Indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) can contribute to the management of local ecosystems and landscapes. Cultural landscapes are produced by and reflect the long‐term interactions between humans and nature in indigenous societies. Yunnan Province, located in southwestern China, is the homeland of many ethnic groups, and is also a refuge for numerous species of wild plants and animals. Indigenous people in Yunnan, who have rich ecological knowledge, play an important role in the conservation of local biodiversity and the region's unique terraced agricultural landscapes. We used the Hani people and their outstanding cultural landscape of rice terraces in Yuanyang County of Yunnan Province as a case study to describe their worldview and discuss their formation of IEK; their roles in the preservation of rice landraces and in pest regulation; their management of water, forest, and soil resources; and the vertical landscape pattern and resource‐circulation system that has evolved in the areas managed by the Hani. We also discuss the challenges and threats facing the Hani, their IEK, and their cultural landscape, as well as discuss the potential for integration of the Hani's IEK with modern conservation efforts.
This study generally aims to synthesize the best practices and challenges in mangrove rehabilitation in the Philippines, Myanmar, Japan, China and India. It employed an in-depth review of secondary information such as policy documents and project reports, and participatory research activities with various mangrove stakeholders such as key informant interview and focus group discussion. Lessons and strategies obtained were used to develop a mangrove rehabilitation framework/guideline. The guideline was tested for suitability through case studies in the Philippines and Myanmar. It was concluded that mangrove rehabilitation will succeed if 1) it is built around an integrated and ecosystem-based approach that takes into account feedback between rehabilitation and other economic activities; 2) its scope is beyond mere planting; 3) local people are involved in planning and monitoring in addition to implementation; 4) all stakeholders are informed of their roles and responsibilities; and 5) species selection is based on ecological and silvicultural knowledge in conjunction with the needs and priorities identified by stakeholders.
The traditional agricultural landscape has many ecosystem services as well as a rich biodiversity. This paper analyzes the multiple ecosystem services provided by the Hani Terrace landscape in southwestern China. The results indicate: the Hani Terrace landscape is a traditional sustainable rice agriculture landscape which has multiple ecosystem services and a rich biodiversity that are generated from the close relationships between the landscape elements/ecosystems that are maintained by local farmers. However, although the Hani Terrace landscape has almost maintained its original status, it is facing continuous pressures from social and economic development so adequate adaptive management strategies should be developed to meet the challenges.
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