Preventing emissions from deforestation is propagated as an effective strategy to combat climate change. At the same time forest landscapes are habitat to the last remaining traditional societies of this planet. For a long time forest conservation programs neglected the role of these indigenous communities for forest landscapes. Historical ecology pushes a change of environmental narratives towards an understanding that biocultural diversity has had and will have a significant impact on resource use and on the transformation of landscapes. A growing number of debates on global environmental justice and poverty alleviation goals call for such an integrated approach in protecting biodiversity and cultural diversity when conserving forest landscapes. Although this topic is discussed, there is a gap in scientific literature on how such an approach can actually be implemented in practise. This paper examines how the dual-objective of forest conservation and protection of cultural diversity can be achieved in practise by applying a case study of a conservation project, Carbon Tanzania. Carbon Tanzania is operating in an area in northern Tanzania inhabited by one of the few remaining hunting and gathering societies on the planet, the Hadzabe. Carbon Tanzania conservation project issues carbon credits which can be bought by companies, organisations and individuals to offset their emissions. Interviews with the different actors have been conducted in the course of the research project in order to examine how Carbon Tanzania’s ‘community-led project’ contextualizes the dual objective of protecting forests and the Hadzabe culture. The results show that the implementation of the project is facilitated through an integrated network of different actors and organisations. Critical for the operations in the area is secured land ownership and a binding land use plan in order to protect the area from external pressure and to manage the utilization of the landscape by the different communities within the area. Payments for ecosystem services generate benefits for the local forest community and support community development. This form of ‘productive’ land utilization offers a path in changing development narratives for African countries.

Historical ecology is an emerging and interdisciplinary field that seeks to explain the changes in ecosystems over time through a synthesis of information derived from human records and biological data. The methods in historical ecology cover a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. However, methods for the more recent past (about 200 years) are largely limited to the human archive and dendrochronological evidence which can be subject to human bias, limited in spatial extent or not appropriate for non-forested systems. There is a need to explore new methods by which biological data can be used to understand historic vegetation and disturbance regimes over the recent past especially in arid ecosystem types. Soil phytolith analysis has the potential to provide much needed information regarding historical conditions in both areas. Phytoliths are structures formed in plants through deposition and accumulation of silica within and around cell walls that are released from plants and preserved in sediments long after death and decay of plant material. The City of Rocks National Reserve in southern Idaho was an excellent place to develop new methods in historical ecology because the human records of historic environmental conditions were so rich. There were two overarching and interconnected objectives for this dissertation research. The first was to reconstruct an ecological history of the City of Rocks National Reserve from the period of overland emigration to present. The second objective was to explore the utility of soil phytolith analysis for inferring vegetation and disturbance regime change over the recent past by testing its sensitivity to record known changes. I employed modern analogue studies, a multi-core approach and detailed core analysis to test for known changes through analysis of extraction weights, relative abundance of phytolith assemblages, microscopic charcoal and burned (darkened) phytoliths. My results showed that this combination of history and soil phytolith analysis would be a useful approach for inferring vegetation changes (e.g. increases in introduced grasses) and disturbances (e.g. fire) in ecological histories.

<p>No corner of the world's oceans is untouched by humans. Yet in marine science, management, and conservation, oceans are consistently treated as 'unpeopled', that is, human systems are divorced systematically from ecological systems, and assumptions of human/environmental relationships are oversimplified. This dissertation aims to contribute to interdisciplinary, or 'peopled', approaches to marine sciences and management by integrating biophysical and social sciences, specifically historical ecology and resilience thinking on social-ecological systems. Herein, I examine this theoretically (Chapter 2) and empirically by investigating the coral reefs of Hawaii Island's Kona Coast historically, through the oral histories of 'ocean experts', diverse locally-living people from diverse knowledge systems. I investigate human, biophysical, and social-ecological aspects of 'ecological change.' </p><p>Chapter 3 demonstrates that currently there are six expert ocean knowledge systems surrounding Kona's reefs: Native Hawaiians, dive shop operators, tropical aquarium collectors, shoreline fishers, scientists, and conservationists. These are distinct in what experts know about Kona's reefs, and how they know it. The giving and taking of authority between ocean experts, and among people and marine management, influences the condition of the biophysical, social, and management dimensions of Kona's reef systems. </p><p>Chapter 4 examines the biophysical dimensions of change, specifically the historic abundance and distribution of 271 coral reef species. Ocean expert's observations of ecological change are surprisingly consistent, regardless of perspective. Historically, species tend to follow one of eight trends in abundance and distribution, grouping into what I term 'social-ecological guilds'. Analyzing these data with Western scientific frameworks (e.g., trends in apex predators, herbivores, corallivores) proved inappropriate, compared to qualitative approaches. Engaging a multiplicity of perspectives reveals historical ecology broader and richer than from any one knowledge system alone. </p><p>Chapter 5 identifies coupled aspects of marine social-ecological systems, or what I call 'keystone social-ecological features'. I examine 8 features in detail and show how they are central to understanding 'sea change' through such diverse perspectives. Comparing expert's perceptions and responses to ecological through keystone features, I show that 'change' differs based on sociopolitical, economic, etc. perspective. Understanding relationships between and among people, the ecosystem, and marine management institutions is critical for improved ocean management.</p> / Dissertation

Orientadora: Profª. Drª. Helena França / Coorientador. Prof. Dr. Leandrro Reverberi Tambosi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia Ambiental, Santo André, 2018. / Esse trabalho objetivou mapear e quantificar a agricultura itinerante praticada pelas populações tradicionais caiçaras na região do atual Parque Estadual do Prelado (PEP), uma das unidades de conservação do Mosaico de Unidades de Conservação Juréia-Itatins (MUCJI), situado na região litorânea sul do estado de São Paulo, entre 1962 e 2011. Fotografias aéreas de 1962, 1972, 1981, 2000 e 2011 foram digitalizadas, ortorretificadas e interpretadas em Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG). As roças foram mapeadas e quantificadas em relação ao número e área. Constatou-se que 12,4% da área do PEP foi manejada pela agricultura, e que os 87,6% restantes não foram usados para essa atividade nos últimos 60 anos. As áreas cultivadas estavam distribuídas pelas bordas do Parque, sobre a Floresta Ombrófila Densa de Terras Baixas, próximas às estradas e rios, mesmo que distantes das unidades domésticas. No ano de 2011, 95% da área que havia sido utilizada previamente para agricultura estava regenerada como floresta, e apenas 0,05% da área total do PEP permanecia como roça. A análise indicou que 40% das áreas manejadas não apresentaram a classe de roças em nenhum mapeamento dos anos estudados, sugerindo que essas áreas só foram cultivadas nas décadas anteriores a 1960; nos 60% restantes, ou houve cultivo por duas ou mais décadas, ou o pousio foi inferior a 10 anos. A agricultura itinerante, que vinha diminuindo desde a década de 1960, apresentou ruptura praticamente definitiva após a criação da unidade de conservação em 1986. / The purpose of this work is to map and quantify the shifting cultivation practiced by traditional communities caiçaras in the region of Prelado State Park (PEP), one of the units of the Juréia-Itatins Conservation Units Mosaic (JICUM) located in the southern coastal region of the state of São Paulo between 1962 and 2011. Aerial photographs from 1962, 1972, 1981, 2000 and 2011 were scanned, orthorectified and interpreted in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The plots were mapped and quantified in relation to the number and area. It was found that 12.4% of the PEP area was managed by traditional practices of shifting cultivation, and that the remaining 87.6% was not used for this activity in the last 60 years. The cultivated areas were distributed along the edges of the Park, over the Dense Ombrophilous Forest of the Coastal Plain, close to the roads and rivers, even if far from the houses. In 2011, 95% of the area that had previously been used for shifting cultivation was regenerated as forest, and only 0.05% of the total area of the PEP remained as a traditional agriculture. The analysis has indicated that 40% of the areas which were managed by traditional agriculture was not cultivated prior to 1960; in the remaining 60%, there was no agricultural management for two or more decades, or perhaps there was fallow for less than 10 years. Shifting cultivation, which was decreasing since the 1960s, suffered a definitive rupture after the creation of the protected area Jureia-Itatins Ecological Station in 1986 (later converted in JICUM).

The impact of human activity on ecosystems is an issue at the forefront of global concern. Marine ecosystems are a particular concern, given their importance for human sustenance. Through the removal of species that are highly susceptible to the effects of overfishing, global fisheries have been driven to near collapse in recent decades. The long-term effects of such practices has resulted in declines in mean trophic level of aggregate fish catches over time, as well as decreasing diversity of species available for regular harvest (Jackson et al. 2001; Pauly et al. 1998). These supposedly “modern” problems have been recently identified in archaeological contexts, and attest to the extent of anthropogenic ecosystem alteration that has occurred since humans first began intensively exploiting marine ecosystems (Erlandson and Rick 2010; Quitmyer and Reitz 2006; Reitz 2004; Wing and Wing 2001). Here, I evaluate the degree of change in mean trophic level, diversity, and equitability of midden deposits at Crystal River and Roberts Island, two roughly contemporaneous Middle-to-Late Woodland Period (AD 1to 1000) mound complexes located on the west-central Florida Gulf Coast. This research identifies the extent to which humans altered the characteristics of the estuarine ecosystem surrounding the two sites, promotes alternative theoretical perspectives on past human-environment interactions, and provides modern ecosystems management agencies with a temporally-expansive data set to aid in future ecosystem conservation efforts.

Resource management have been, and still are essential for humans, partly because of the constantly changing environment. The landscape provides basic material for survival and therefore it becomes important to understand the different stages of environmental influences and developments in parallel to the increasing complexity of Bronze- and Iron Age societies. Investigating the causes for human interactions with the environment and the following consequences for the biodiversity provides crucial information about organized systems for a sustainable resource management in our modern society. Finding archaeological traces of “hävd” (claimed land) and other types of manifestations in the landscape stress the fact that land becomes a more valuable resource from both a social and practical view. Over a longer perspective the process of going from a mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a sedentary agricultural one also becomes a process of going from a collective to a private managing of resources. This project aims to investigate that development.

Cedar, represented by Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) and Yellow Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) was known as the “Tree of Life” to the Nuu-chah-nulth on Vancouver Island’s west coast, and most other groups of the Pacific Northwest. This thesis investigates the Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs), or more specifically Tapered Bark Strips (TBS), created through the extraction of cedar bark removed for all manner of material goods. CMTs are now the most common archaeological site type within British Columbia. Current regional chronologies have inherent biases that make interpretations difficult. The chronologies created through Archaeological Impact Assessments (AIAs) are weighted heavily to the contact period and the highest frequency of use corresponds with indigenous population collapse rather than peak. Investigations are made into the true distribution of existing CMT features. This thesis details the survey of 16 recent old growth cedar clearcuts which found extensive unrecorded CMT features that have recently been logged throughout the southern Nuu-chah-nulth study region. Half of all TBS scars in exposed stumps were found embedded within healed trees, otherwise invisible to archaeologists. Comparing all AIA report dates (surveyed prior to logging activity) with all post-impact assessments surveys it was found the latter contain a greater and older distribution of scarring events corresponding to high First Nations populations before the contact period. The study also compares CMT chronologies with local histories, investigates the antiquity of Northwest Coast CMTs and the indigenous management of cedar trees to maximize bark harvests. The findings of this research hint at the expanded extent of anthropogenic forests in the Northwest Coast, the inadequate recording and heritage protections of CMTs, and what it all means for Aboriginal Land Rights in British Columbia. / Graduate / 0324 0740 0329 / kinze.earnshaw@gmail.com

Nature and culture are closely connected and in constant change in relation to each other. Although this is well known by now the cultural aspects rarely are concidered when it comes to conserving of nature (in Sweden). This paper examines naturums (Swedish visiting centres) relationship to the cultural aspects of landscapes and nature. It also examines how the Swedish nature (Naturvårdsverket) and culture (Riksantikvarieämbetet) conservation agencies work together. Beyond this the paper looks in to why it is important to include the cultural aspects within nature conservation and in what way archaeology could be a rewarding factor in reaching this knowledge. This paper points out why a more holistic picture is needed if we want to take care of the nature in the best possible way for future generations, also why a working ecosystem and landscapes with high natural values are important. This paper focuses on naturum because it´s the biggest museum of nature in Sweden - with great power comes great responsibility. Naturum often works with and for children and youngsters. Therfore it is most important that naturum teaches and inform about all aspects within landscapes, nature and the role humans play within the ecosystem. This to give future generations a holistic picture from the beginning. Naturum will be assessed from a theoretical frame based on the concept of biocultural heritage, which suggests a holistic view of a landscape within research and stewardship concerning landscapes and to transform knowledge in to policy. In the end of the paper, I discuss possible improvements within nature and culture conservation work in Sweden to reach a better cooperation between the two government agencies Naturvårdsverket and Riksantikvarieämbetet. In conclusion I argue that there is knowledge in both Naturvårdsverket and Riksantikvarieämbetet about the importance of including cultural aspects to optimize the conservation of nature. The same seems to go for most naturum, although there is a need of more concrete guidelines from Naturvårdsverket to help naturum to include the aspects in a clearer way. This is important if naturum are gonna be able to inform their visitors about the cultural aspekts within landscapes. I argue that the best thing to do for nature and culture conservation in Sweden is to merge the two agencies into one. I believe this would result in an easier and more natural cooperation between the two.

Dogs have a long but neglected history as companion species in Egypt history. From the most valued companion in ancient Egypt the relationship between dogs and humans has changed over time. However, in the present day the Egyptian baladi dog has been abused, neglected, unwanted for centuries. In this thesis, I investigate the nature and relationships between humans and dogs in Egypt in the past and present drawing on archeological, historical and genetic information. I will dig deeper into dog genetics to better understand the distinction between the baladi dog in relation to other breeds. Using online surveys, I interview baladi and non-baladi dog owners to understand how Egyptians perceive the baladi dog today exploring also how and why this perception is changing. Moreover, through interviews with rescuers and veterinarians I examine further the general perception of baladi dogs in Egypt from their perspectives. As I show, perceptions of the baladi dog have changed positively over the recent years both in Egypt and abroad, though there is still a long way to go. The better status of the perceptions of the baladi dog has also meant thatthe baladi is increasingly seen as a ‘breed’ or a particular dog type. The changing perceptions of the baladi dog and the debates around them is discussed and scrutinized in relation to urban planning and policy.

O quilombo de Pedro Cubas situa-se, juntamente com a maioria das comunidades remanescentes paulistas, na região do Vale do Ribeira. Incentivos financeiros por parte do governo estadual na região e a valorização das terras a partir de meados do século XX criaram um ambiente de tensão e ameaça ao modo de vida dessa população, a qual existe desde a primeira metade do século XIX. Durante as décadas de 1990 e 2000, diversas dessas comunidades foram finalmente reconhecidas e tituladas com base na Constituição de 1988, a qual assegura aos quilombos a posse coletiva de suas terras centenárias. Diversas pesquisas antropológicas e ecológicas foram executadas no Médio Ribeira em parceria com as comunidades quilombolas da região, muitas delas contribuindo para os processos reivindicatórios dessas populações. No entanto, nenhuma destas pesquisas teve por enfoque a materialidade dessas populações. Inspirado nos pressupostos teóricos da Arqueologia Histórica, Ecologia Histórica e Arqueologia da Paisagem, esta dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo a identificação de antigas áreas residenciais, com ênfase na utilização de vestígios arbóreos típicos dos padrões de assentamento locais. Com base principalmente em entrevistas e visitas guiadas à áreas antigamente habitadas, uma correlação clara entre determinadas espécies de árvores frutíferas e antigas habitações foi estabelecida. Por fim, espera-se também que essa dissertação venha a contribuir para o crescimento recente dos estudos arqueológicos em comunidades quilombolas e rurais em geral. / The maroon of Pedro Cubas is located, as the majority of the other paulista communities, at the Ribeira Valley region. State government financial incentives and land valorization by the second half of the XXth century created an environment of tension and a threat to this population\'s way of life, which exists since the end of the XIXth century. During 1990 and 2000 decades several of these communities were finally recognized and conceived collective land titles based on 1988\'s Constitution, which assures the maroons the rights to their centennial lands. Many anthropological and ecological researches were made at the Middle Ribeira Valley in partnership with the region\'s maroon communities, contributing to their reivindication processes. However none of these researches emphasized the materiality of these populations. Inspired on Historical Archaeology, Historical Ecology and Landscape Archaeology theoretical assumptions, this master\'s thesis has as its objective the identification of former residential areas with emphasis on the use of typical arboreal vestiges from local settlement patterns. Based mainly on interviews and guided visits to formerly inhabited areas, a clear correlation between determined tree species and ancient inhabited areas was established. Finally it is also hoped that this master\'s thesis contribute to the recent growing of archaeological studies on maroon and rural communities in general.