Landscape dynamics and management of wild plant resources in shifting cultivation systems : a case study from a forest ejido in the Maya zone of Quintana Roo, Mexico

Wild plant resources are harvested and managed by people in a variety of land-uses but few studies examine the interactions of landscape dynamics and the use and availability of wild plant resources. I address this question using a case study of common property lands with a history of community forestry and traditional shifting cultivation. Specifically I ask: What is the perceived importance of plant resources obtained in agricultural and forest environments? Have forest and agricultural land-use/land covers changed? How do landscape changes, and in particular shorter fallow times, influence the availability and use of plant resources?The perceived importance of wild plant resources was studied using free-listing and ranking exercises with focus groups of men and women. Remote sensing and interviews served to analyse landscape dynamics (1976-2000) and to identify local forest conservation regulations. The impact of shorter fallow times on the availability of forage and firewood in agricultural fields was assessed by sampling 26 fields derived from short to long fallows, while a household survey served to characterize patterns of firewood collection.Men attributed highest importance to commercial forest products, while resources most valued by women were domestic resources obtained in a variety of environments. High rates of forest retention were observed; conservation was focused on forests with high densities of commercial products. The agricultural zones shifted from a mosaic of diverse successional stages to a homogeneous landscape dominated by younger fallows and shorter fallow periods; these changes led to reductions in the availability of firewood and some forage species. Firewood collection was related to accessibility; areas with the least amount of firewood available (short-fallow cycles and low forest cover) experienced the highest collection pressure.The findings demonstrate that indigenous territories can be very dynamic, even when rates of forest conservation are high, and that changes in land-use and landscape structure have important implications for the availability and use of wild plant resources. A conceptual model linking landscape dynamics to wild plant use is proposed and the significance of the results for community-based conservation initiatives is discussed

Seeding diversity : enhancing farmers’ access to crop varieties and quality planting materials in Uganda’s seed systems

Ensuring food and livelihood security in rural areas relies heavily on crop diversity, yet farmers often struggle to access suitable seeds and planting materials. This study maps and characterizes Uganda’s seed systems to identify approaches to enhance farmers’ access to seeds of well-adapted and preferred varieties. Based on qualitative data from key informant interviews (KIIs) with a range of actors involved in the seed system, focus group discussions (FGDs) with women and men farmers, document analysis, and stakeholder workshops, this report examines the country’s seed systems from the local to the national level focusing on key seed system functions and outcomes

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

IDRC doctoral research award / Bourse du CRDI aux chercheurs candidats au doctorat

Includes abstract in FrenchAppendices missingWild plant resources are harvested and managed by people in a variety of landuses, but few studies examine the interactions of landscape dynamics and the use and availability of wild plant resources. I address this question using a case study of common property lands with a history of community forestry and traditional shifting cultivation. Specifically I ask: What is the perceived importance of plant resources obtained in agricultural and forest environments? Have forest and agricultural landuse/ land covers changed? How do landscape changes, and in particular shorter fallow times, influence the availability and use of plant resources? The perceived importance of wild plant resources was studied using free-listing and ranking exercises with focus groups of men and women. Remote sensing and interviews served to analyse landscape dynamics (1976-2000) and to identify local forest conservation regulations. The impact of shorter fallow times on the availability of forage and firewood in agricultural fields was assessed by sampling 26 fields derived from short to long fallows, while a household survey served to characterize patterns of firewood collection. Men attributed highest importance to commercial forest products, while resources most valued by women were domestic resources obtained in a variety of environments. High rates of forest retention were observed; conservation was focused on forests with high densities of commercial products. The agricultural zones shifted from a mosaic of diverse successional stages to a homogeneous landscape dominated by younger fallows and shorter fallow periods; these changes led to reductions in the availability of firewood and some forage species. Firewood collection was related to accessibility; areas with the least amount of firewood available (short-fallow cycles and low forest cover) experienced the highest collection pressure. The findings demonstrate that indigenous territories can be very dynamic, even when rates of forest conservation are high, and that changes in land-use and landscape structure have important implications for the availability and use of wild plant resources. A conceptual model linking landscape dynamics to wild plant use is proposed and the significance of the results for community-based conservation initiatives is discussed

Seed security in theory and practice : a comparative study of seed security frameworks and their use

The current report is based on a study commissioned by Norad in 2018. The report was updated and adapted in 2020 as part of the project Access to seeds funded by the Research Council of Norway.Seeds and planting material are fundamental assets in all crop production and thus at the heart of food system resilience. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the health policies meant to break chains of virus transmission are also affecting the chains of seed transmission around the world. The humanitarian sector as well as the commercial seed sector have called on policymakers and other actors to take measures to allow seed flows to continue in the various social networks and value chains farmers rely on. In this context, the concept of seed security and its practical operationalizations in humanitarian and development interventions is more relevant than ever. In 2018, Noragric carried out a study commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) entitled Seed security in theory and practice: contributions in the Norwegian aid sector. The current publication is an adapted and updated version of that study. We believe the historical and comparative focus in this report is of value to a broader readership, especially given the current surge in interest in seed security. The SeedSystem.org website is a tremendous source of information, statements, guidelines and tools for seed security assessments and interventions and we highly recommend this source to everyone interested in the latest updates on seed security development under the global pandemic. From the breadth of actors involved and the content of the joint organizational statements and guidance it seems the current crisis is about to lead to the much needed expansion of the seed security concept from the humanitarian sphere into long-term seed system development work called for in this report. More than two decades of research and experience in seed security work has yielded salient lessons for how seed matters are handled in the current crisis. Warning against seeing the crisis as an opportunity to roll out universal and standardized seed development interventions, the scholars and practitioners in the field rather urge all development actors to base all actions on evidence and to first and foremost focus on strengthening the existing seed systems farmers use. We hope this report will be useful for practitioners, policymakers and scholars interested in understanding and discussing the perspectives and frameworks used to gauge farmers’ seed systems and seed security situation. The diversity of approaches compared in this report is itself a healthy sign for a literature and practice field that must remain able to constantly adapt to new realities on the ground

The spatial distribution of traditional plant resources on an indigenous territory (Darien, Panama) and implications for management /

Ecological research aimed at the conservation of useful plants has rarely considered the spatial distribution of resources nor the potential implications for management. In this thesis I examined the spatial patterning of a group of 23 useful plant species on the 3,500 ha territory of a Kuna community in Darien, Panama. A systematic random sampling scheme was used to survey the distribution and abundance of the species, as well as the physical environment. A series of canonical analyses was conducted to evaluate the species-environment relationships and to identify spatial structures in the species distributions left unexplained by the environmental variables. Four distinct distribution patterns were identified among the species; these were most strongly explained by land-use, the degree of canopy closure and topography. Significant spatial structures, independent of the environmental variables, were related to anthropogenic pressures and an edaphic gradient. The habitat associations of the individual species are described and data on one species, Sabal mauritiiformis , is used to illustrate the utility of these data in the management of plant resources on human landscapes

Seed security in theory and practice : a comparative study of seed security frameworks and their use

Seeds and planting material are fundamental assets in all crop production and thus at the heart of food system resilience. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the health policies meant to break chains of virus transmission are also affecting the chains of seed transmission around the world. The humanitarian sector as well as the commercial seed sector have called on policymakers and other actors to take measures to allow seed flows to continue in the various social networks and value chains farmers rely on. In this context, the concept of seed security and its practical operationalizations in humanitarian and development interventions is more relevant than ever. In 2018, Noragric carried out a study commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) entitled Seed security in theory and practice: contributions in the Norwegian aid sector. The current publication is an adapted and updated version of that study. We believe the historical and comparative focus in this report is of value to a broader readership, especially given the current surge in interest in seed security. The SeedSystem.org website is a tremendous source of information, statements, guidelines and tools for seed security assessments and interventions and we highly recommend this source to everyone interested in the latest updates on seed security development under the global pandemic. From the breadth of actors involved and the content of the joint organizational statements and guidance it seems the current crisis is about to lead to the much needed expansion of the seed security concept from the humanitarian sphere into long-term seed system development work called for in this report. More than two decades of research and experience in seed security work has yielded salient lessons for how seed matters are handled in the current crisis. Warning against seeing the crisis as an opportunity to roll out universal and standardized seed development interventions, the scholars and practitioners in the field rather urge all development actors to base all actions on evidence and to first and foremost focus on strengthening the existing seed systems farmers use. We hope this report will be useful for practitioners, policymakers and scholars interested in understanding and discussing the perspectives and frameworks used to gauge farmers’ seed systems and seed security situation. The diversity of approaches compared in this report is itself a healthy sign for a literature and practice field that must remain able to constantly adapt to new realities on the ground

Shorter Fallow Cycles Affect the Availability of Noncrop Plant Resources in a Shifting Cultivation System

Shifting cultivation systems, one of the most widely distributed forms of agriculture in the tropics, provide not only crops of cultural significance, but also medicinal, edible, ritual, fuel, and forage resources, which contribute to the livelihoods, health, and cultural identity of local people. In many regions across the globe, shifting cultivation systems are undergoing important changes, one of the most pervasive being a shortening of the fallow cycle. Although there has been much attention drawn to declines in crop yields in conjunction with reductions in fallow times, little if any research has focused on the dynamics of noncrop plant resources. In this paper, we use a data set of 26 fields of the same age, i.e., ~1.5 yr, but differing in the length and frequency of past fallow cycles, to examine the impact of shorter fallow periods on the availability of noncrop plant resources. The resources examined are collected in shifting cultivation fields by the Yucatec Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico. These included firewood, which is cut from remnant trees and stumps spared at the time of felling, and 17 forage species that form part of the weed vegetation. Firewood showed an overall decrease in basal area with shorter fallow cycles, which was mostly related to the smaller diameter of the spared stumps and trees in short-fallow milpas. In contrast, forage species showed a mixed response. Species increasing in abundance in short-fallow milpas tended to be short-lived herbs and shrubs often with weedy habits, whereas those declining in abundance were predominantly pioneer trees and animal-dispersed species. Coppicing tree species showed a neutral response to fallow intensity. Within the cultural and ecological context of our study area, we expect that declines in firewood availability will be most significant for livelihoods because of the high reliance on firewood for local fuel needs and the fact that the main alternative source of firewood, forest patches, has also declined in short-fallow areas. Declines in some forage species can likely be compensated for by the use of other species or by adaptive responses such as managing declining species in home gardens. However, the loss of pioneer tree species in short-fallow milpas suggests that the regenerative capacity of the fallows may be reduced with implications for maintaining effective fallow cycles in this shifting cultivation system. Our findings indicate that the dynamics of noncrop plant resources and their implications for local livelihoods require further consideration in the debate over improving the productivity of shifting cultivation systems

IDRC doctoral research award / Bourse du CRDI aux chercheurs candidats au doctorat

Studies of land-use/land cover change are an important means for examining the viability of community-based programs for forest conservation, although an analysis of the social processes influencing land-use decisions is necessary to understand the factors leading to different conservation outcomes. In this paper, we demonstrate that an analysis of locally recognized land-use rules and regulations embedded in local institutions can inform remote-sensing approaches by helping: (1) to elucidate some of the local perceptions, criteria and interactions with outside agencies that drive conservation actions and (2) to better interpret the spatial patterns of land-use change and forest conservation revealed by remote-sensing data. Based on a case study of a forest ejido from the Maya Zone of Quintana Roo, Mexico, we evaluate changes in forest cover and in local land-use regulations before and after the initiation in the mid-1980s of a community forestry program, the Plan Piloto Forestal (PPF). Methods included development of a time series of land cover maps based on LANDSAT imagery from 1976, 1988, 1991, 1997 and 2000, as well as interviews and participant observation with local farmers and community leaders. Results indicate a high degree of forest conservation on community lands with net rates of forest loss of 0.6–0.7%/year. Locally recognized conservation regulations included a number of forest reserves as well as regulations which protect specific forest types, resulting from both local initiatives and interventions of external agencies. These initiatives included but were not limited to the PPF, highlighting the importance of evaluating community-based conservation programs within a broader historical context. Conservation regulations protecting an important commercial non-timber forest product (Manilkara zapota) pre-dated the PPF and may have facilitated its implementation. In the most accessible agricultural areas, the only mature forest patches were customary forest reserves and an area regenerated from secondary forests, protected due to enrichment plantings of commercial timbers. Recognition of local Maya terminology used to distinguish forest types was crucial for proper interpretation of local land-use regulations, which revealed that less-valued forest types may not be adequately protected on community lands. We suggest that future research should examine the significance of the less-valued forest types for global biodiversity conservation. In addition careful consideration of the historical antecedents and community institutions which may have facilitated the implementation of the Plan Piloto Forestal will be important for the successful application of this model of community forestry to other socio-economic and cultural contexts

Appendix B. Schematic representation of image processing steps and land cover classes used in Analyses 1–3.

Schematic representation of image processing steps and land cover classes used in Analyses 1–3