Traditional ecological knowledge in Sierra de Andía (Navarre, Spain), and its applicability for nature conservation

Etnobotánica Traditional ecological knowledge in Sierra de Andía (Navarre, Spain), and its applicability for nature conservation Conocimiento ecológico tradicional en la Sierra de Andía (Navarra, España) y su aplicabilidad para la conservación de la naturaleza Luis Gorri1  Manuel Pardo de Santayana1  2  *  1. Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2. Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Summary Background and aims : In the current context of global biodiversity loss, consensus is growing about the importance of incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge in nature conservation. However, efforts with this concern have mainly focused on indigenous cultures. In this scenario we chose Sierra de Andía, a Spanish Red Natura Site with ancient grazelands where pastoral management shifts could be leading into a conservation issue. In this context, this study aims to contribute to the valorisation and applicability of traditional ecological knowledge from an industrialized country, by using it to identify problematics and propose management solutions for the site. M&M : In order to discover traditional knowledge that could be beneficial for conservation management of Sierra de Andía, we interviewed informants about Chamaemelum nobile (a popular medicinal plant closely dependant on grazing pastures) and conducted a pilot vegetation survey about the species. Results : Informants showed deep knowledge about the plant and provided ecological indicators to locate best populations and understand its recent evolution. While there are múltiple coincidences between traditional and scientific knowledge, new information only mentioned by interviewees also arose. For instance, rain scarcity at the end of the summer was considered as a probable threat for C. nobile blooming. Conclusions : This study suggests that local ecological knowledge is accurate, contrastable, and can be applied for a more sustainable management of grazing pastures of Sierra de Andía. Key words: Chamaemelum nobile; sustainable comanagement; traditional ecological knowledge Resumen Introducción y objetivos : En un contexto de crisis de biodiversidad global, existe un consenso científico y político creciente acerca de la importancia de incorporar el Conocimiento Ecológico Tradicional para la conservación de la naturaleza. Sin embargo, dichos esfuerzos se han centrado en culturas indígenas. En este escenario elegimos la Sierra de Andía, un espacio de la Red Natura en España caracterizado por sus antiguos pastos ganaderos, cuyos cambios de gestión recientes podrían conllevar problemáticas para su conservación. En este escenario, el estudio busca contribuir a la valorización y la aplicabilidad del conocimiento ecológico tradicional de un país industrializado, utilizándolo para localizar problemáticas y proponer soluciones de manejo en un área concreta. M&M : Con el fin de descubrir el conocimiento tradicional que pudiera ser beneficioso para el manejo y conservación de la Sierra de Andía, se realizaron entrevistas acerca de Chamaemelum nobile (una popular planta medicinal ligada a estos pastos ganaderos) y se llevó a cabo un estudio de campo sobre la especie. Resultados : Los informantes mostraron un profundo conocimiento sobre la planta, y proveyeron indicadores ecológicos con los que localizar las poblaciones más abundantes y comprender su evolución reciente. A la vez que encontramos numerosas coincidencias entre el conocimiento ecológico tradicional y el científico, también surgió información exclusiva de los informantes. Conclusiones : Este estudio sugiere que el conocimiento ecológico tradicional aportado es preciso, contrastable, y puede ser utilizado para un manejo sostenible de los pastos en la Sierra de Andía. Palabras clave: Chamaemelum nobile; conocimiento ecológico tradicional; cogestión sostenible Introduction During the last decades, human impact on the planet has quickly increased, leading to a quick disappearing of species that is being considered the sixth big extinction event of the earth (Pimm & Raven, 2000; Thomas et al., 2004; IPBES, 2018). Due to this biodiversity crisis, conservation efforts and sustainable management are becoming increasingly urgent, especially in those hotspots where living organisms are particularly threatened and diverse (Reid, 1998; Myers et al., 2000). In this context, a growing consensus exists about the relevance of including traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as a source of information for nature management and decision making (United Nations, 1992; Gadgil et al, 1993; Drew & Henne, 2006; Shackeroff & Campbell, 2007; Guadilla-Sáez et al, 2019). The term “TEK”, has been traditionally defined as “a cumulative body of knowledge, practice and belief, evolving from adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment” (Berkes et al., 2000). However, more recent definitions regard TEK not only as an accumulation of knowledge, but as a dynamic body that both allows adaptation and cocreates new realities on socio-ecological systems (Gómez-Baggethun & Reyes-García, 2013). Several studies have shown that TEK can give useful and complementary information to scientists, as well as acting as a way of engaging communities in conservation efforts, improving co-governance and reinforcing resilience of socio-ecological systems (Drew, 2005; Houde, 2007; Ruiz-Mallén & Corbera, 2013; Hernández-Morcillo et al., 2014; Ludwig & Macnaghten, 2020). This collaborative decision making and complementary knowledge approach (Scientific + TEK), has been performed in several studies around the world (Newmaster et al., 2011; Gadamus et al., 2015; Tomasini & Theilade, 2019). In the case of plants, Tomasini & Theilade (2019) performed a study in Prespa National Park (Albania), where locals granted useful local ecological indicators for a better management of the site. These and other studies demonstrate the utility of collecting TEK in conservation projects, as an essential tool for a better management and protection of natural areas, as it can be a cheap, broad, long time and inclusive method (Moller et al., 2004). Unfortunately, TEK use in conservation has mainly been focused on indigenous communities of developing countries such as in Latin America, leading to a lack of studies in rural areas of more industrialized countries, where some locals still preserve this wisdom (Hernández-Morcillo et al, 2014; Aswani et al., 2018). This phenomena happens in Spain, where despite the tradition in ethnobotanical research (Bonet, 1994; Morales et al., 2011), only few studies have tried to empirically link TEK with nature conservation ( (...truncated)