Traditional Knowledge
Indigenous knowledge and the shackles of wildernessBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Promises and potentials do not grow trees and crops. A review of institutional and policy research in agroforestry for the Southern African regionBACKGROUND:Agroforestry has been recognized for its potential to address land management challenges, improve food security, and support rural livelihoods, but its widespread adoption remains limited. Institutional and policy barriers, including weak coordination among sectors and inadequate incentives, hinder its integration into national and local frameworks. Strengthening policies, institutions, and research on the social and economic dimensions of agroforestry is essential for its successful implementation and long-term impact. Open access copy available |
The tree planting and protecting culture of cattle ranchers and small-scale agriculturalists in rural Panama: Opportunities for reforestation and land restorationBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Peasants, agroforesters, and anthropologists: A 20-year venture in income-generating trees and hedgerows in HaitiBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Beyond Tenure: Rights-based Approaches to Peoples and ForestsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Opportunities for Integrating Social Science into Research on Dry Forest Restoration: A Mini-ReviewBackgroundResearchers have well-documented the threats to seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), including anthropogenic fires, climate change, and soil degradation. The widespread conversion of SDTFs to other land uses creates substantial opportunities for large-scale restoration and reforestation. While most research focuses on abiotic, environmental, and biophysical factors influencing restoration and secondary succession, researchers have largely overlooked incorporating social sciences or human dimensions into the restoration process, leaving a significant gap in the field. Open access copy available |
Integrating local knowledge into public policy instruments for enhancing restoration: A study case from western Mexican tropical dry forestBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Regeneration Status and Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Cloud Forest Ecosystem Restoration in EcuadorBackgroundForests are a crucial component of global biodiversity. Ecuador has a long history of deforestation and forest degradation. Historical contexts such as colonization and governmental initiatives have shaped and will continue to shape the way people and forests interact. Emerging evidence supports the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into ecological restoration practices in order to more effectively manage natural resources while incorporating the needs of local communities. The authors use this study to evaluate human disturbance impacts on cloud forest species and what TEK in the area can provide to aid in restoration. Open access copy available |
A cautionary note for forest landscape restoration in drylands: cattle production systems in northwest Madagascar’s dry forestsBACKGROUNDIt is evident that land tenure security is crucial for successful restoration. Unfortunately, in Madagascar, dry forests are considered unoccupied and unowned even when communities have long-established claims under customary tenure systems. The authors stated that collective tenure recognition efforts were underway in Madagascar, but limited knowledge of agropastoralist cattle production strategies impeded the efforts to develop tenure reforms. The authors examined how cattle raisers in the Boney Region in northwest Madagascar organize pastoral spaces and cattle production strategies in the area’s dry forest. Open access copy available |
Showing and Telling: Australian Land Rights and Material MoralitiesBackgroundIn Kowanyama, Queensland, Aboriginal groups have property rights to several thousand square miles which are opposed by groups such as local pastoralists and the National Parks service. This paper explores the processes through which one group, the Kunjen community, asserts its moral and political claims over the disputed area through stories and material artefacts. Available with subscription or purchase |
