Nature's contribution to poverty alleviation, human wellbeing and the SDGs.

Millions of households globally rely on uncultivated ecosystems for their livelihoods. However, much of the understanding about the broader contribution of uncultivated ecosystems to human wellbeing is still based on a series of small-scale studies due to limited availability of large-scale datasets. We pooled together 11 comparable datasets comprising 232 settlements and 10,971 households in ten low-and middle-income countries, representing forest, savanna and coastal ecosystems to analyse how uncultivated nature contributes to multi-dimensional wellbeing and how benefits from nature are distributed between households. The resulting dataset integrates secondary data on rural livelihoods, multidimensional human wellbeing, household demographics, resource tenure and social-ecological context, primarily drawing on nine existing household surveys and their associated contextual information together with selected variables, such as travel time to cities, population density, local area GDP and land use and land cover from existing global datasets. This integrated dataset has been archived with ReShare (UK Data Service) and will be useful for further analyses on nature-wellbeing relationships on its own or in combination with similar datasets.

Development of microsatellite markers for the resin-yielding, non-timber forest product species Boswellia serrata (Burseraceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Boswellia serrata (Burseraceae) is an economically important aromatic, gum-resin-yielding, non-timber forest tree species. Microsatellite markers were developed for B. serrata for the first time to study genetic diversity and population structure. METHODS AND RESULTS: A magnetic bead enrichment method was used to develop 16 microsatellite markers, of which 11 were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus in the 60 individuals studied ranged from three to 10, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.50 to 0.90 and 0.666 to 0.861, respectively. The primers successfully amplified in the congeneric species B. ovalifoliolata. CONCLUSIONS: These microsatellite markers can be used to study the genetic variation and population structure of B. serrata and to provide crucial information on population and ecological issues for management and conservation of the species.

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Phyllanthus emblica Linn., important nontimber forest product species.

Phyllanthus emblica and P. indofischeri, commonly known as the Indian gooseberry, are important nontimber forest product (NTFP) species widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent. The fruits of these species are rich in vitamin C and are used in the preparation of a number of herbal medicines for treating a wide range of disorders. Due to the increased demand, they have been harvested extensively and form a major source of income for the forest-dwelling communities living in southern India. There are limited studies to understand the impact of harvesting on the genetic structure of these species. In this study, 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers have been developed for P. emblica and were characterized by screening 20 individuals each of P. emblica and P. indofischeri. The number of alleles per locus ranged 2-9 for P. emblica and 2-11 for P. indofischeri. The observed and expected heterozygosity of P. emblica ranged 0-1 and 0.401-0.825, respectively. Similarly, the observed and expected heterozygosity of P. indofischeri ranged 0.5-1 and 0.366-0.842, respectively. Cross-amplification of the designed primers was assessed with seven related Phyllanthus species. The microsatellite markers developed can be used for studying the population genetic structure, gene flow and genetic diversity of P. emblica and P. indofischeri.

Ecological Knowledge Among Communities, Managers and Scientists: Bridging Divergent Perspectives to Improve Forest Management Outcomes.

Multiple actors are typically involved in forest management, namely communities, managers and researchers. In such cases, suboptimal management outcomes may, in addition to other factors, be symptomatic of a divergence in perspectives among these actors driven by fundamental differences in ecological knowledge. We examine the degree of congruence between the understandings of actors surrounding key issues of management concern in three case studies from tropical, subtropical and boreal forests. We identify commonly encountered points of divergence in ecological knowledge relating to key management processes and issues. We use these to formulate seven hypotheses about differences in the bodies of knowledge that frequently underlie communication and learning failures in forest management contexts where multiple actors are involved and outcomes are judged to be suboptimal. Finally, we present a set of propositions to acknowledge and narrow these differences. A more complete recognition of the full triangulation between all actors involved, and of the influence that fundamental differences in ecological knowledge can exert, may help lead to a more fruitful integration between local knowledge and practice, manager knowledge and practice, and contemporary science in forest management.