BOT 612: Ethnobiological Surveys of Market-Places as a Tool for Resource Management & Conservation

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Spring semester, 2004, Thursday 1:30-:3:30 pm, 2 Credits, St John rm 400   

.pdf of course syllabus

Instructor:  Tony Cunningham

Room 607C, Dept. Botany

Hours available: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 10-12am 

Despite the fact that all coastal people use both marine and terrestrial resources for their livelihoods, and a commonly recognized need for integrated management of coastal systems from “rainforest to reef”, there has been little integration of scientific methods – even amongst ethnobiologists – that crosses “boundaries” between land and sea – and between terrestrial and marine sciences. This seminar series attempts to do this on one theme: surveying species in trade. In this process, an applied, problem-solving approach is taken, against a background of research papers provided in this reader which cover both theoretical and applied science.

Identifying species at risk is one of the major objectives of conservation biology, so that appropriate management action can be taken. Yet throughout the tropics, whether in forests or in the sea, many species are poorly known by scientists – or even undescribed. Local resource users, however, often know these species well. In contrast to most ecological studies, which are relatively short-term, this knowledge accumulated over long periods of time.

Species which are most favoured for food, medicine, crafts or other purposes enter trade networks and are often sold in local marketplaces. These marketplaces provide a great opportunity for systematic ethnobiological surveys and a rich source of information for conservation, rural development and resource management programmes. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the species that are sold are a "short-list" of a much wider range of species that are available. Shifts in species being sold may also be taking place. Secondly, shifts from subsistence use to commercial sale can have important implications for resource management as it results in larger volumes being harvested, a higher frequency and intensity of harvesting and can affect resource tenure.

Knowing which species are sold, how much they sell for or even how much is sold is not enough, however. It is equally important to know who is involved in sales along often complex marketing chains, how this is organized and how it is changing, where source areas used to be or are today and how demand and supply are likely to change in the future.

Local and indigenous knowledge of the classification, behaviour, location and harvest methods for these species or how prices (or species populations) appear to be changing is useful for design of practical resource management and conservation measures, if and when these are needed. In some cases, rules affecting timing or location of harvest already exist (or existed) in customary law. In other cases, large scale commercial exploitation – in many cases externally driven – and changing harvest methods pose a major challenge for conservation biologists – and the local people who rely on these species for their livelihoods.

The order in which each seminar is presented follows the order in which one might work in a field situation where implementation of resource management, monitoring and conservation measures is required.  In terms of measuring & monitoring harvesting impacts, this seminar series links to the ethnoecology course (Botany 644) being given by Professor Tamara Ticktin.  

The syllabus and reading list are given on the following page. Two books are required reading: (1) Cunningham, A B. 2001. Applied ethnobotany: people, wild plant use & conservation. Earthscan; and (2) Jennings, S, M J Kaiser & J D Reynolds. 2001. Marine fisheries ecology. Blackwell Publishers.