The importance of ethnoecological studies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity: a critical analysis of six decades of support by FAPESP

Author(s)

Rodrigues, Eliana ; Seixas, Cristiana Simao ; Sauini, Thamara ; Adams, Cristina

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biota Neotropica; v. 22, p. 16-pg., 2022-01-01.

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the area of ethnoecology within funding provided by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) to projects and events in order to discuss the importance of this area for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the opportunity to advance this area of knowledge, The paper presents a retrospective analysis of the 75 projects and 21 events organized in the area of ethnoecology that received support from FAPESP in the last 60 years. For this purpose, a search was perfonned in the FAPESP databases using the keywords Ethnoecology, Ethnobiology, Ethnoscience, Ethnoichthyology,Ethnotawnorny, Ecological Anthropology, Ethnobotany, Ethnozoology, Ethnophamtacologv, Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, Eihnogntphy, Human Ecology and Eihnoatrheology. Research Support modality accounted for most of the projects (88%), with 45.3% of funding occurring in the decade of 2000-2009. No project was supported in the first two decades and only eight were part of the BIOTA Program. The main areas of submission were Biological Sciences (46.7% of projects and 47.6% of events) and Humanities (38.7% of projects). The research questions and methods of the projects developed over the last four decades were analyzed critically and comparatively. Given the data collected, an increase of ethnocecological projects supported by the BIOTA Program and through the thematic modality may contribute to advance this area of knowledge and to cross the path from inter to transdisciplinar science. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/19313-5 - Participatory ethnobotany: conservation and local development in Serra do Mar State Park - Picinguaba, Ubatuba, SP, Brazil - phase 2
• Grantee: Eliana Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants