Landscapes for Agrobiodiversity - Agrobiodiversity perspectives in land-use decisions
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This document discusses a research project examining the relationship between land use practices, agrobiodiversity, ecosystem services, and social resilience in eight biocultural landscapes around the world. The project aims to develop an analytical framework to assess the impacts of land use decisions on agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services, and identify land use strategies that maintain agrobiodiversity. Young researchers are participating and using local knowledge to document crop diversity, map resources, and understand community perceptions of different land uses and resilience. The research is supported by the Christensen Fund and conducted in partnership with local communities.
Landscapes for Agrobiodiversity - Agrobiodiversity perspectives in land-use decisions
- 1. PARAGROBIODIVERSITY,LANDANDPEOPLE PARAGROBIODIVERSITY,LANDANDPEOPLE AGROBIODIVERSITY LAND AND PEOPLE Agrobiodiversity perspectives in land-use decisions Landscapes for Agrobiodiversity Aymara community of Cachilaya, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia The Lake Titicaca landscape is a micro- centre of crop diversity for potato, quinoa, cañahua and other crops. Custodian farmers in Cachilaya safeguard about 100 potato varieties. Hanku village in the Himalayan highlands, Jumla, Nepal Under-researched crops, such as cold- tolerant rice, finger millet, foxtail millet and buckwheat, form the basis for food security for the communities in this high altitude agricultural system in Nepal. Lyngngam community in Meghalaya, India The Lyngngams practice rotational cultivation and maintain a rich diversity of local crops. In the photo, community members are participating in an assessment of ecosystem services. Abolhassani tribal confederacy in Touran Biosphere Reserve, Iran In this desert landscape, the communities have developed ingenious strategies for the adaptive management of local resources and livestock diversity. Changing land-use practices can result in a re- duction of agrobiodiversity—the crop, livestock and aquatic diversity and the biodiversity asso- ciated with ecosystem functions, such as polli nation and soil productivity, that are essential to agricultural production. Landscapes around the world are undergoing simplification due to changing patterns of land use, often driven by modern intensive farming. The consequences of land-use changes for agrobiodiversity are not adequately recognized, with negative con- sequences for its capacity to support sustain- ability, resilience and rural livelihoods. The research The project brings together young researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. It helps them build capacity to use participatory approaches to: • Assess and describe the diversity of crops, livestock breeds, medical plants and wild foods • Map local resources and ecosystem functions • Capture local perceptions of the resilience and ecosystem services provided by different land uses. The Project Together with partners from around the world, thePlatformforAgrobiodiversityResearch(PAR) is undertaking an interdisciplinary research project in eight biocultural landscapes. The aims of the project are to: • Develop a framework that supports the analysis of the consequences of land-use decisions on agrobiodiversity, ecosystem services and social-ecological resilience • Build the evidence base for land-use strategies that favour the maintenance and use of agrobiodiversity. The research is carried out by Sonthana Maneerattanachaiyong, Stanley Zira, Helga Gruberg Cazón, Lal Kumara Wakkumbure, Maede Salimi, Ghanimat Azhdari, Epsha Palikhey, Reuben Mendakor Shabong, Alejandro González Álvarez, Alberto Tarraza Rodríguez and Dunja Mijatovic; with the support of Natalia Estrada Carmona, Sajal Sthapit, Gennifer Meldrum and Toby Hodgkin. We thank our colleagues and friends for their support, and most of all the local communities. This project is supported by The Christensen Fund. Fundación Gaia Pacha Visit to San Din Daeng by the research team, Thailand. Karen communities in Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand Indigenous Karen farmers practice rotational cultivation. Their land management based on traditional knowledge promoted the regeneration of the forest. Udakumbura in Kandy, Sri Lanka Forests interspersed with black pepper gardens hold hundreds of species of wild plants, many of which are used for food and medicine. In the photo, community members are engaged in participatory mapping. Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve, Cuba Shade coffee and home gardens are part of the agriculture- forest mosaic that hosts close to 900 species of plants, 115 birds, 35 reptiles, 16 amphibians and 11 bats. Ndebele community in Tshongogwe, Lupane, Zimbabwe. In the dryland savannah, communities rely on wild resources including forest fruits and insects. In the photo, community members are mapping land uses.