This document discusses scientific knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge regarding non-timber forest products in Latin America. It finds that there are significant gaps in scientific knowledge about key ecological variables for many species, especially regarding their population dynamics, regeneration, and effects of harvesting. Traditional knowledge developed over thousands of years offers important complementary insights into forest management, but it is rarely documented. A case study on Himatanthus drasticus shows that new collaborative research between scientists and traditional communities generated knowledge that had greater similarities to traditional knowledge than previous scientific studies alone. The document argues that integrating different knowledge systems can lead to more effective forest management strategies.

1. Cristina Baldauf, Dayanne Támela Soares,
Letícia Troian, Terry Sunderland
Not by scientists alone: scientific (dis) information
and the contribution of traditional ecological
knowledge to forest management

2. Latin America: historical use of NTFPs
Traditional people have been using NTFPs over more than
10,000 years
In the Amazon → Brazil nut and palm species: ~11,200 to
10,500 years bp (Roosevelt et al. 1996)
In Chile: boldo leaves among 45 edible plants dated between
~11,000 to 13,000 in Chile (Dillehay et al. 2008)
Microsoft Corporation
Bertholletia excelsa
H.Melo
Oenocarpus bacaba
Pneumus boldus
Monte Verde campsite
H.Melo

3. Historical use: Traditional Ecological Knowledge

4. “Paleolithic
science” “Neolithic
science”:
domestication
“Modern
science”
Time
200,000 bp
origins
100,000 bp
expansion
10,000 bp
300 bp
present
HUMAN KNOWLEDGE: Historical perspective
Toledo and Barrera-Bassols (2009): adapted from Levi-Strauss (1962)
“Post-modern
science”
TEK
“SCIENCE”

5. Lack of basic
ecological information
on harvested species
 Effects of harvesting
remain understudied
Less studied: Bark and
exudates
The recent “modern science” and NTFP ecology

6. Trichilia spp. CATUABA
Even for plant species that are
widely traded there is little
ecological information

7. Objectives
Ecological knowledge is one important aspect of sustainable
management strategies
To identify the main gaps in scientific ecological
knowledge about NTFP’s
Testing hypotheses concerning the patterns of
available information
To discuss the role of traditional ecological
knowledge in NTFPs management
Suggestions for future research

8. Methods
Level of current ecological information: 30 species
commercially harvested for bark and exudates in Latin
America and 9 ecological variables
Databases for papers, dissertations and “technical notes”
which assessed ecological aspects of the selected species.
Keywords: scientific and vernacular names;
combinations of species name + variables name in English,
Portuguese and Spanish

9. H.Melo H.Melo
Luehea divaricata
Açoita-cavalo
Carapa guianensis
Andiroba
Myracrodruon
urundeuva
Aroeira
Schinopsis brasiliensis
Baraúna
Stryphnodendron
adstringens
Barbatimão
Breu
Protium heptaphyllum
Caesalpinia
pyramidalis
Catingueira
Euphorbia
antisyphillitica
Candelilla
Euphorbia
antisyphillitica
Drimys brasiliensis
Cataia
Copaifera langsdorffii
Copaíba
Trema micrantha
Grandiúva
Tabebuia
impetiginosa
Ipê
Hymenaea courbaril
Jatobá
Brosimum gaudichaudii
Mama-cadela
Pinus caribaea
Pinus

10. Methods
Ecological/harvesting variables: Pollination; Seed dispersal;
Density; Population structure; Population dynamics;
Population genetics; Propagation methods; Bark/exudates
regeneration; Effects of harvesting on reproductive system
0- no information available; (red)
1- Information for other species of the same genus; (orange)
2- Preliminary or insufficient information about the species; (yellow)
3-Precise information about the species in one study area or
harvesting level; (green)
4- Precise information about the species in more than one study
area OR harvesting level
5- Precise information about the species in more than one study
area AND harvesting level

11. Number RES POL DIS PRO REG DEN STR DYN GEN REP
1 bark 3 1 3 3 3 3 2 2 3
2 bark 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 0
3 bark 3 2 3 0 3 3 1 0 0
4 bark 3 3 3 0 3 0 0 2 0
5 bark 3 3 3 0 3 0 0 0 0
6 bark 3 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0
7 bark 2 3 3 1 3 3 0 2 0
8 bark 3 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0
9 bark 3 3 3 0 1 2 2 0 0
10 bark 1 3 3 3 3 2 0 2 2
11 bark 1 3 3 0 2 2 0 2 0
12 bark 2 2 3 0 2 2 2 0 0
13 bark 1 3 3 0 2 2 2 3 0
14 bark 3 3 3 2 3 0 0 0 0
15 bark 3 3 3 0 3 0 0 2 0
16 bark 3 3 3 2 3 0 0 0 2
17 bark 3 3 3 0 3 3 2 2 0
18 exudate 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 0
19 exudate 0 3 0 0 3 3 2 0 0
20 exudate 3 3 3 2 3 1 1 1 1
21 exudate 1 3 3 0 2 2 0 0 0
22 exudate 3 3 3 3 2 0 0 0 1
23 exudate 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 0
24 exudate 1 3 3 0 2 2 2 1 0
25 exudate 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 0 3
26 exudate 2 3 3 0 3 3 2 2 2
27 exudate 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 2 0
28 exudate 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0
29 exudate 2 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 3
30 exudate 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2
RESULTS

12. Differences in knowledge between species: key variables
Production system Geographic distribution Timber
Trade Forest type
p > 0.05 p >0.05p > 0.05
p <0.05 p <0.05
t-test; 10000 bootsraps

13. Correspondence analysis: patterns of knowledge
Axis 1 x Axis 2
% Inertia Cumulative %
Axis 1 35.4 35.4
Axis 2 23.5 59.0
Axis 3 16.7 75.7
There are no group of species in
terms of scientific knowledge
Generalized lack of knowledge
Critical aspects to be addressed are: REG, DYN, REP.
If natural populations are declining: GEN (conservation and domestication)
More studies on dry forest and savannas!!

14. “It is absurd to suppose that the savage, a
child in intellect, has reached a higher
development in any branch of science than
has been attained by the civilized man, the
product of long ages of intellectual growth”
(James Mooney 1891)
AND WHAT ABOUT TEK?

15. CBD (1992) “Traditional knowledge can make a
significant contribution to sustainable development”
2012: 50 years of “The Savage Mind”
Lévi-Strauss (1962)
Value of indigenous knowledge
There is a growing recognition of the importance of TK
TK and climate change: adaptation and mitigation strategies will
be integrated in the next IPCC Assessment Report (AR5, 2014)

16. Combinations between species
scientific and vernacular names + key
words (traditional knowledge, local
knowledge, ethnobotany, ethnoecology,
management, harvesting...)
Literature on TEK: rich debate on
its merits but with few examples of
its application to NTFPs
management in Latin America
Traditional people rarely document
their experiences
Case studies
NTFPs and TEK

17. Case study- Himatanthus drasticus (janaguba)

18. “conventional” and “civil”
scientists collaborate to
address questions of forest
management
Interdependent science
All people create knowledge
Discuss and decide together each stage of the
research
Necessity of multiple methods: triangulate on
better management practice
Evaluate conventional and civil science with
equal rigour

19. Information Studies before
2008
Traditional
knowledge
New studies (2008-
2012): interdependent
Autoecology
Habitat Cerrado/Cerradão Cerrado/Cerradão Cerrado/Cerradão
Density/ha 27.8/ 31.6 Higher in Cerrado 33.3/28.5
Flowering peak Nov/Dec Nov/Dec Nov/Dec
Fruiting peak Dez/Jan Dez/Jan Dez/Jan
Seed dispersal wind wind Wind
Case study- Himatanthus drasticus (janaguba)
Comparison between different knowledge

20. More similarities between new studies and TEK than between “scientific
studies”: move beyond “validation”; “reliability” of TEK
Post-modern science: “new rationality comprised of multiple
rationalities” (Sousa Santos 1988)
Information Studies before
2008
Traditional
knowledge
New studies (2008-
2012): interdependent
Harvesting
Effects on
reproduction
No information No effects Increase in
reproduction
Effects on
demography
High impacts
(based on visual
impression)
No impacts No impacts (based on
matrix models)
Individual
mortality after
harvesting
High mortality
(based on visual
impression)
No association
between harvesting
and mortality
No association
between harvesting
and mortality (biomass
experiments)
Ideal frequency No information Each 18 months At least 24 months to
bark recovery
(biomass experiments)

21. Theory of planned behavior
(Ajzen et al 1991; Ajzen et al 2011)
Knowledge is just one of the predictors of behavior
Interval between harvesting
events
Ideal: at least 18 months
(59.5%)
In practice: each 12 months
(73%): economic pressures

22. A boatman was transporting a pretentious man
through rough water when the first said something
that went against grammar rules.
- Haven’t you ever studied grammar?
- No, said the boatman.
- In this case, you’ve lost half of your life.
Minutes later, the boatman turned back to
his passenger.
- Can you swim?
- No. Why?
- In this case, you’ve lost all your life. We are
sinking.
(Wisdom tale from oriental tradition, from Shah 1985)
THE ROLE OF TEK: CONCLUSION