Factors influencing local ecological knowledge maintenance in Mediterranean watersheds: Insights for environmental policies
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In: Ambio, Vol. 44, No. 4, 05.2015, p. 285-296.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors influencing local ecological knowledge maintenance in Mediterranean watersheds
T2 - Insights for environmental policies
AU - Iniesta-Arandia, Irene
AU - del Amo, David García
AU - García-Nieto, Ana Paula
AU - Piñeiro, Concepción
AU - Montes, Carlos
AU - Martín-López, Berta
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2014.
PY - 2015/5
Y1 - 2015/5
N2 - Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been found to be one of the main bridges to manage biocultural diversity. We analyzed the factors affecting LEK maintenance and transmission in a Mediterranean watershed. We used a mixed methods approach to evaluate the agricultural LEK in three different dimensions: biological, soil and water management, and forecasting. We found that the main factors for its maintenance were the respondent's time living in the area and the social relationships established among farmers, which involved partner collaboration and farmer information exchanges. Protected areas also played a key role for maintaining the LEK associated with soil and water management. Finally, we found that outmigration and mechanization were the most important indirect drivers of change underlying LEK erosion. We suggest that environmental policies should focus on promoting this experiential knowledge, considering both intergenerational renewal and the gendered aspects of this knowledge.
AB - Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been found to be one of the main bridges to manage biocultural diversity. We analyzed the factors affecting LEK maintenance and transmission in a Mediterranean watershed. We used a mixed methods approach to evaluate the agricultural LEK in three different dimensions: biological, soil and water management, and forecasting. We found that the main factors for its maintenance were the respondent's time living in the area and the social relationships established among farmers, which involved partner collaboration and farmer information exchanges. Protected areas also played a key role for maintaining the LEK associated with soil and water management. Finally, we found that outmigration and mechanization were the most important indirect drivers of change underlying LEK erosion. We suggest that environmental policies should focus on promoting this experiential knowledge, considering both intergenerational renewal and the gendered aspects of this knowledge.
KW - Drivers of change
KW - Gender
KW - Protected area
KW - Semi-arid areas
KW - Traditional agriculture
KW - Traditional ecological knowledge
KW - Sustainability Science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939878786&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e5e9a145-abf5-3f9c-8072-b080eb220329/
U2 - 10.1007/s13280-014-0556-1
DO - 10.1007/s13280-014-0556-1
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 25286985
AN - SCOPUS:84939878786
VL - 44
SP - 285
EP - 296
JO - Ambio
JF - Ambio
SN - 0044-7447
IS - 4
ER -