Collaborative management of forests

"Millions of the rural poor now participate in collaborative forest management schemes under a variety of tenurial and organizational arrangements.We examine those arrangements and ask whether local people have indeed gained more access to benefits from and control over forests. Our findings suggest that most co-management projects actually maintain and even extend central government control." from Text.Property rights ,Collective action ,

Women in the wake: expanding the legacy of Chico Mendes in Brazil’s environmental movement

Since the death of Chico Mendes three decades ago, nearly half of the Amazon forest area has been conserved through the collective sacrifice and struggle of thousands of forest-reliant families in Brazil, twined with political will and dense scientific and technical capacity. The key position that once marginalized, rural women have played in this struggle, however, is often obscured. This paper describes the role of women, some eminent and others lesser known, in the conservation movement inspired by Chico Mendes in Brazil. Thirty years ago, women were not permitted to be union members; today, 40% of the National Council of Extractivist Populations (CNS) leadership is female, and 25% of conservation units are led by women. Brazilian women occupy positions across the full spectrum of politics from grassroots to crucial positions in government, unions and civil society organizations. As women have gained power, they have also become targets. Of the 818 assassinations recorded by the Comissão Pastoral da Terra” (CPT) between 1997 and 2017, 7% have been women. Their deaths have not been forgotten. During 2017’s March of the Margaridas, in support of women’s rights and in remembrance of those who have died for the cause, an estimated one hundred thousand women have participated. Since Mendes’ death, the movement to conserve forests and secure land for smallholders in Brazil has not abated, but grown and evolved through cross-sectoral collaborations, intergenerational exchange, strategic advocacy across vast geographic areas, and shared bonds born of struggle. The paper highlights the vital role of women in expanding and concretizing a globally significant forest conservation movement sparked by a man with a vision

Markets drive the specialization strategies of forest peoples

Engagement in the market changes the opportunities and strategies of forest-related peoples. Efforts to support rural development need to better understand the potential importance of markets and the way people respond to them. To this end, we compared 61 case studies of the commercial production and trade of nontimber forest products from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The results show that product use is shaped by local markets and institutions, resource abundance, and the relative level of development. Larger regional patterns are also important. High-value products tend to be managed intensively by specialized producers and yield substantially higher incomes than those generated by the less specialized producers of less managed, low-value products. We conclude that commercial trade drives a process of intensified production and household specialization among forest peoples. Copyright © 2004 by the author(s)

An original phylogenetic approach identified mitochondrial haplogroup T1a1 as inversely associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers

Introduction: Individuals carrying pathogenic mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a high lifetime risk of breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in DNA double-strand break repair, DNA alterations that can be caused by exposure to reactive oxygen species, a main source of which are mitochondria. Mitochondrial genome variations affect electron transport chain efficiency and reactive oxygen species production. Individuals with different mitochondrial haplogroups differ in their metabolism and sensitivity to oxidative stress. Variability in mitochondrial genetic background can alter reactive oxygen species production, leading to cancer risk. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial haplogroups modify breast cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Methods: We genotyped 22,214 (11,421 affected, 10,793 unaffected) mutation carriers belonging to the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 for 129 mitochondrial polymorphisms using the iCOGS array. Haplogroup inference and association detection were performed using a phylogenetic approach. ALTree was applied to explore the reference mitochondrial evolutionary tree and detect subclades enriched in affected or unaffected individuals. Results: We discovered that subclade T1a1 was depleted in affected BRCA2 mutation carriers compared with the rest of clade T (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34 to 0.88; P = 0.01). Compared with the most frequent haplogroup in the general population (that is, H and T clades), the T1a1 haplogroup has a HR of 0.62 (95% CI, 0.40 to 0.95; P = 0.03). We also identified three potential susceptibility loci, including G13708A/rs28359178, which has demonstrated an inverse association with familial breast cancer risk. Conclusions: This study illustrates how original approaches such as the phylogeny-based method we used can empower classical molecular epidemiological studies aimed at identifying association or risk modification effects.Peer reviewe

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Genome-Wide Association Study in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers Identifies Novel Loci Associated with Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk

BRCA1-associated breast and ovarian cancer risks can be modified by common genetic variants. To identify further cancer risk-modifying loci, we performed a multi-stage GWAS of 11,705 BRCA1 carriers (of whom 5,920 were diagnosed with breast and 1,839 were diagnosed with ovarian cancer), with a further replication in an additional sample of 2,646 BRCA1 carriers. We identified a novel breast cancer risk modifier locus at 1q32 for BRCA1 carriers (rs2290854, P = 2.7×10-8, HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.20). In addition, we identified two novel ovarian cancer risk modifier loci: 17q21.31 (rs17631303, P = 1.4×10-8, HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38) and 4q32.3 (rs4691139, P = 3.4×10-8, HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38). The 4q32.3 locus was not associated with ovarian cancer risk in the general population or BRCA2 carriers, suggesting a BRCA1-specific associat

As the forest falls : the changing use, ecology and value of non-timber forest resources for Caboclo communities in eastern Amazonia.

The rapid transformation of the Brazilian Amazon through expanded logging, ranching and fire has left in its wake an impoverished resource base for large numbers of forest-dependent peoples. How current changes in land use may affect the density and distribution of widely used fruit, medicinal, fiber and game species is not known. Also unknown is how the use, management and value of forest products may change in response to the changing structure and composition of forests. Although economic studies have demonstrated that the value of non-timber forest products can exceed that of timber, many Amazonian smallholders live in areas of low-density economic species, with long distances to market, and in regions undergoing logging, ranching and fire. The lack of locally relevant data and the rapid expansion of the timber industry in Amazonia has meant that many Amazonian communities sell trees for scant sums, without fully understanding the relative value of those forests' timber and nontimber resources. In this dissertation the use, ecology and value of non-timber forest resources in a rapidly changing frontier area along the Capim River region in eastern Amazonia are examined. The six-year ecological study focused on three fruiting species, which had received scant prior study: Caryocar villosum (Aubl.) Pers., Endopleura uchi Cuatrec. and Platonia insignis Mart. Findings indicate that they exist in low densities, have complicated phenological cycles, undergo extreme variations in annual yield, and are widely consumed by humans and wildlife. At present, these fruiting species, as well as twelve of the most highly valued medicinal oil and game attracting species, are consumed by the timber industry, thus posing detrimental consequences to the health and nutrition of caboclo communities in the study region. Results also demonstrate that in selectively logged forests, the subsistence value of non-timber forest resources can be substantial; that the most valuable non-timber forest products, fruit and game, are not destined for regional, national or international sale; that even in high biodiversity, low density terra firme forests, the net present value of NTFPs can exceed that of timber; and that, in spite of this comparatively higher value, non-timber species of substantial worth are currently being extracted for their timber. Findings underscore that there is a critical limit to the volume of timber that can be extracted from forests, after which present and future harvests of non-timber resources plummet. Results also suggest that women's participation in land-use decisions positively effects forest management. Taken together, these findings question the common assumption that sale of non-timber forest products is possible and/or desirable for all rural communities. Instead, results highlight the need for increased forest extension to assist communities to weigh the costs and benefits of logging; to negotiate for just benefits; and to promote forest management that includes NTFPs for subsistence use and occasional sales. Findings also suggest that, for the benefit of domestic economies, policy makers need to address the interface of non-timber forest resources and timber extraction

Science for the poor : how one woman challenged researchers, ranchers, and loggers in Amazonia

In the lower Tocantins region of Brazil, one Amazonian woman questioned why scientists publish principally for elite audiences. Her experience suggests that the impact may be enhanced by also sharing data with people who depend upon forest goods. Having defended her family homestead near the city of Cameta against loggers in the late 1980s, Glória Gaia became interested in strengthening the information base of other villagers so that they would not lose their forests for meager sums. She challenged scientists to defy norms such as extracting data without giving back to rural villagers and publishing primarily for the privileged. Working with researchers, she helped them to publish an illustrated manual of the ecology, economics, management, and cultural importance of key Amazonian forest species. With and without funds or a formal project, she traveled by foot and boat to remote villages to disseminate the book. Using data, stories, and song, she brought cautionary messages to villages about the impacts of logging on livelihoods. She also brought locally useful processing techniques regarding medicinal plants, fruit, and tree oils. Her holistic teachings challenged traditional forestry to include the management of fruits, fibers, and medicines. A new version of the book, requested by the government of Brazil, contains the contributions of 90 leading Brazilian and international scientists and local people. Glória Gaia’s story raises the questions: Who is science for and how can science reach disenfranchised populations? Lessons for scientists and practitioners from Glória’s story include: broadening the range of products from research to reach local people, complementing local ecological knowledge with scientific data, sharing precautionary data demonstrating trends, and involving women and marginalized people in the research and outreach process