The knowledge systems and practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities play critical rol... more The knowledge systems and practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities play critical roles in safeguarding the biological and cultural diversity of our planet. Globalization, government policies, capitalism, colonialism, and other rapid social-ecological changes threaten the relationships between Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their environments, thereby challenging the continuity and dynamism of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK). In this article, we contribute to the “World Scientists' Warning to Humanity,” issued by the Alliance of World Scientists, by exploring opportunities for sustaining ILK systems on behalf of the future stewardship of our planet. Our warning raises the alarm about the pervasive and ubiquitous erosion of knowledge and practice and the social and ecological consequences of this erosion. While ILK systems can be adaptable and resilient, the foundations of these knowledge systems are compromised by ongoing suppression, misrepresenta...
Emslie and Jade d’Alpoim Guedes join our honoring of Steve Weber by contributing papers on the So... more Emslie and Jade d’Alpoim Guedes join our honoring of Steve Weber by contributing papers on the Society’s early history (Emslie, this issue) and a summary of Steve Weber’s ethnobiological career (D’Alpoim Guedes, this issue). These papers, together with our usual diverse regular submissions and a special section on Cannabis, collectively honor Steve Weber in that their broad scope reflects the formative vision for the Society and, thus, the discipline, that was solidified under Steve’s leadership. As Steve (1986:v) notes:
Summer 1989 ABSTRACT.-A long history of horticulture appears to have affected plant nomenclature ... more Summer 1989 ABSTRACT.-A long history of horticulture appears to have affected plant nomenclature in Ka'apor and other Tupi•Guarani languages of lowland South America. The Ka'apor language displays patterns of and for the construction of primary productive and unproductive lexemes denoting plants. Such lexemes account for about one-third of all known folk generic plant names in Ka'apor. Five nomenclatural pillterns relating to these lexemes distinguish names for traditionally cultivated plants from names for traditionally non-cultivated plants. These patterns conform to an underlying principle: productive and unproductive primary lexemes in Ka'apor ethnobotany refer to traditionally non-cultivated plants. RESUMEN.-Una larga historia en horticultura parccc haber afeclado la nomenclatura de las plantas en lenguas de la familia Tupi-Guarani. habladas en las tierras bajas de Sudamerica; una de elias, la lengua Ka'apor. La lengua Ka'apor muestra patrones productivos e improductivos que son utilizados en la formaci6n de lexcmas que se refieren a plantas. Dichos lexemas aparecen en cerca de un tercio de todos los nombres genericos folkl6ricos de plantas. Cinco de los patrones en los que participan estos lcxemas, sirven para distinguir entre nombres de plantas Iradicionalmente cultivadas, de aquellos nombres que se r...miten a plantas no cultivadas. Estos patrones obedecen a un principio: los lexemas productivos 0 improductivos en la etnobotanica de Ka'apor hacen referencia a plantas tradicionalmente no cultivadas. RESUME.-II semble que l'histoire longue de I'horticulteur ait affecte lenomenclateur dl'S plantes chez les Ka'apor et chez autres langues Tupi-Gurani des basses terrI'S de I'Amerique du Sud. La langue des Ka'apor montre des modeles des mots primaires productifs et non-productifs qui denotent des plantes, et la construction de ccux-d. (es motsexpliquent a peu pres un troisieme dcs noms generiques populairesconnus des Ka'apor. Cinq modeles nomcnclaturels qui se rapportent aces mols se distinguent les noms des plantes traditionellemenl cultivCcs des planles traditionellement noncultivl'Cs. (es modell's se conforment avec un principe fondamental: les mots productils et non-productils chez I'ethnobotaniqu... des Ka'apor s'adrcsscnt aux plantes traditionel]cment non•cultivees.
Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presenc... more Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presence of ancient charcoal from forest fires indicates periods of drier climate in the past. These theories, however, neglect the possibility that such charcoal may result from early human activity. This article presents new evidence of anthropogenic ash and charcoal accumulation in the state of Acre, Brazil, dating back to c. 10 000 cal BP, which questions the value of charcoal as a proxy for phases of natural climate aridification. Carbon isotope (δ13C) values also suggest no significant changes in Holocene climate or vegetation. If these results are confirmed, previous studies on Amazonian Holocene climate will require re-evaluation.
Este volume nos oferece múltiplas visões de uma importante região da floresta amazônica de sua ... more Este volume nos oferece múltiplas visões de uma importante região da floresta amazônica de sua diversificada biota, de sua história recente e das pessoas que a habitam, com sua própria compreensão localizada desses fenômenos. Ele registra, de um lado, o esforço ...
Historical ecology is a new interdisciplinary research program concerned with comprehending tempo... more Historical ecology is a new interdisciplinary research program concerned with comprehending temporal and spatial dimensions in the relationships of human societies to local environments and the cumulative global effects of these relationships. Historical ecology contains core postulates that concern qualitative types of human-mediated disturbance of natural environments and the effect of these on species diversity, among other parameters. A central term used in historical ecology to situate human behavior and agency in the environment is the landscape, as derived from historical geography, instead of the ecosystem, which is from systems ecology. Historical ecology is similar to nonequilibrium dynamic theory, but differs in its postulate of human-mediated disturbance as a principle of landscape transformation. Such disturbances counterintuitively may involve anthropogenic primary and secondary succession that result in net increases of alpha and even beta diversity. Applied historica...
Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presenc... more Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presence of ancient charcoal from forest fires indicates periods of drier climate in the past. These theories, however, neglect the possibility that such charcoal may result from early human activity. This article presents new evidence of anthropogenic ash and charcoal accumulation in the state of Acre, Brazil, dating back to c. 10 000 cal BP, which questions the value of charcoal as a proxy for phases of natural climate aridification. Carbon isotope (δ13C) values also suggest no significant changes in Holocene climate or vegetation. If these results are confirmed, previous studies on Amazonian Holocene climate will require re-evaluation.
Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human ha... more Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human habitation, but virtually all Amazon reserves are nonetheless inhabited. Historical ecology research reported herein assesses the impacts of occupation and resource use by beiradeiros (forest peasants) on the forests of a strictly designated nature reserve in the Iriri River basin (Brazilian Amazon). The hypothesis is that traditional beiradeiros activities are congruent with the aims of conservation of the reserve because their impacts are either neutral or enhance diversity of forest landscapes and biota. We designed the methodology underlying data collection to integrate forest inventory with archaeological techniques in two contrasting forest types (terra firme and seasonally inundated forest), faunal surveys, freelisting of tree terms by beiradeiros, and participant observation, in order to determine biological diversity indices, forest age and the parameters of traditional knowledge that encode such diversity in local vocabulary. Our research results lead us to reject the premise that traditional peasant activities lead to ecological degradation or impoverishment, and suggest that the rationale underpinning strictly protected nature reserves should be reexamined.
Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human ha... more Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human habitation, but virtually all Amazon reserves are nonetheless inhabited. Historical ecology research reported herein assesses the impacts of occupation and resource use by beiradeiros (forest peasants) on the forests of a strictly designated nature reserve in the Iriri River basin (Brazilian Amazon). The hypothesis is that traditional beiradeiros activities are congruent with the aims of conservation of the reserve because their impacts are either neutral or enhance diversity of forest landscapes and biota. We designed the methodology underlying data collection to integrate forest inventory with archaeological techniques in two contrasting forest types (terra firme and seasonally inundated forest), faunal surveys, freelisting of tree terms by beiradeiros, and participant observation, in order to determine biological diversity indices, forest age and the parameters of traditional knowledge ...
Indigeneidade se refere às maneiras tradicionais de conhecimento do mundo, imersas em culturas de... more Indigeneidade se refere às maneiras tradicionais de conhecimento do mundo, imersas em culturas de pequena escala. Pode ser detectada em transformações primárias da paisagem, onde enriquecimento em espécies resultaram em melhorias ambientais, não degradação. Paisagens são encontros de pessoas e lugares. Indigeneidade torna-se relevante para as paisagens com o fnal do isolamento da Europa e a redução dos “outros” não-ocidentais a novos sistemas de subordinação, como a escravidão, e a classifcação de suas terras como terra nullius. Essas paisagens, de fato, mostram assinaturas humanas de transformações primárias do passado. A evidência consiste na modifcação do substrato e vegetação que indicam alteração, e é encontrada em diversos locais com condições bastante diferentes, como a Melanésia, Micronésia, África tropical e Amazônia. Essas paisagens indígenas de terra e mar foram consideradas terra nullius por motivos não relacionados ao seu valor como sinais de uma variedade positiva de t...
O artigo apresenta os resultados do primeiro inventário de um hecta¬re realizado na área de um sí... more O artigo apresenta os resultados do primeiro inventário de um hecta¬re realizado na área de um sítio tipo geoglifo. Até o momento, todos os geoglifos estudados não tinham cobertua vegetal. O geoglifo Três Vertentes não mostra evidência de ter sido queimado ou usado para agricultura ou assentamento no passado recente. Assim, é possível que a vegetação existente sobre o geoglifo não tenha sido perturbada, com a possívele exceção de usos extrativos pela caça ou coleta de látex. Trata-se de uma mata de cipó. Essa conclusão apoia-se na grande proporção de árvores dicotiledôneas cobertas por cipós, com a alta densidade e frequência de moráceas, cuja maior parte é composta por cipós ou trepadeiras. Há grande densidade e frequência de palmeiras excluem cipós, também a alta frequência de bananeiras bravas (Phenakospermum guyannense). Nota-se uma área basal relativamente pequena e o pequeno número de indivíduos com dbh ? 10 cm dentro de um hectare de floresta. É surpreendente o fato de haver ...
Data are presented to show whether the terms for ‘tree’ in two different but related languages, K... more Data are presented to show whether the terms for ‘tree’ in two different but related languages, Ka’apor or Urubu-Ka'apor (henceforth, Ka'apor) and Mbya-Guarani (henceforth, Mbya), are in fact cognate terms in having the same intensional meanings. These terms are myra (Ka'apor) and yvyra (Mbya). Data gathered from freelisting exercises among the two groups are compared to knowledge of architecture and dynamics of trees, basal area of trees, and local forestry in the two habitats to determine whether psychological salience rankings of taxa listed in the freelists match features of the environment and of the flora. Psychological salience is inferred by Smith's S. The data indicate that philosophical and linguistic axioms regarding trees as 'big and hard' tend to be supported statistically and ecologically with data from the two different languages in the two different forests of this study. Keywords: tree terms, Tupí-Guaraní languages, philosophical deduction, p...
This volume, an important contribution to the emerging field of historical ecology, reveals the w... more This volume, an important contribution to the emerging field of historical ecology, reveals the ways in which the landscape reflects human history and culture. The collection combines cutting-edge research with new perspectives on the effects of human societies on the neotropical lowlands of South and Central America. The contributors show that rather than adapting to preexisting environmental constraints, as has been traditionally assumed, local peoples have changed the landscape to fit their needs. They have altered their environment by managing and modifying species diversity, enhancing landscape heterogeneity, and controlling ecological disturbance. Time and Complexity in Historical Ecology includes essays from anthropologists, botanists, ecologists, and biologists. The contributors examine changes in the landscapes of the Ecuadorian Andes, Amazonia, the desert coast of Peru, and other regions in the neotropics. In exploring thousands of years of ecological history, the book also addresses important contemporary issues, such as biodiversity and genetic variation and change.
The knowledge systems and practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities play critical rol... more The knowledge systems and practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities play critical roles in safeguarding the biological and cultural diversity of our planet. Globalization, government policies, capitalism, colonialism, and other rapid social-ecological changes threaten the relationships between Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their environments, thereby challenging the continuity and dynamism of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK). In this article, we contribute to the “World Scientists' Warning to Humanity,” issued by the Alliance of World Scientists, by exploring opportunities for sustaining ILK systems on behalf of the future stewardship of our planet. Our warning raises the alarm about the pervasive and ubiquitous erosion of knowledge and practice and the social and ecological consequences of this erosion. While ILK systems can be adaptable and resilient, the foundations of these knowledge systems are compromised by ongoing suppression, misrepresenta...
Emslie and Jade d’Alpoim Guedes join our honoring of Steve Weber by contributing papers on the So... more Emslie and Jade d’Alpoim Guedes join our honoring of Steve Weber by contributing papers on the Society’s early history (Emslie, this issue) and a summary of Steve Weber’s ethnobiological career (D’Alpoim Guedes, this issue). These papers, together with our usual diverse regular submissions and a special section on Cannabis, collectively honor Steve Weber in that their broad scope reflects the formative vision for the Society and, thus, the discipline, that was solidified under Steve’s leadership. As Steve (1986:v) notes:
Summer 1989 ABSTRACT.-A long history of horticulture appears to have affected plant nomenclature ... more Summer 1989 ABSTRACT.-A long history of horticulture appears to have affected plant nomenclature in Ka'apor and other Tupi•Guarani languages of lowland South America. The Ka'apor language displays patterns of and for the construction of primary productive and unproductive lexemes denoting plants. Such lexemes account for about one-third of all known folk generic plant names in Ka'apor. Five nomenclatural pillterns relating to these lexemes distinguish names for traditionally cultivated plants from names for traditionally non-cultivated plants. These patterns conform to an underlying principle: productive and unproductive primary lexemes in Ka'apor ethnobotany refer to traditionally non-cultivated plants. RESUMEN.-Una larga historia en horticultura parccc haber afeclado la nomenclatura de las plantas en lenguas de la familia Tupi-Guarani. habladas en las tierras bajas de Sudamerica; una de elias, la lengua Ka'apor. La lengua Ka'apor muestra patrones productivos e improductivos que son utilizados en la formaci6n de lexcmas que se refieren a plantas. Dichos lexemas aparecen en cerca de un tercio de todos los nombres genericos folkl6ricos de plantas. Cinco de los patrones en los que participan estos lcxemas, sirven para distinguir entre nombres de plantas Iradicionalmente cultivadas, de aquellos nombres que se r...miten a plantas no cultivadas. Estos patrones obedecen a un principio: los lexemas productivos 0 improductivos en la etnobotanica de Ka'apor hacen referencia a plantas tradicionalmente no cultivadas. RESUME.-II semble que l'histoire longue de I'horticulteur ait affecte lenomenclateur dl'S plantes chez les Ka'apor et chez autres langues Tupi-Gurani des basses terrI'S de I'Amerique du Sud. La langue des Ka'apor montre des modeles des mots primaires productifs et non-productifs qui denotent des plantes, et la construction de ccux-d. (es motsexpliquent a peu pres un troisieme dcs noms generiques populairesconnus des Ka'apor. Cinq modeles nomcnclaturels qui se rapportent aces mols se distinguent les noms des plantes traditionellemenl cultivCcs des planles traditionellement noncultivl'Cs. (es modell's se conforment avec un principe fondamental: les mots productils et non-productils chez I'ethnobotaniqu... des Ka'apor s'adrcsscnt aux plantes traditionel]cment non•cultivees.
Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presenc... more Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presence of ancient charcoal from forest fires indicates periods of drier climate in the past. These theories, however, neglect the possibility that such charcoal may result from early human activity. This article presents new evidence of anthropogenic ash and charcoal accumulation in the state of Acre, Brazil, dating back to c. 10 000 cal BP, which questions the value of charcoal as a proxy for phases of natural climate aridification. Carbon isotope (δ13C) values also suggest no significant changes in Holocene climate or vegetation. If these results are confirmed, previous studies on Amazonian Holocene climate will require re-evaluation.
Este volume nos oferece múltiplas visões de uma importante região da floresta amazônica de sua ... more Este volume nos oferece múltiplas visões de uma importante região da floresta amazônica de sua diversificada biota, de sua história recente e das pessoas que a habitam, com sua própria compreensão localizada desses fenômenos. Ele registra, de um lado, o esforço ...
Historical ecology is a new interdisciplinary research program concerned with comprehending tempo... more Historical ecology is a new interdisciplinary research program concerned with comprehending temporal and spatial dimensions in the relationships of human societies to local environments and the cumulative global effects of these relationships. Historical ecology contains core postulates that concern qualitative types of human-mediated disturbance of natural environments and the effect of these on species diversity, among other parameters. A central term used in historical ecology to situate human behavior and agency in the environment is the landscape, as derived from historical geography, instead of the ecosystem, which is from systems ecology. Historical ecology is similar to nonequilibrium dynamic theory, but differs in its postulate of human-mediated disturbance as a principle of landscape transformation. Such disturbances counterintuitively may involve anthropogenic primary and secondary succession that result in net increases of alpha and even beta diversity. Applied historica...
Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presenc... more Hypotheses concerning climatic change during the Amazonian Holocene often assume that the presence of ancient charcoal from forest fires indicates periods of drier climate in the past. These theories, however, neglect the possibility that such charcoal may result from early human activity. This article presents new evidence of anthropogenic ash and charcoal accumulation in the state of Acre, Brazil, dating back to c. 10 000 cal BP, which questions the value of charcoal as a proxy for phases of natural climate aridification. Carbon isotope (δ13C) values also suggest no significant changes in Holocene climate or vegetation. If these results are confirmed, previous studies on Amazonian Holocene climate will require re-evaluation.
Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human ha... more Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human habitation, but virtually all Amazon reserves are nonetheless inhabited. Historical ecology research reported herein assesses the impacts of occupation and resource use by beiradeiros (forest peasants) on the forests of a strictly designated nature reserve in the Iriri River basin (Brazilian Amazon). The hypothesis is that traditional beiradeiros activities are congruent with the aims of conservation of the reserve because their impacts are either neutral or enhance diversity of forest landscapes and biota. We designed the methodology underlying data collection to integrate forest inventory with archaeological techniques in two contrasting forest types (terra firme and seasonally inundated forest), faunal surveys, freelisting of tree terms by beiradeiros, and participant observation, in order to determine biological diversity indices, forest age and the parameters of traditional knowledge that encode such diversity in local vocabulary. Our research results lead us to reject the premise that traditional peasant activities lead to ecological degradation or impoverishment, and suggest that the rationale underpinning strictly protected nature reserves should be reexamined.
Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human ha... more Legislation governing strict-protection nature reserves in Brazil in principle precludes human habitation, but virtually all Amazon reserves are nonetheless inhabited. Historical ecology research reported herein assesses the impacts of occupation and resource use by beiradeiros (forest peasants) on the forests of a strictly designated nature reserve in the Iriri River basin (Brazilian Amazon). The hypothesis is that traditional beiradeiros activities are congruent with the aims of conservation of the reserve because their impacts are either neutral or enhance diversity of forest landscapes and biota. We designed the methodology underlying data collection to integrate forest inventory with archaeological techniques in two contrasting forest types (terra firme and seasonally inundated forest), faunal surveys, freelisting of tree terms by beiradeiros, and participant observation, in order to determine biological diversity indices, forest age and the parameters of traditional knowledge ...
Indigeneidade se refere às maneiras tradicionais de conhecimento do mundo, imersas em culturas de... more Indigeneidade se refere às maneiras tradicionais de conhecimento do mundo, imersas em culturas de pequena escala. Pode ser detectada em transformações primárias da paisagem, onde enriquecimento em espécies resultaram em melhorias ambientais, não degradação. Paisagens são encontros de pessoas e lugares. Indigeneidade torna-se relevante para as paisagens com o fnal do isolamento da Europa e a redução dos “outros” não-ocidentais a novos sistemas de subordinação, como a escravidão, e a classifcação de suas terras como terra nullius. Essas paisagens, de fato, mostram assinaturas humanas de transformações primárias do passado. A evidência consiste na modifcação do substrato e vegetação que indicam alteração, e é encontrada em diversos locais com condições bastante diferentes, como a Melanésia, Micronésia, África tropical e Amazônia. Essas paisagens indígenas de terra e mar foram consideradas terra nullius por motivos não relacionados ao seu valor como sinais de uma variedade positiva de t...
O artigo apresenta os resultados do primeiro inventário de um hecta¬re realizado na área de um sí... more O artigo apresenta os resultados do primeiro inventário de um hecta¬re realizado na área de um sítio tipo geoglifo. Até o momento, todos os geoglifos estudados não tinham cobertua vegetal. O geoglifo Três Vertentes não mostra evidência de ter sido queimado ou usado para agricultura ou assentamento no passado recente. Assim, é possível que a vegetação existente sobre o geoglifo não tenha sido perturbada, com a possívele exceção de usos extrativos pela caça ou coleta de látex. Trata-se de uma mata de cipó. Essa conclusão apoia-se na grande proporção de árvores dicotiledôneas cobertas por cipós, com a alta densidade e frequência de moráceas, cuja maior parte é composta por cipós ou trepadeiras. Há grande densidade e frequência de palmeiras excluem cipós, também a alta frequência de bananeiras bravas (Phenakospermum guyannense). Nota-se uma área basal relativamente pequena e o pequeno número de indivíduos com dbh ? 10 cm dentro de um hectare de floresta. É surpreendente o fato de haver ...
Data are presented to show whether the terms for ‘tree’ in two different but related languages, K... more Data are presented to show whether the terms for ‘tree’ in two different but related languages, Ka’apor or Urubu-Ka'apor (henceforth, Ka'apor) and Mbya-Guarani (henceforth, Mbya), are in fact cognate terms in having the same intensional meanings. These terms are myra (Ka'apor) and yvyra (Mbya). Data gathered from freelisting exercises among the two groups are compared to knowledge of architecture and dynamics of trees, basal area of trees, and local forestry in the two habitats to determine whether psychological salience rankings of taxa listed in the freelists match features of the environment and of the flora. Psychological salience is inferred by Smith's S. The data indicate that philosophical and linguistic axioms regarding trees as 'big and hard' tend to be supported statistically and ecologically with data from the two different languages in the two different forests of this study. Keywords: tree terms, Tupí-Guaraní languages, philosophical deduction, p...
This volume, an important contribution to the emerging field of historical ecology, reveals the w... more This volume, an important contribution to the emerging field of historical ecology, reveals the ways in which the landscape reflects human history and culture. The collection combines cutting-edge research with new perspectives on the effects of human societies on the neotropical lowlands of South and Central America. The contributors show that rather than adapting to preexisting environmental constraints, as has been traditionally assumed, local peoples have changed the landscape to fit their needs. They have altered their environment by managing and modifying species diversity, enhancing landscape heterogeneity, and controlling ecological disturbance. Time and Complexity in Historical Ecology includes essays from anthropologists, botanists, ecologists, and biologists. The contributors examine changes in the landscapes of the Ecuadorian Andes, Amazonia, the desert coast of Peru, and other regions in the neotropics. In exploring thousands of years of ecological history, the book also addresses important contemporary issues, such as biodiversity and genetic variation and change.
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