Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Flashcards
How is TEK acquired?
Through Observation of an area or a species. This is not scientific but has an empirical basis.
What is a semi-directive interview?
A conversation that is recorded.
This isn’t a questionnaire and there is no time limit.
What is a guided discussion?q
This allows the interviewer to follow the participant’s thoughts, and this allows for participants to make unexpected associations.
How are Questionnaires useful?
You can get exact information, allowing information to be quantified. Open-ended questions allow participants to make new connections.
How are analytical workshops useful?
They bring together scientists and holders of TEK which offers new perspectives.
E.g. the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee (ABWC) which includes scientists and stakeholders.
Provide an example of how local communities have helped scientists work.
In the Alaska bowhead whale census. The aim was to quantify how many whales used a migration route.
Eskimos saw migrating whales going via ways not being monitored this was brought to the scientists’ attention, and corrections to their method were made. Estimates changed from 2000-3000 to 6000-8000 whales migrating.
What did ethnobotanists find out about indigenous people in forests?
Indigenous people have actively managed forest plants over wider areas for 1000s or years.
What modifications have indigenous Amazonian people made to the forest?
Removal of non-useful plants
Protection
transportation of useful plants
Attraction of seed-dispersers
Selection of phenotypes
Fire and soil management
What is Ethnobotany?
The study of how indigenous people have used to learn plant products.
E.g. For food and spices
For fiber ( Fabrics, rope, etc)
Pigments (Dyes)
What is cultural transmission?
The transmission of knowledge.
This was discovered through trial and error.
This is normally transmitted orally and kept by a single member of the community (e.g. Shaman) Which is often why there is a risk of it being lost.
How is there potential for new drugs?
Currently, only 95 species of plant are being used for plant-based prescription drugs.
Whilst in the Amazonian rainforest only 1% of plants have been examined.
Meanwhile in the Amazon indigenous people have established uses for many plants.
What is benefit sharing?
It’s the economic and health benefit arising from Ethnobotany.
This knowledge should be shared with people who originally acquired the knowledge.
