How and why should people classify natural resources?

Abstract

Folk classifi cation systems consist of a set of concepts that individuals in a society apply to living beings around them. Much has been investigated regarding what motivates people to classify biota. One of the ideas that seeks to explain these relationships, proposed by Brent Berlin, states that systematization obeys universal cognitive principles that have similarities to scientifi c classifi cation systems. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the principles of classifi cation proposed by Berlin and their contribution to the understanding of folk classifi cation.