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Asso AA, Koné NA, Salewski V. Cultural attitudes and human pressure towards vultures around the Comoé National Park, Côte d'Ivoire (West Africa). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2024; 20:30. [PMID: 38419095 PMCID: PMC10903046 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00657-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Populations of vultures in Africa have experienced a rapid decline over recent decades, with some species suffering losses of more than 90%. Various forms of human pressures have been identified as the causes of this decline. However, very little is known about the complex interaction between cultural practises, traditional medicine and the vultures' natural environment. The purpose of this study was to analyse human pressures on vultures in relation with cultural attitudes such as their demand for magico-traditional medicine in Côte d'Ivoire, around the Comoé National Park (CNP), one of the last major refuges of these organisms in West Africa. METHODS Eleven surrounding villages were visited to carry out ethno-ornithology surveys. One hundred and ten people were interviewed, at a rate of ten people per village, using a semi-structured questionnaire and informal discussions. RESULTS The findings showed that vultures are still being seen both in and around the CNP. The most common species indicated to be observed and indicated by the interviewees were the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and the White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis). Nevertheless, 98.2% of the interviewees indicated having observed a decrease in the abundance of vultures over the last few years in the study area, as well as a decline in the number of sightings of these organisms. Interviewees attributed this scarcity of vultures to (1) the limited availability of food resources, (2) pesticide and tobacco poisoning, (3) hunting, (4) rapid population growth, (5) annual bushfires and (6) habitat loss. The uses of the vulture or parts of vultures by the populations surrounding the CNP (traditional medicine, mystic practises, consumption as food, cultural heritage) were also highlighted as real threats to these organisms. And the vulture parts commonly used in this area are: feathers, legs, head, heart, stomach, brain and excrement. The Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) appears to be the most sought-after species and the most widely used for these practises in the study area. CONCLUSION Appropriate conservation and communication initiatives are required to ensure the survival of these raptors, crucial for ecosystem well-being, while also ensuring a respect of cultural practises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asso Armel Asso
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie et de Développement Durable (LEDD), UFR Sciences de la Nature (UFR SN), Université Nangui ABROGOUA, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
- Station de Recherche en Écologie du Parc National de La Comoé, 28 BP 847, Abidjan 28, Côte d'Ivoire.
| | - N'golo Abdoulaye Koné
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie et de Développement Durable (LEDD), UFR Sciences de la Nature (UFR SN), Université Nangui ABROGOUA, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Station de Recherche en Écologie du Parc National de La Comoé, 28 BP 847, Abidjan 28, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Volker Salewski
- Station de Recherche en Écologie du Parc National de La Comoé, 28 BP 847, Abidjan 28, Côte d'Ivoire
- Michael-Otto-Institut Im NABU, Goosstroot 1, 24861, Bergenhusen, Germany
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Rahman Q, Nadeem MS, Umair M, Altaf M, Ni J, Abbasi AM, Jameel MA, Pieroni A, Hamed MH, Ashraf S, Sadaf T. Medicinal waterbirds in the traditional healthcare system: an assessment of biodiversity-cultural linkages in Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2022; 18:57. [PMID: 36030230 PMCID: PMC9420292 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00554-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is home to a vast range of medicinal and edible waterbird species due to its diverse geographical environment. Waterbird species have been used for various ailments and cultural practices since ancient times, while ethno-pharmacological applications and cultural uses of waterbird species in this area have seldom been documented. This study is the first ethnomedicinal and cultural assessment of waterbird species, and the first compilation and listing of all known data on these species in Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. METHODS Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from native respondents (N = 100). To analyze the data, principal component analysis (PCA), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL%), relative popularity level (RPL), rank order priority, and similarity index were used. RESULTS In total, 64 waterbird species were utilized in cultural practices, of which 40 species are used to cure different infectious and chronic diseases such as cold, cough, flu, fever, respiratory disorders, asthma, TB, gastric ulcers, kidney stones, male impotency, obesity, paralysis, piles, cancer, arthritis, body pain, and weakness. PCA showed significant differences in the use of waterbird species among the local inhabitants of the study area, separated along the axis-2 (p < 0.05). The FL% of waterbird species varied from 12 to 100%. 100% FL was analyzed for four waterbird species, i.e., Charadrius mongolus (cold), Gallicrex cinerea (asthma), Anas platyrhynchos (cancer), and Esacus recurvirostris (body weakness). In this study, Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) was the most popular species used in the healthcare system of Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with high RFC (4.06), FL% (100), and RPL (1.0) values. CONCLUSION We concluded that waterbird species are more used for medicine and food purposes in the study area. However, in vitro/in vivo assessment of biochemical activities of waterbird species with a maximum FL% might be significant to produce novel drugs. Recent research shows important ethno-ornithological information about native people and their links with waterbird species, which might be helpful for the sustainable use of waterbird diversity in the research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qaisar Rahman
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sajid Nadeem
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Umair
- College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, China.
| | - Muhammad Altaf
- Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife Management, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
| | - Jian Ni
- College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, China
| | - Arshad Mahmood Abbasi
- Department of Environment Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, 22060, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Azhar Jameel
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Italy
- Department of Medical Analysis, Tishk International University, 4401, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Muhammad Haroon Hamed
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Sana Ashraf
- Department of Zoology, University of Lahore, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan
| | - Tasnim Sadaf
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54000, Lahore, Pakistan
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Stara K, Saravia-Mullin V, Tsiakiris R, Adefolu S, Akyol A, Akyol Rİ, Asswad NG, Çetin T, Dayyoub M, Dushi G, Ivande ST, Kordopatis P, Kret E, Özuslu S, Petrovski N, Simeonova I, Spassova Y, Qaneer TE, Pourchier C, Saad LJ, ElSafoury H, Topi M, Trajҫe A, Ziu D, Nikolov SC. Following the White Vulture: Ethno-ornithology along the Flyway of the Egyptian Vulture ( Neophron percnopterus). Hum Ecol Interdiscip J 2022; 50:725-738. [PMID: 35729956 PMCID: PMC9188277 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-022-00340-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Vultures constitute globally the most rapidly declining group of birds. Across their wide distribution range, they share common ecological functions and unfavourable conservation status while being associated with varying habitats, lifestyles, cultural standing, and threats. We reveal conceptualisations about the emblematic yet critically endangered Egyptian vulture along its migratory flyway from the Balkans through the Middle East to Africa. Information was gathered through interviews, focus group discussions, and market surveys, with 420 people in 11 participating countries contributing overall. Our results showed that all vultures are recognised primarily for the environmental cleaning services, but the level of awareness differs between countries. Τhe Egyptian vulture has some perceptual advantages based on its white color, migratory nature, and endangered conservation status. This underlines its suitability as a charismatic flagship species that can potentially benefit other vulture species and thus enforce broader vulture conservation initiatives. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10745-022-00340-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalliopi Stara
- Laboratory of Ecology, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, University campus, Ioannina, 45110 Greece
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece, Ag. Konstantinou 52, Athens, 10437 Greece
| | | | - Rigas Tsiakiris
- Department of Forest Administration and Management, Forestry Service of Ioannina, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Marikas Kotopouli 62, Ioannina, 45445 Greece
| | - Solomon Adefolu
- Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Km 19 Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Adem Akyol
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Raziye İçtepe Akyol
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Turan Çetin
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Maher Dayyoub
- Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife, Latakia, Boka suburb Syria
| | - Gligor Dushi
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Samuel Tertese Ivande
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), University of Jos Biological Conservatory, P.O. Box 13404, Jos-East LGA, Laminga, Plateau State 930001 Nigeria
| | - Panagiotis Kordopatis
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece, Ag. Konstantinou 52, Athens, 10437 Greece
| | | | - Serdar Özuslu
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Nenad Petrovski
- Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), Boris Trajkovski st. 7 No. 7A, Skopje, 1000 North Macedonia
| | | | - Yana Spassova
- ESTAT Agency, 9, Sv.Sedmochislenitsi str, Sofia, 1421 Bulgaria
| | - Tareq Emad Qaneer
- Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN)/BirdLife Jordan, Dahiat Al-Rasheed, Building No. 4, Baker Al-Baw Street, Amman, Jordan
| | - Cloé Pourchier
- Sahara Conservation Fund, Yantala Haut, Niamey, YN-121 Niger
| | - Louis Junior Saad
- Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon/Birdlife Lebanon, Awad Bldg, 6th floor, Abdul Aziz Street, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hana ElSafoury
- Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE), 1 Bin Kutiba St, Nasr City, Cairo, 11487 Egypt
| | - Mirjan Topi
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Aleksandër Trajҫe
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Denada Ziu
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Stoyan C. Nikolov
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB)/BirdLife Bulgaria, PO box 50, Yavorov complex, bl. 71, en. 4, Sofia, 1111 Bulgaria
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Vieite B, Braga HO, Costa Neto EM, Azeiteiro UM. Fishermen's knowledge and conservation attitudes: focus on the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Minho River, Portugal. Aquat Ecol 2022; 56:667-684. [PMID: 35068995 PMCID: PMC8761507 DOI: 10.1007/s10452-021-09928-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Considerate the attitudes of traditional communities and their local ecological knowledge (LEK) can contribute to better policymaking and more appropriate management plans. Thus, this study strived to share the Minho River's fishermen LEK about great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758), as well as it exposes their conservation attitudes towards this species. We described and analysed interviewees' LEK qualitatively, while their attitudes were analysed quantitatively through correlation with variables from fishermen's profile. Fishermen were able to identify cormorant's ecological characteristics like habitats, prey species, and foraging behaviour. They also exposed an overall moderate attitude towards the conservation of great cormorants. The LEK often was supported by published data, but we found diverse information in some themes, such as habitat and diet. We found a significant negative correlation between fishermen's age and attitudes (p = 0.02), and those fishermen who often fished contrasted significantly from those who rarely fished (p = 0.02). We lastly reaffirm the importance of the present study as background information regarding P. carbo in Minho River and of ethnobiological studies as a tool for management plans. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10452-021-09928-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Vieite
- Department of Biology and CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193 Portugal
| | - Heitor O. Braga
- Department of Biology and CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193 Portugal
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil (BEX:8926/13-1), Caixa Postal 250, Brasília, DF 70040-020 Brazil
| | - Eraldo M. Costa Neto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Feira de Santana State University, Avenida Transnordestina S/N, Novo Horizonte, Feira de Santana, BA 44036-900 Brazil
| | - Ulisses M. Azeiteiro
- Department of Biology and CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193 Portugal
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Romero-Bautista YA, Moreno-Calles AI, Alvarado-Ramos F, Reyes Castillo M, Casas A. Environmental interactions between people and birds in semiarid lands of the Zapotitlán Valley, Central Mexico. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:32. [PMID: 32503563 PMCID: PMC7275383 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds have been among the most important element in lives of humans around the world, due to their presence and abundance in practically all ecosystems. Zapotitlán Salinas, a community of the Tehuacán Valley, has been a site of interest for studying ecology of bird communities, but no previous studies addressing the relationship between humans and birds have been conducted in the area. Based on their local knowledge, people of the area shape the use and conservation of local bird fauna diversity, which is being maintained or lost under the influence of factors like commerce, tourism, agriculture intensification or abandonment, public policies for conservation, environmental changes, among others. This study aims to analyze the patterns of interactions between humans and birds in a context of high biocultural diversity with a long history and facing the environmental and social challenges of semiarid areas. METHODS Ecological sampling for documenting bird species richness was conducted from November 2015 to May 2017 in three transects that included agroforestry systems, forests, and fallow agricultural land. The method of counting by fixed radius points at 16 points within the study systems was used. Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with local people who own land in the study areas by random sampling and choosing experts of Zapotitlán Salinas, Puebla, a semiarid natural protected area and, since 2019, recognized as Mixed World Heritage. Some visitor guides of the Helia Bravo Hollis Botanical Garden who are member of the community and local people who dedicated part of their time to catching birds were considered as local experts. They have experience in identifying birds through bird watching and listening to bird songs, as well as their knowledge on behavior and habits of the bird species occurring in their locality. We in addition conducted free listing of bird species recognized by people and interviews on ecological aspects, forms of use, and management of birds using a photographic catalog as visual stimulus. The following aspects were addressed with local people: (i) the bird species of Zapotitlán recognized by them; (ii) the biological, ecological, and behavioral knowledge about these species; (iii) the description of practices of use and management of these animals; (iv) the perceived changes regarding presence and abundance of the wild birds recognized; and (v) the regulations of these practices and uses. RESULTS Through the ecological sampling, we identified 89 bird species, a number representing nearly 68% of all species reported for the Zapotitlán Valley. The species recorded belong to 61 genera, 26 families, and 11 orders. Local people interviewed recognized 62 morphospecies occurring in their territory, and designated them with 50 local names. The interactions of local people with birds and the knowledge related to habitats and habits varied according to people's daily life activities and the ways of inter-generational transmission of knowledge. The interactions identified respond to several motivations. The most intense are those of utilitarian nature (three types of use are recognized: nutritional, medicinal, and ornamental), while other less notorious but equally relevant are those related to the awareness and conservation of biological diversity, and aesthetic appreciation of nature. Also relevant are those interactions shaped by the people's worldview since some species are interpreted as climatic environmental predictors, amulets, or omens. CONCLUSIONS To understand the various human-bird environmental interactions, it is necessary not only to address the utilitarian assessment that species have in a specific place but also those associated with cultural expressions and the connection between these aspects. Lifestyles, traditions, and beliefs model intangible forms of use, such as the interpretation of climate predictors. Ancient roles of birds in local culture are ongoing, and new demand of ornamental birds from cities influences catching activities but local and regional regulations have contributed to maintain them below a critical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yessica Angélica Romero-Bautista
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia (ENES Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, MICH México
| | - Ana Isabel Moreno-Calles
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia (ENES Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, MICH México
| | - Fernando Alvarado-Ramos
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia (ENES Morelia), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, MICH México
| | | | - Alejandro Casas
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, MICH México
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of birds as pets has been a historical tradition in Mexico since prehispanic times. It has survived through bird traders, called pajareros, which is a local name given to the trade (derived from pájaro, the Spanish word for bird). However, the trade of birds has not been sufficiently described; therefore, the goal of this paper is to analyze the bird trade in Mexico using the components of an ethnoecology scheme known as kosmos-corpus-praxis complex. METHODS Qualitative research techniques were used, including ethnographic immersion, participative research, and interviews of 79 pajareros in 22 localities in nine Mexican states. RESULTS The activity of the pajareros occurs within their households, with each member having distinct roles. The roles involved in bird trading are capturing, acclimation, maintenance, and sale. Their assignment depends on gender, age, and residential location (rural or urban). Beyond their households, the pajareros are well organized in trade unions and are represented by a leader, who acts as an intermediate between them and the government officers who are involved in the authorization of federal permits. The pajareros use 96 species of birds, most of which are native to Mexico. Practicing the trade requires highly specific knowledge of the biology, ecology, habitat, nutrition, diseases, and behavior of the birds, as well as the abiotic components of their environment, such as climatology and geography. The cosmovision of pajarero households is embedded in their identity, making them proud of their trade. CONCLUSIONS Our paper provides the first comprehensive description of the pajarero trade, showing evidence of local communitarian management in the places where the wild birds are captured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Roldán-Clarà
- Laboratorio de Etnoecología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán Mexico
| | - Víctor M. Toledo
- Laboratorio de Etnoecología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán Mexico
| | - Ileana Espejel
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Carretera Transpeninsular Ensenada - Tijuana No. 3917, Colonia Playitas, C.P. 22860 Ensenada, Baja California Mexico
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