Conservation grounded in traditional ecological knowledge, culture and hunting

Abstract

For millennia, traditional hunting practices have provided a means of subsistence for numerous indigenous peoples worldwide. Not only do managed traditional hunting practices perpetuate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), but they also promote the sustainable utilization of natural resources. However, the contribution of ethnic minority traditional hunting cultures to the conservation of bird diversity remains understudied in China. The Yao people employ a unique ‘bird-basin’ hunting practice during the migratory season in the Dayao mountains. In order to assess the impact of forest utilization practices on bird diversity, this study compares the bird diversity in the hunting grounds of the Yao people with that in old-growth forests and in firewood forests. We found a significantly higher level of bird species richness in the hunting grounds than in the old-growth forests and the firewood forests. Functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity were similar in the old-growth forests and hunting grounds and were lowest in the firewood forests. Most of the birds captured by bird-basins were migratory species that were small in size and not threatened. ‘Bird-basin’ hunting could be an effective way of resolving conflicts between bird diversity conservation and regional economic development. Unlike firewood forests, forests within hunting grounds are proactively and effectively managed by the Yao people and require no external funding. We recommend considering traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and managed hunting strategies when managing forests outside protected areas, particularly in areas inhabited by indigenous peoples. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.