits from knowledge sharing that create an incentive to collaborate for biodiversity conservation. Although several promising models exist for how to integrate traditional and local ecological knowledge into forest management, a number of social, economic, and policy constraints have prevented this knowledge from flourishing and being applied. These constraints should be addressed alongside any strategy for knowledge integration.
Notes: Cover title.

"April 2008."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-52).

Also available via Internet.