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Mayfour KW, Hruschka D. Assessing comparative asset-based measures of material wealth as predictors of physical growth and mortality. SSM Popul Health 2022; 17:101065. [PMID: 35345449 PMCID: PMC8956810 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social scientists and policymakers have increasingly relied on asset-based indices of household wealth to assess social disparities and to identify economically vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. In the last decade, researchers have proposed a number of asset-based measures that permit global comparisons of household wealth across populations in different countries and over time. Each of these measures relies on different assumptions and indicators, and little is known about the relative performance of these measures in assessing disparities. In this study, we assess four comparative, asset-based measures of wealth—the Absolute Wealth Estimate (AWE), the International Wealth Index (IWI), the Comparative Wealth Index (CWI), and the “Standard of Living” portion of the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI), along with a variable measuring television ownership—and compare how well each predicts health related variables such as women's BMI, children's height-for-age Z scores, and infant mortality at the household and survey level. Analyzing data from over 300 Demographic and Health surveys in 84 countries (n = 2,304,928 households), we found that AWE, IWI, CWI, MPI are all highly correlated (r = 0.7 to 0.9). However, IWI which is based on a common set of universally weighted indicators, typically best accounts for variation in all three health measures. We discuss the implications of these findings for choosing and interpreting these measures of wealth for different purposes. Assessing four comparative, asset-based measures of wealth. The four comparative asset-based measures of wealth are all highly correlated. International Wealth Index best accounts for variation in adult female BMI, child height-for-age, and infant mortality. Asset-based measures of wealth relying on universal indicators and weights perform better at explaining variance.
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Commerçon FA, Zhang M, Solomon JN. Social norms shape wild bird hunting: A case study from southwest China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Chaves WA, Valle D, Tavares AS, von Mühlen EM, Wilcove DS. Investigating illegal activities that affect biodiversity: the case of wildlife consumption in the Brazilian Amazon. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02402. [PMID: 34233059 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The illegal use of natural resources, manifested in activities like illegal logging, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade, poses a global threat to biodiversity. Addressing them will require an understanding of the magnitude of and factors influencing these activities. However, assessing such behaviors is challenging because of their illegal nature, making participants less willing to admit engaging in them. We compared how indirect (randomized response technique) and direct questioning techniques performed when assessing non-sensitive (fish consumption, used as negative control) and sensitive (illegal consumption of wild animals) behaviors across an urban gradient (small towns, large towns, and the large city of Manaus) in the Brazilian Amazon. We conducted 1,366 surveys of randomly selected households to assess the magnitude of consumption of meat from wild animals (i.e., wild meat) and its socioeconomic drivers, which included years the head of household lived in urban areas, age of the head of household, household size, presence of children, and poverty. The indirect method revealed higher rates of wildlife consumption in larger towns than did the direct method. Results for small towns were similar between the two methods. The indirect method also revealed socioeconomic factors influencing wild meat consumption that were not detected with direct methods. For instance, the indirect method showed that wild meat consumption increased with age of the head of household, and decreased with poverty and years the head of household lived in urban areas. Simultaneously, when responding to direct questioning, households with characteristics associated with higher wild meat consumption, as estimated from indirect questioning, tended to underreport consumption to a larger degree than households with lower wild meat consumption. Results for fish consumption, used as negative control, were similar for both methods. Our findings suggest that people edit their answers to varying degrees when responding to direct questioning, potentially biasing conclusions, and indirect methods can improve researchers' ability to identify patterns of illegal activities when the sensitivity of such activities varies across spatial (e.g., urban gradient) or social (e.g., as a function of age) contexts. This work is broadly applicable to other geographical regions and disciplines that deal with sensitive human behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willandia A Chaves
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Robertson Hall, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
- Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas das Cidades da Amazônia Brasileira, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Avenida Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, Campus Universitário/Setor Norte/ICHL/NEPECAB, Manaus, AM, 69080-900, Brazil
| | - Denis Valle
- School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, McCarty Hall C, Gainesville, Florida, 32011, USA
| | - Aline S Tavares
- Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas das Cidades da Amazônia Brasileira, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Avenida Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, Campus Universitário/Setor Norte/ICHL/NEPECAB, Manaus, AM, 69080-900, Brazil
| | - Eduardo M von Mühlen
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - David S Wilcove
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Robertson Hall, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA
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Chaves WA, Valle D, Tavares AS, Morcatty TQ, Wilcove DS. Impacts of rural to urban migration, urbanization, and generational change on consumption of wild animals in the Amazon. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1186-1197. [PMID: 33124717 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
For the first time in history, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas. This trend is likely to continue, driven largely by rural-to-urban migration. We investigated how rural-to-urban migration, urbanization, and generational change affect the consumption of wild animals. We used chelonian (tortoises and freshwater turtles), one of the most hunted taxa in the Amazon, as a model. We surveyed 1356 households and 2776 school children across 10 urban areas of the Brazilian Amazon (6 small towns, 3 large towns, and Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon Basin) with a randomized response technique and anonymous questionnaires. Urban demand for wild meat (i.e., meat from wild animals) was alarmingly high. Approximately 1.7 million turtles and tortoises were consumed in urban areas of Amazonas during 2018. Consumption rates declined as size of the urban area increased and were greater for adults than children. Furthermore, the longer rural-to-urban migrants lived in urban areas, the lower their consumption rates. These results suggest that wild meat consumption is a rural-related tradition that decreases as urbanization increases and over time after people move to urban areas. However, it is unclear whether the observed decline will be fast enough to conserve hunted species, or whether children's consumption rate will remain the same as they become adults. Thus, conservation actions in urban areas are still needed. Current conservation efforts in the Amazon do not address urban demand for wildlife and may be insufficient to ensure the survival of traded species in the face of urbanization and human population growth. Our results suggest that conservation interventions must target the urban demand for wildlife, especially by focusing on young people and recent rural to urban migrants. Article impact statement: Amazon urbanite consumption of wildlife is high but decreases with urbanization, over time for rural to urban migrants, and between generations. Impactos de la Migración del Campo a la Ciudad, la Urbanización y del Cambio Generacional sobre el Consumo de Animales Silvestres en el Amazonas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willandia A Chaves
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Robertson Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544, U.S.A
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas das Cidades da Amazônia Brasileira, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Av. Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, Manaus AM. Campus Universitário, Setor Norte, ICHL, NEPECAB, Manaus, 69080-900, Brazil
| | - Denis Valle
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, McCarty Hall C, PO Box 110339, Gainesville, FL, 32011, U.S.A
| | - Aline S Tavares
- Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas das Cidades da Amazônia Brasileira, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Av. Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, Manaus AM. Campus Universitário, Setor Norte, ICHL, NEPECAB, Manaus, 69080-900, Brazil
| | - Thais Q Morcatty
- Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX30BP, U.K
- RedeFauna - Rede de Pesquisa em Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da fauna da Amazônia, Brazil
| | - David S Wilcove
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Robertson Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544, U.S.A
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, U.S.A
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Market characteristics and zoonotic disease risk perception in Cameroon bushmeat markets. Soc Sci Med 2020; 268:113358. [PMID: 32992090 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral practices are one of the key factors facilitating zoonotic disease transmission, especially in individuals who have frequent contact with wild animals, yet practices of those who work and live in high-risk animal-human interfaces, such as wild animal 'bushmeat' markets in the Congo Basin are not well documented in the social, health and medical sciences. This region, where hunting, butchering, and consumption of wild animal meat is frequent, represents a hotspot for disease emergence, and has experienced zoonotic disease spillover events, traced back to close human-animal contact with bats and non-human primates. Using a One Health approach, we conducted wildlife surveillance, human behavioral research, and concurrent human and animal biological sampling to identify and characterize factors associated with zoonotic disease emergence and transmission. Research was conducted through the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats program between 2010 and 2019 including qualitative studies of bushmeat markets, with selected study sites prioritized based on proximity to bushmeat markets. Sites included two hospitals where we conducted surveillance of individuals with syndromes of acute febrile illness, community sites where we enrolled actors of the animal value chain (ie. hunters, middlemen, transporters), and bushmeat markets, where we enrolled bushmeat vendors, butchers, market managers, cleaners, and shoppers. Mixed methods research was undertaken at these sites and included investigation of bushmeat market dynamics through observational research, focus group discussions, quantitative questionnaires, and interviews. Participants were asked about their risk perception of zoonotic disease transmission and specific activities related to bushmeat trade, local market conditions, and regulations on bushmeat trade in Cameroon. Risks associated with blood contact and animal infection were not well understood by most market actors. As bushmeat markets are an important disease interface, as seen with CoVID19, risk mitigation measures in markets and bushmeat alternative strategies are discussed.
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Donders I, Barriocanal C. The Influence of Markets on the Nutrition Transition of Hunter-Gatherers: Lessons from the Western Amazon. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17176307. [PMID: 32872589 PMCID: PMC7504055 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
For many centuries, hunter-gatherer societies relied on subsistence practices and traditional diets. However, forces of globalization have increased market involvement, thereby fueling the nutrition transition of hunter-gatherer societies. We review the academic literature on market involvement of hunter-gatherer societies in the Western Amazon and its consequences on diet, health and well-being. First, we elaborate on four main determinants of market involvement (accessibility, monetary income, wild meat trade and social capital), showing how each determinant draws individuals toward or away from markets. Thereafter, we discuss how these determinants alter diet, health and well-being. Our results add to the understanding of the complex relations between market involvement, dietary change, health and well-being of indigenous societies. Furthermore, they bring to light that additional research is needed on the topic to support decision-makers and help preserve indigenous values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Donders
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Building Z, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Carles Barriocanal
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Building Z, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Geography, University of Barcelona (UB), Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
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Off-Farm Employment, Forest Clearing and Natural Resource Use: Evidence from the Ecuadorian Amazon. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12114515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Off-farm employment in rural households has been cited in the literature as a potentially ideal alternative to reduce forest clearing and pressure on natural resources, since it provides income while at the same time taking household labor away from the farm. Nonetheless, empirical research on the relationship between off-farm work and natural resource use is still scarce. This paper examines the impact of off-farm work on forest clearing, logging, hunting, and fishing among both migrant colonists and indigenous populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In contrast to prior research, we use an instrumental variable approach to control for the potential endogeneity of off-farm work with respect to natural resource use. The results indicate that the higher the number of days worked off-farm at the household level, the lower the forest clearing. On the other hand, the number of days worked off-farm has no effect on logging, hunting, and fishing. The implications of this for sustainable development and conservation are explored in the conclusion section.
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Albers HJ, Lee KD, Rushlow JR, Zambrana-Torrselio C. Disease Risk from Human-Environment Interactions: Environment and Development Economics for Joint Conservation-Health Policy. ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2020; 76:929-944. [PMID: 32836831 PMCID: PMC7344034 DOI: 10.1007/s10640-020-00449-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Emergence of COVID-19 joins a collection of evidence that local and global health are influenced by human interactions with the natural environment. Frameworks that simultaneously model decisions to interact with natural systems and environmental mechanisms of zoonotic disease spread allow for identification of policy levers to mitigate disease risk and promote conservation. Here, we highlight opportunities to broaden existing conservation economics frameworks that represent human behavior to include disease transmission in order to inform conservation-disease risk policy. Using examples from wildlife markets and forest extraction, we call for environment, resource, and development economists to develop and analyze empirically-grounded models of people's decisions about interacting with the environment, with particular attention to LMIC settings and ecological-epidemiological risk factors. Integrating the decisions that drive human-environment interactions with ecological and epidemiological research in an interdisciplinary approach to understanding pathogen transmission will inform policy needed to improve both conservation and disease spread outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi J. Albers
- Depertment of Economics, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071 USA
| | - Katherine D. Lee
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844 USA
| | - Jennifer R. Rushlow
- Depertment of Economics, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071 USA
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Sirén AH, Parvinen K. Bioeconomic Modeling of Hunting in a Spatially Structured System With Two Prey Species. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Walelign SZ, Nielsen MR, Jakobsen JB. Price Elasticity of Bushmeat Demand in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem: Insights for Managing the Bushmeat Trade. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Sustainable wildlife extraction and the impacts of socio-economic change among the Kukama-Kukamilla people of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru. ORYX 2018. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605317001922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThroughout the tropics, hunting and fishing are critical livelihood activities for many Indigenous peoples. However, these practices may not be sustainable following recent socio-economic changes in Indigenous populations. To understand how human population growth and increased market integration affect hunting and fishing patterns, we conducted semi-structured interviews in five Kukama-Kukamilla communities living along the boundary of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, in the Peruvian Amazon. Extrapolated annual harvest rates of fish and game species by these communities amounted to 1,740 t and 4,275 individuals (67 t), respectively. At least 23 fish and 27 game species were harvested. We found a positive correlation between village size and annual community-level harvest rates of fish and a negative relationship between market exposure and mean per-capita harvest rates of fish. Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) analyses indicated local depletion of fish populations around larger, more commercial communities. Catch-per-unit-effort of fish was lower in more commercial communities and fishers from the largest village travelled further into the Reserve, where CPUE was higher. We found no effect of village size or market exposure on harvest rates or CPUE of game species. However, larger, more commercial communities targeted larger, economically valuable species. This study provides evidence that human population growth and market-driven hunting and fishing pose a growing threat to wildlife and Indigenous livelihoods through increased harvest rates and selective harvesting of species vulnerable to exploitation.
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Francesconi W, Bax V, Blundo-Canto G, Willcock S, Cuadros S, Vanegas M, Quintero M, Torres-Vitolas CA. Hunters and hunting across indigenous and colonist communities at the forest-agriculture interface: an ethnozoological study from the Peruvian Amazon. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2018; 14:54. [PMID: 30097060 PMCID: PMC6086032 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-018-0247-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildlife has been traditionally used by forest communities as a source of protein, and the Peruvian Amazon is no exception. The articulation of colonist and indigenous communities to urban centers and markets results in changes in livelihood strategies and impacts on wildlife populations. To address the threat of overhunting and forest conversion, we provide a generalized characterization of colonist and indigenous communities and their hunting activities near Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru. METHODS A semi-structured household survey was conducted to characterize hunters and describe their prey collections. The data were analyzed by conducting a Kruskal-Wallis test, a multiple regression analysis, and by estimating the harvest rate (H). RESULTS Less wealthy households were more actively engaged in hunting for food security and as a livelihood strategy. Additionally, older hunters were associated with higher hunting rates. Although the percentage of hunters was relatively low, estimated hunting rates suggest overharvesting of wildlife. Lowland pacas (Cuniculus paca) were the most frequently hunted prey, followed by red brocket deer (Mazama americana) and primates. While hunting intensity was not significantly different between indigenous and colonist communities, hunting rate disparities suggest there are different types of hunters (specialized vs. opportunistic) and that prey composition differs between communities. CONCLUSION Close monitoring of wildlife populations and hunting activities is ideal for more accurately determining the impact of hunting on wildlife population and in turn on forest health. In lack of this type of information, this study provides insight of hunting as a shifting livelihood strategy in a rapidly changing environment at the forest/agriculture frontier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Francesconi
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Av. La Molina 1895, La Molina, Lima, Peru
| | - Vincent Bax
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Society Studies, Universidad de Ciencias y Humanidades, Av. Universitaria 5175, Los Olivos, Lima, Peru
| | - Genowefa Blundo-Canto
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Av. La Molina 1895, La Molina, Lima, Peru
| | - Simon Willcock
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Sandra Cuadros
- Universidad Agraria de la Molina, Av. La Molina, Lima, Peru
| | - Martha Vanegas
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17 Recta Cali-, Palmira, Colombia
| | - Marcela Quintero
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17 Recta Cali-, Palmira, Colombia
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Rural protein insufficiency in a wildlife-depleted West African farm-forest landscape. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188109. [PMID: 29236703 PMCID: PMC5728563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Wildlife is an important source of protein for many people in developing countries. Yet wildlife depletion due to overexploitation is common throughout the humid tropics and its effect on protein security, especially for vulnerable households, is poorly understood. This is problematic for both sustainable rural development and conservation management. Methods This study investigates a key dimension of protein security in a cash-crop farming community living in a wildlife-depleted farm-forest landscape in SW Ghana, a region where protein–energy malnutrition persists. Specifically, we monitored protein sufficiency, defined as whether consumption met daily requirements, as benchmarked by recommended daily allowance (RDA). We focus on whether more vulnerable households were less likely to be able to meet their protein needs, where vulnerability was defined by wealth, agricultural season and gender of the household head. Our central hypothesis was: (a) vulnerable households are less likely to consume sufficient protein. In the context that most plant proteins were home-produced, so likely relatively accessible to all households, while most animal proteins were purchased, so likely less accessible to vulnerable households, we tested two further hypotheses: (b) vulnerable households depend more on plant protein to cover their protein needs; and (c) vulnerable households are less likely to earn sufficient cash income to meet their protein needs through purchased animal sources. Results Between 14% and 60% of households (depending on plant protein content assumptions) consumed less than the RDA for protein, but neither protein consumption nor protein sufficiency co-varied with household vulnerability. Fish, livestock and food crops comprised 85% of total protein intake and strongly affected protein sufficiency. However, bushmeat remained an important protein source (15% of total consumption), especially during the post-harvest season when it averaged 26% of total protein consumption. Across the year, 89% of households experienced at least one occasion when they had insufficient income to cover their protein needs through animal protein purchases. The extent of this income shortage was highest during the lean season and among poorer households. Conclusions These findings indicate that despite wildlife depletion, bushmeat continues to make a substantial contribution to protein consumption, especially during the agricultural lean season. Income shortages among farmers limit their ability to purchase bushmeat or its substitutes, suggesting that wildlife depletion may cause malnutrition.
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Hruschka DJ, Hadley C, Hackman J. Material wealth in 3D: Mapping multiple paths to prosperity in low- and middle- income countries. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184616. [PMID: 28886176 PMCID: PMC5590995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Material wealth is a key factor shaping human development and well-being. Every year, hundreds of studies in social science and policy fields assess material wealth in low- and middle-income countries assuming that there is a single dimension by which households can move from poverty to prosperity. However, a one-dimensional model may miss important kinds of prosperity, particularly in countries where traditional subsistence-based livelihoods coexist with modern cash economies. Using multiple correspondence analysis to analyze representative household data from six countries-Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Guatemala-across three world regions, we identify a number of independent dimension of wealth, each with a clear link to locally relevant pathways to success in cash and agricultural economies. In all cases, the first dimension identified by this approach replicates standard one-dimensional estimates and captures success in cash economies. The novel dimensions we identify reflect success in different agricultural sectors and are independently associated with key benchmarks of food security and human growth, such as adult body mass index and child height. The multidimensional models of wealth we describe here provide new opportunities for examining the causes and consequences of wealth inequality that go beyond success in cash economies, for tracing the emergence of hybrid pathways to prosperity, and for assessing how these different pathways to economic success carry different health risks and social opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Hruschka
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Craig Hadley
- Anthropology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Joseph Hackman
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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Kaaya E, Chapman M. Micro-Credit and Community Wildlife Management: Complementary Strategies to Improve Conservation Outcomes in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017; 60:464-475. [PMID: 28382488 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-017-0856-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Community wildlife management programs in African protected areas aim to deliver livelihood and social benefits to local communities in order to bolster support for their conservation objectives. Most of these benefits are delivered at the community level. However, many local people are also seeking more individual or household-level livelihood benefits from community wildlife management programs because it is at this level that many of the costs of protected area conservation are borne. Because community wildlife management delivers few benefits at this level, support for their conservation objectives amongst local people often declines. The study investigated the implications of this for reducing poaching in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Three community wildlife management initiatives undertaken by Park management were compared with regard to their capacity to deliver the individual and household-level benefits sought by local people: community conservation services, wildlife management areas and community conservation banks. Interviews were carried out with poachers and local people from four villages in the Western Serengeti including members of village conservation banks, as well as a number of key informants. The results suggest that community conservation banks could, as a complementary strategy to existing community wildlife management programs, potentially provide a more effective means of reducing poaching in African protected areas than community wildlife management programs alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Kaaya
- Rubondo Island National Park, P.O. Box 111, Geita, Tanzania
| | - Margaret Chapman
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Chaves WA, Valle DR, Monroe MC, Wilkie DS, Sieving KE, Sadowsky B. Changing Wild Meat Consumption: An Experiment in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Conserv Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Willandia A. Chaves
- School of Natural Resources and Environment; University of Florida; FL USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; University of Florida; 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall Gainesville FL 32611 USA
- Instituto Piagaçu; AM Brazil
| | - Denis R. Valle
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation; University of Florida; 136 Newins-Ziegler Hall Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Martha C. Monroe
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation; University of Florida; 136 Newins-Ziegler Hall Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - David S. Wilkie
- Wildlife Conservation Society; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460 USA
| | - Kathryn E. Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; University of Florida; 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Brooke Sadowsky
- Rare; VA USA
- brooke's2cents; P.O. Box 2811 Poughkeepsie NY 12603 USA
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Kaiser BN, Hruschka D, Hadley C. Measuring material wealth in low-income settings: A conceptual and how-to guide. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28236640 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Although wealth is consistently found to be an important predictor of health and well-being, there remains debate as to the best way to conceptualize and operationalize wealth. In this article, we focus on the measurement of economic resources, which is one among many forms of wealth. We provide an overview of the process of measuring material wealth, including theoretical and conceptual considerations, a how-to guide based on the most common approach to measurement, and a review of important theoretical and empirical questions that remain to be resolved. Throughout, we emphasize considerations particular to the settings in which anthropologists work, and we include variations on common approaches to measuring material wealth that might be better suited to anthropologists' theoretical questions, methodological approaches, and fieldwork settings.
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Carignano Torres P, Morsello C, Parry L, Pardini R. Who Cares about Forests and Why? Individual Values Attributed to Forests in a Post-Frontier Region in Amazonia. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167691. [PMID: 27942038 PMCID: PMC5152861 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the multiple ways people value forests is important, as individual values regarding nature have been shown to partly determine willingness to participate in conservation initiatives. As individual values are influenced by past experiences, the way people value forests may be related to the ecosystem services they use and receive. We here aim to investigate if people value forests because of material and non-material benefits forest provide (material and non-material values), and if these values are defined by previous experiences associated with using forest resources and having frequent contact with forests. By interviewing 363 residents across 20 landscapes varying in forest cover in a post-frontier region in Amazonia, we evaluated: (1) if the use of forest resources-especially bushmeat, important for sustenance and cash income in virtually all tropical forests-is associated with attributing higher material value to forests; (2) whether the contact with forest (estimated by local forest cover and visits to forests) is associated with attributing higher non-material value to forests. As expected, respondents from households where hunting occurs and bushmeat consumption is more frequent attributed higher material value to forests, and those living in more deforested landscapes and that visited forests less often attributed lower non-material value to forests. The importance of bushmeat in shaping the way people value forests suggests that encouraging the sustainable use of this product will encourage forest conservation. Results also point to a potential dangerous reinforcing cycle: low forest cover and the loss of contact with forests may erode forest values and facilitate further deforestation. Engaging rural communities in forest conservation initiatives is challenging yet urgent in degraded landscapes, although harnessing appreciation for bushmeat could offer a starting point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Carignano Torres
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carla Morsello
- Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, Ermelino Matarazzo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luke Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, Lancashire, United Kingdom
- Núcleo de Altos Estudos Amazônicos (NAEA), Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Renata Pardini
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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19
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Eklund J, Cabeza M. Quality of governance and effectiveness of protected areas: crucial concepts for conservation planning. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1399:27-41. [PMID: 27918838 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Eklund
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Mar Cabeza
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
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20
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Wilkie DS, Wieland M, Boulet H, Le Bel S, van Vliet N, Cornelis D, BriacWarnon V, Nasi R, Fa JE. Eating and conserving bushmeat in Africa. Afr J Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David S. Wilkie
- Wildlife Conservation Society; 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx NY U.S.A
| | - Michelle Wieland
- Wildlife Conservation Society; 56, Avenue Colonel Ebeya, CroisementAv Kasavubu-Av Col Ebeya Kinsahasa-Gombe DR Congo
| | - Hubert Boulet
- FAO; Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome Italy
| | | | - Nathalie van Vliet
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Jalan Cifor Situ Gede Bogor 16115 Indonesia
| | | | | | - Robert Nasi
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Jalan Cifor Situ Gede Bogor 16115 Indonesia
| | - John E. Fa
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Jalan Cifor Situ Gede Bogor 16115 Indonesia
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology; School of Science and the Environment; Manchester Metropolitan University; Manchester M1 5GD U.K
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21
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Implications of Scientific Collaboration Networks on Studies of Aquatic Vertebrates in the Brazilian Amazon. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158413. [PMID: 27352247 PMCID: PMC4924867 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The quantity of wildlife extracted from the Amazon has increased in the past decades as a consequence of an increase in human population density and income growth. To evaluate the spatial distribution of studies on subsistence and/or commercial hunting conducted in the Brazilian Amazon, we selected eight mid-sized and large-bodied aquatic vertebrate species with a history of human exploitation in the region. We used a combination of searches in the gray and scientific literature from the past 24 years to provide an updated distributional map of studies on the target species. We calculated the distances between the study sites and the locations of the research institutes/universities that the first and last authors of the same study were affiliated to. For the period of 1990 to 2014, we found 105 studies on the subsistence and/or commercial hunting of aquatic vertebrates in the Brazilian Amazon in 271 locations that involved 43 institutions (37 Brazilian and 6 international). The spatial distribution of the studies across the Brazilian Amazon varied, but over 80% took place in the northeast and central Amazon, encompassing three States of the Legal Brazilian Amazon (Amazonas, 51.42%; Pará, 19.05%; and Amapá, 16.19%). Over half of the research study sites (52.91%) were within 500 km of the research institute/university of the first or last authors. Some research institutes/universities did not have any inter-institutional collaborations, while others collaborated with eight or more institutes. Some research institutes/universities conducted many studies, had an extensive collaboration network, and contributed greatly to the network of studies on Amazonian aquatic vertebrates. Our research contributes to the knowledge of studies on the subsistence and/or commercial hunting of the most exploited aquatic vertebrates of the Brazilian Amazon, illustrates the impact that collaboration networks have on research, and highlights potential areas for improvement and the generation of new collaborations.
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22
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Vasco C, Sirén A. Correlates of wildlife hunting in indigenous communities in the Pastaza province, Ecuadorian Amazonia. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Vasco
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas; Universidad Central del Ecuador; Quito Ecuador
- Department of Forest Resources Management; The University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - A. Sirén
- Department of Geosciences and Geography; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
- Universidad Estatal Amazónica; Puyo Ecuador
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23
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Leonard WR, Reyes-García V, Tanner S, Rosinger A, Schultz A, Vadez V, Zhang R, Godoy R. The Tsimane' Amazonian Panel Study (TAPS): Nine years (2002-2010) of annual data available to the public. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2015; 19:51-61. [PMID: 26280812 PMCID: PMC5023044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This brief communication contains a description of the 2002-2010 annual panel collected by the Tsimane' Amazonian Panel Study team. The study took place among the Tsimane', a native Amazonian society of forager-horticulturalists. The team tracked a wide range of socio-economic and anthropometric variables from all residents (633 adults ≥16 years; 820 children) in 13 villages along the Maniqui River, Department of Beni. The panel is ideally suited to examine how market exposure and modernization affect the well-being of a highly autarkic population and to examine human growth in a non-Western rural setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Leonard
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Victoria Reyes-García
- ICREA and Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Susan Tanner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, 355 South Jackson Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
| | - Asher Rosinger
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, 355 South Jackson Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
| | - Alan Schultz
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
| | | | - Rebecca Zhang
- Federal Reserve Board, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20551, USA.
| | - Ricardo Godoy
- Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
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24
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Cawthorn DM, Hoffman LC. The bushmeat and food security nexus: A global account of the contributions, conundrums and ethical collisions. Food Res Int 2015. [PMCID: PMC7126303 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2015.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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25
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Friant S, Paige SB, Goldberg TL. Drivers of bushmeat hunting and perceptions of zoonoses in Nigerian hunting communities. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003792. [PMID: 26001078 PMCID: PMC4441483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bushmeat hunting threatens biodiversity and increases the risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission. Nevertheless, limited information exists on patterns of contact with wildlife in communities that practice bushmeat hunting, especially with respect to social drivers of hunting behavior. We used interview responses from hunters and non-hunters in rural hunting communities in Nigeria to: 1) quantify contact rates with wildlife, 2) identify specific hunting behaviors that increase frequency of contact, 3) identify socioeconomic factors that predispose individuals to hunt, and 4) measure perceptions of risk. Participants engaged in a variety of behaviors that increased contact with wild animals, including: butchering to sell (37%), being injured (14%), using body parts for traditional medicine (19%), collecting carcasses found in forests and/or farms (18%), and keeping as pets (16%). Hunters came into contact with wildlife significantly more than non-hunters, even through non-hunting exposure pathways. Participants reported hunting rodents (95%), ungulates (93%), carnivores (93%), primates (87%), and bats (42%), among other prey. Reported hunting frequencies within taxonomic groups of prey were different for different hunting behaviors. Young age, lower education level, larger household size, having a father who hunts, and cultural group were all associated with becoming a hunter. Fifty-five percent of respondents were aware that they could contract diseases from wild animals, but only 26% of these individuals reported taking protective measures. Overall, hunters in this setting frequently contact a diversity of prey in risky ways, and the decision to become a hunter stems from family tradition, modified by economic necessity. Conservation and public health interventions in such settings may be most efficient when they capitalize on local knowledge and target root socio-economic and cultural drivers that lead to hunting behavior. Importantly, interventions that target consumption alone will not be sufficient; other drivers and modes of interaction with wildlife must also be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagan Friant
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Sarah B. Paige
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Tony L. Goldberg
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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26
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Gray CL, Bozigar M, Bilsborrow RE. Declining Use of Wild Resources by Indigenous Peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2015; 182:270-277. [PMID: 25620805 PMCID: PMC4302340 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2014.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Wild product harvesting by forest-dwelling peoples, including hunting, fishing, forest product collection and timber harvesting, is believed to be a major threat to the biodiversity of tropical forests worldwide. Despite this threat, few studies have attempted to quantify these activities across time or across large spatial scales. We use a unique longitudinal household survey (n = 480) to describe changes in these activities over time in 32 indigenous communities from five ethnicities in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon. To provide insight into the drivers of these changes, we also estimate multilevel statistical models of these activities as a function of household and community characteristics. These analyses reveal that participation in hunting, fishing, and forest product collection is high but declining across time and across ethnicities, with no evidence for a parallel decline in resource quality. However, participation in timber harvesting did not significantly decline and there is evidence of a decline in resource quality. Multilevel statistical models additionally reveal that household and community characteristics such as ethnicity, demographic characteristics, wealth, livelihood diversification, access to forest, participation in conservation programs and exposure to external markets are significant predictors of wild product harvesting. These characteristics have changed over time but cannot account for declining participation in resource harvesting. This finding suggests that participation is declining due to changes in the regional-scale social and economic context, including urbanization and the expansion of government infrastructure and services. The lesson for conservationists is that macro-scale social and economic conditions can drive reductions in wild product harvesting even in the absence of successful conservation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark L Gray
- Department of Geography, Campus Box 3220, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA,
| | - Matthew Bozigar
- Department of Geography, Campus Box 3220, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA,
| | - Richard E Bilsborrow
- Carolina Population Center, Campus Box 8120, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516, USA,
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27
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Espinosa S, Branch LC, Cueva R. Road development and the geography of hunting by an Amazonian indigenous group: consequences for wildlife conservation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114916. [PMID: 25489954 PMCID: PMC4260950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are essential for conservation of wildlife populations. However, in the tropics there are two important factors that may interact to threaten this objective: 1) road development associated with large-scale resource extraction near or within protected areas; and 2) historical occupancy by traditional or indigenous groups that depend on wildlife for their survival. To manage wildlife populations in the tropics, it is critical to understand the effects of roads on the spatial extent of hunting and how wildlife is used. A geographical analysis can help us answer questions such as: How do roads affect spatial extent of hunting? How does market vicinity relate to local consumption and trade of bushmeat? How does vicinity to markets influence choice of game? A geographical analysis also can help evaluate the consequences of increased accessibility in landscapes that function as source-sink systems. We applied spatial analyses to evaluate the effects of increased landscape and market accessibility by road development on spatial extent of harvested areas and wildlife use by indigenous hunters. Our study was conducted in Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador, which is impacted by road development for oil extraction, and inhabited by the Waorani indigenous group. Hunting activities were self-reported for 12-14 months and each kill was georeferenced. Presence of roads was associated with a two-fold increase of the extraction area. Rates of bushmeat extraction and trade were higher closer to markets than further away. Hunters located closer to markets concentrated their effort on large-bodied species. Our results clearly demonstrate that placing roads within protected areas can seriously reduce their capacity to sustain wildlife populations and potentially threaten livelihoods of indigenous groups who depend on these resources for their survival. Our results critically inform current policy debates regarding resource extraction and road building near or within protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Espinosa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Lyn C. Branch
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Rubén Cueva
- Wildlife Conservation Society - Ecuador Program, Quito, Ecuador
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28
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Abstract
AbstractResearch has shown that consumers of wildlife are price sensitive and that the quantity of meat purchased is influenced by the cost of bushmeat and its substitutes. Although there is evidence that hunter-gatherers are optimal foragers whose behaviour is influenced by costs associated with foraging, there is a paucity of studies on whether the behaviour of bushmeat hunters, like that of consumers, is cost sensitive. This paper reports data on the practices of indigenous bushmeat hunters in the lowland forests of Ecuador before and after a national tax on firearms and ammunition was increased by 300%. Results show that hunters' behaviour is, as predicted by optimal foraging theory, responsive to price signals. After a substantial increase in the national tax on shotgun cartridges, hunters modified the set of species considered worth hunting, dropping smaller-bodied species from the set of species they target during a hunt and switching the technology used for hunting, increasingly using muzzle loader shotguns and thus avoiding the cost of expensive cartridges.
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29
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How could the bushmeat trade in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania be regulated? Insights from the rural value chain. ORYX 2014. [DOI: 10.1017/s003060531400009x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractBushmeat trade is a threat to biodiversity in Africa. Information about the bushmeat value chain can inform conservation policies, yet such knowledge is lacking for most of East Africa. We examine the structure and organization of bushmeat markets in three villages in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania, where illegal hunting is widespread. We base our analysis on 1,855 observations of trade during 1 year (2008–2009) and questionnaire interviews with 325 individuals involved in the trade in 2011. Our results reveal that the trade is large-scale both in volume (1,100 animals, equivalent to 370,000 kg meat per year) and local turnover (USD 210,000 per year) and that several threatened species are hunted. There are no patron–client relationships and hunters, traders and retailers, which are the main actors involved, conduct only basic product upgrading (drying and making packages). The value chain is characterized by governance problems, including widespread rent-seeking and violent enforcement. Although hunting is open-access, lack of access to firearms constitutes an entry barrier, curbing supply and enabling actors to realize supernormal profits. Decentralization of management rights and responsibilities to communities, supplemented by improved firearms control, appears the most realistic option for regulating the trade and preventing further declines of wildlife.
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30
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Sorokowska A, Sorokowski P, Hummel T. Cross-Cultural Administration of an Odor Discrimination Test. CHEMOSENS PERCEPT 2014; 7:85-90. [PMID: 24883170 PMCID: PMC4037584 DOI: 10.1007/s12078-014-9169-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Olfactory sensitivity can be evaluated by various tests, with "Sniffin' Sticks" test (SST) being one of the most popular. SST consists of tests for odor threshold, discrimination, and identification. It seems relatively straightforward to administer threshold tests in different groups and societies and it has been shown that odor identification tests requires special adaptation before they can be administered to various populations. However, few studies have investigated the application of an odor discrimination task in various regions/cultures. In the present study, we compared the discrimination scores of 169 Polish people with the scores of 99 Tsimane', Bolivian Amerindians. The Tsimane' participants scored very low in the discrimination task, despite their general high olfactory sensitivity. This result suggests that when a discrimination task is chosen as the form of olfactory testing, some additional variables need to be controlled. We suggest three sources of low scores of our participants-their cognitive profile, the cultural background, i.e., little knowledge of the odors used in the discrimination test and problems associated with testing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Sorokowska
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, ul. Dawida 1, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland
- TU Dresden, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell & Taste Clinic, Dresden, Germany
| | - Piotr Sorokowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, ul. Dawida 1, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Thomas Hummel
- TU Dresden, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell & Taste Clinic, Dresden, Germany
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31
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Schulte-Herbrüggen B, Cowlishaw G, Homewood K, Rowcliffe JM. The importance of bushmeat in the livelihoods of West African cash-crop farmers living in a faunally-depleted landscape. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72807. [PMID: 23977355 PMCID: PMC3745405 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bushmeat is an important resource in the livelihoods of many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa and may be a crucial safety-net for the most vulnerable households, especially during times of economic hardship. However, little is known about the impacts of wildlife depletion on these functions. This study quantifies the role of bushmeat in diversified rural household economies in a wildlife depleted forest-farm landscape in Ghana, assessing its importance overall, as well as differentiated by the relative vulnerability of households. Using repeat socioeconomic questionnaires (N=787) among 63 households over a one-year period, the following hypotheses were tested: (a) vulnerable households harvest more bushmeat; (b) bushmeat contributes a greater proportion of household production in vulnerable households; (c) bushmeat is more important for cash income than consumption in vulnerable households; and (d) bushmeat sales are more important for vulnerable households. The bushmeat harvest value averaged less than US$1.0 per day for 89% of households and comprised less than 7% of household production value. Household wealth and gender of the household head had little effect on the importance of bushmeat. However, bushmeat harvest and sales were highest during the agricultural lean season. Overall, most harvested bushmeat (64%) was consumed, enabling households to spend 30% less on meat/fish purchases. These findings suggest that, despite heavily depleted wildlife and diversified livelihoods, bushmeat continues to have an important role in rural livelihoods by acting as a safety net for income smoothing and reducing household expenditure during times of economic hardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Schulte-Herbrüggen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Cowlishaw
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Homewood
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Magvanjav O, Undurraga EA, Eisenberg DTA, Zeng W, Dorjgochoo T, Leonard WR, Godoy RA. Sibling composition and children's anthropometric indicators of nutritional status: Evidence from native Amazonians in Bolivia. Ann Hum Biol 2012; 40:23-34. [DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2012.728621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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33
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Suárez E, Zapata-Ríos G, Utreras V, Strindberg S, Vargas J. Controlling access to oil roads protects forest cover, but not wildlife communities: a case study from the rainforest of Yasuní Biosphere Reserve (Ecuador). Anim Conserv 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00592.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Suárez
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales; Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Quito; Ecuador
| | | | - V. Utreras
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Programa Ecuador; Quito; Ecuador
| | | | - J. Vargas
- Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador; Quito; Ecuador
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34
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Foerster S, Wilkie DS, Morelli GA, Demmer J, Starkey M, Telfer P, Steil M, Lewbel A. Correlates of bushmeat hunting among remote rural households in Gabon, Central Africa. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2012; 26:335-344. [PMID: 22182047 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01802.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Hunted wild animals (i.e., bushmeat) are a main source of protein for many rural populations in the tropics, and the unsustainable harvest of these animals puts both human food security and ecosystem functioning at risk. To understand the correlates of bushmeat consumption, we surveyed 1219 households in 121 rural villages near three newly established national parks in Gabon. Through the surveys we gathered information on bushmeat consumption, income, and material assests. In addition, we quantified land cover in a 5-km radius around the village center and distance of the village center to the nearest park boundary. Bushmeat was not a source of income for most households, but it was the primary animal protein consumed. Ninety-seven percent of households consumed bushmeat at least once during a survey period of 12 days. Income or wealth, land cover, distance of village to the nearest park boundary, and level of education of the head of the household were among the factors that significantly related to the likelihood of consuming any of the 10 most commonly consumed species of bushmeat. Household size was the predictor most strongly associated with quantities of bushmeat consumed and was negatively related to consumption. Total bushmeat consumption per adult male equivalent increased as household wealth increased and decreased as distance of villages to park boundaries increased. Bushmeat consumption at the household level was not related to unit values (i.e., price estimates for a good that typically does not have a market value; estimates derived from willingness to sell or trade the good for items of known price) of bushmeat or the price of chicken and fish as potential substitutes. The median consumption of bushmeat at the village level, however, was negatively related to village mean unit values of bushmeat across all species. Our results suggest that a lack of alternative protein sources motivated even the wealthiest among surveyed households to consume bushmeat. Providing affordable, alternative protein sources to all households would likely reduce unsustainable levels of bushmeat consumption in rural Gabon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Foerster
- Boston College, Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculties, Waul House, 270 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
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Economic and geographic drivers of wildlife consumption in rural Africa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:13931-6. [PMID: 21873180 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1011526108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The harvest of wildlife for human consumption is valued at several billion dollars annually and provides an essential source of meat for hundreds of millions of rural people living in poverty. This harvest is also considered among the greatest threats to biodiversity throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Economic development is often proposed as an essential first step to win-win solutions for poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation by breaking rural reliance on wildlife. However, increases in wealth may accelerate consumption and extend the scale and efficiency of wildlife harvest. Our ability to assess the likelihood of these two contrasting outcomes and to design approaches that simultaneously consider poverty and biodiversity loss is impeded by a weak understanding of the direction and shape of their interaction. Here, we present results of economic and wildlife use surveys conducted in 2,000 households from 96 settlements in Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Madagascar. We examine the individual and interactive roles of wealth, relative food prices, market access, and opportunity costs of time spent hunting on household rates of wildlife consumption. Despite great differences in biogeographic, social, and economic aspects of our study sites, we found a consistent relationship between wealth and wildlife consumption. Wealthier households consume more bushmeat in settlements nearer urban areas, but the opposite pattern is observed in more isolated settlements. Wildlife hunting and consumption increase when alternative livelihoods collapse, but this safety net is an option only for those people living near harvestable wildlife.
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Schneider L, Ferrara CR, Vogt RC, Burger J. History of Turtle Exploitation and Management Techniques to Conserve Turtles in the Rio Negro Basin of the Brazilian Amazon. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-0848.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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