Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    How accurate is the local ecological knowledge of protected area practitioners?

    199804_128163_ES-2013-6341.pdf (646.3Kb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Cook, C.
    Wardell-Johnson, Grant
    Carter, R.
    Hockings, M.
    Date
    2014
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Cook, C. and Wardell-Johnson, G. and Carter, R. and Hockings, M. 2014. How accurate is the local ecological knowledge of protected area practitioners? Ecology and Society. 19 (2): Article ID 32.
    Source Title
    Ecology and Society
    DOI
    10.5751/ES-06341-190232
    ISSN
    17083087
    School
    Department of Environment and Agriculture
    Remarks

    Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published under license by the Resilience Alliance.

    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/31882
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    The scarcity of environmental data means that other sources of information are needed to complement empirical evidence for conservation decisions. By regularly interacting with their local environment, protected area practitioners may generate local ecological knowledge (LEK) that can be used to inform management decisions. However, the accuracy of LEK is generally poorly understood, and no studies have assessed the accuracy of practitioners' personal knowledge, leading to a vital gap in our ability to best use this information to guide management. We measured the accuracy of practitioners' knowledge of the vegetation condition within protected areas, relative to an empirical vegetation condition assessment tool. Despite the vast majority of practitioners having only personal experiences to inform their judgments, we found that almost 60% of practitioners made assessments of vegetation condition that matched the empirical condition estimates. When inaccurate, practitioners tended to be conservative in their estimates of condition. Although underestimating condition in this way may waste resources through unnecessary management actions, this is likely to be preferable to overestimating condition and thus failing to protect biodiversity by prematurely ceasing restoration programs. We found no relationship between the accuracy of practitioners' LEK and their level of experience as a practitioner, their level of education, or their gender. We believe that under many circumstances practitioners can be a valuable and cost-effective source of information about the condition of the protected areas they manage, but that more research is needed to understand the wide range of factors that may contribute to how land managers build LEK and how management agencies can assist practitioners to build a good understanding of the conditions in their reserves

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Using Local Knowledge and Remote Sensing in the Identification of Informal Settlements in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia
      Alrasheedi, K.G.; Dewan, Ashraf ; El-Mowafy, Ahmed (2023)
      Urban planning within Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has been impacted by the presence of informal settlements. An understanding of the spatial distribution of these settlements is essential in developing urban ...
    • Assessing long-term change in rangeland ecological health using the Western Australian rangeland monitoring system
      Russell, Peter John (2007)
      The rangelands or semi-arid and arid regions of Western Australia occupy about 87 percent of the land area. Pastoral grazing of managed livestock, mainly sheep and cattle, occurs over much of this area, with an increasing ...
    • Village-Based Marine Resource Use and Rural Livelihoods:Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea
      Koczberski, Gina; Curry, George; Warku, J.; Kwam, C. (2006)
      This report presents the findings of a socio-economic study conducted in six coastal villages in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. From west to east around the Bay the study villages were Kulungi, ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.