Traditional ecological knowledge among transhumant pastoralists in Mediterranean Spain
Oteros-Rozas, Elisa (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Ecología)
Ontillera, Ricardo (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Ecología)
Sanosa, Pau (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Ecología)
Gómez-Baggethun, Erik (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Reyes-García, Victoria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
González Novoa, Jose Antonio (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Ecología)

Date:	2013
Abstract:	Mobility is a millenary human strategy to deal with environmental change. An outstanding example of mobility is transhumance, an ancient pastoralist practice consisting of the seasonal migration of livestock between ecological regions following peaks in pasture productivity. The maintenance of transhumance depends partly on the preservation of related traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). We (a) identified and characterized social groups that hold transhumance-related TEK, (b) analyzed trends in transhumance-related TEK across generations and social groups, (c) examined the factors that influence variation in levels of TEK, and (d) analyzed elements of transhumance-related TEK as examples of adaptive strategies to cope with global change. We used transhumance on the Conquense Drove Road, a major active transhumant network in Spain, as a case study. Through an indepth literature review, participant observation, semistructured interviews, and a focus group discussion, we developed a survey to examine transhumance-related knowledge, practices, and beliefs. We collected survey data from 150 informants. Although a rich body of TEK persisted among transhumant shepherds, we found a marked loss of TEK among transhumants born after 1975, who scored one-fifth lower on survey items than other generations. The maintenance of transhumance on foot is the most important factor influencing TEK preservation. We conclude that in developed country settings, maintaining conditions for herd mobility can contribute to enhancing the adaptive capacity of agrarian societies to cope with global environmental change.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2011-30266
Note:	Altres ajuts: MAGRAMA/079/RN08/02.1
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Adaptive strategy ; Drove road ; Environmental change ; Mobility ; Pastoralism ; Resilience
Published in:	Ecology and society, Vol. 18 Issue 3 (Sep. 2013) , p. article 33, ISSN 1708-3087

DOI: 10.5751/ES-05597-180333

19 p, 1.6 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles