title: Secular trends on traditional ecological knowledge: An analysis of different domains of knowledge among Tsimane' men.
abstract: Empirical research provides contradictory evidence of the loss of traditional ecological knowledge across societies. Researchers have argued that culture, methodological differences, and site-specific conditions are responsible for such contradictory evidences. We advance and test a third explanation: the adaptive nature of traditional ecological knowledge systems. Specifically, we test whether different domains of traditional ecological knowledge experience different secular changes and analyze trends in the context of other changes in livelihoods. We use data collected among 651 Tsimane' men (Bolivian Amazon). Our findings indicate that different domains of knowledge follow different secular trends. Among the domains of knowledge analyzed, medicinal and wild edible knowledge appear as the most vulnerable; canoe building and firewood knowledge seem to remain constant across generations; whereas house building knowledge seems to experience a slight secular increase. Our analysis reflects on the adaptive nature of traditional ecological knowledge, highlighting how changes in this knowledge system respond to the particular needs of a society in a given point of time.
authors: ICREA and Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Reyes-García
authors: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Ana C
authors: AC
authors: Luz
authors: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Maximilien
authors: M
authors: Gueze
authors: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Paneque-Gálvez
authors: Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Manuel J
authors: MJ
authors: Macía
authors: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Martí
authors: M
authors: Orta-Martínez
authors: Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Pino
keywords: Bolivian Amazon; Tsimane’ indigenous peoples; acculturation; ethnobotanical knowledge