Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Modern Conservation Strategies for Effective Wildlife Management in Rural Landscapes

Abstract

Background: Conservation needs to go beyond a scientific approach to address the ongoing decline in biodiversity in rural landscapes. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), the body of knowledge that indigenous and local communities have created over many generations, often provides context-specific, empirically based information on species behaviour, ecosystem dynamics and ecosystem resilience that is often missing from traditional conservation practices. This study analyzed the complementarity between TEK and modern conservation strategies for wildlife management in rural communities in buffer zones across three agro-forest landscapes in southern India. Mixed methods, including structured questionnaire surveys (n = 320 respondents), focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and transect-based wildlife abundance surveys were used. Satellite-derived land use maps and species distribution models were used to assess the spatial overlap of community-identified wildlife refuges and scientifically defined habitat patches. Satellite-derived land-use maps were used in conjunction with species distribution models to assess the spatial overlap between community-identified wildlife refuges and scientifically defined habitat patches. Results: Community reported wildlife corridors were 74.3% spatially overlapping with the model-predicted critical linkage zones. The TEK seasonal restriction practices were significantly positively correlated with the number of mammalian species (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). Integrated management units, in which community patrol systems are integrated with camera-trap monitoring, had 31% more detections of threatened species than those managed with scientific protocols alone. Summary: TEK when incorporated into the formal wildlife management system significantly improves the biodiversity outcomes of rural landscapes. Co-management governance mechanisms are a culturally inclusive and ecologically effective approach to institutionalizing community knowledge systems in the pursuit of sustainable wildlife conservation that is also pragmatic.