RESUMO
There is concern that agrobiodiversity is being irreversibly eroded in the face of agricultural industrialization. While academic and policy debates stress loss of landraces, little attention has been paid to evaluating how agricultural knowledge systems endure in response to broader social-ecological changes (i.e., "system's resilience"). For being resilient, agricultural knowledge systems should incorporate new information (modern seed varieties) whilst maintaining its traditional components (landraces) and functions. However, the loss or continuing utilization of landraces may be influenced by several social-ecological filters, which are processes that selectively remove varieties according to their phenotype, local uses, or value. We examined the resilience of agricultural knowledge systems in the southern Andes. These systems include the knowledge of landraces and modern varieties by campesinos and lifestyle migrants. We further assessed the association of social-ecological filters with the knowledge of agrobiodiversity. Over four years (2018-2022), we used mixed-methods including semi-structured interviews with gardener experts and conducted knowledge exercises of seed varieties and surveys of gardeners (n = 132). We assessed the association of 'knowledge score on varieties' (general, landraces, and modern) with a priori-defined social-ecological filters. Gardeners with more proficient knowledge of landraces were more knowledgeable of modern varieties too. The general knowledge of agrobiodiversity and the knowledge of landraces, but not of modern varieties, was higher for campesinos than migrants. The main seed source of gardeners, the participation in seed exchanges, gardeners' origin, and gardeners' age were the social-ecological filters that influenced gardeners' knowledge of agrobiodiversity. We highlight that social-ecological, small-scale farming systems, are being resilient when they have the capacity of incorporating new information (knowledge of modern varieties) whilst maintaining their identity (knowledge of landraces) without undergoing a major shift in their basic structures and functions in this Important Agricultural Heritage Site and Global Biodiversity Hotspot, and beyond.
RESUMO
Resumen (analítico) Presentamos una iniciativa y proponemos una metodología transdisciplinaria para cultivar la memoria biocultural, basada en los procesos de participación y materialización en comunidades de práctica (educativas). Presentamos el proyecto «Escuchando a los abuelos¼, que buscó facilitar diálogos intergeneracionales en tres escuelas mapuche (~ 90 niños y niñas) en Wallmapu, Chile. «Escuchando a los abuelos¼ utilizó a las aves como protagonistas de narrativas locales sobre el territorio. Cocreamos un ciclo de cinco pasos para promover la participación y la materialización. Los niños y niñas desarrollaron un ejercicio de abstracción para dar significado a las narrativas que ellos mismos recopilaron para crear memes positivos sobre las aves. Estos memes fueron comunicados dentro y más allá de sus comunidades. Concluimos que la experiencia de los abuelos debe ser honrada para contrarrestar la actual extinción de la experiencia biocultural.
Abstract (analytical) This article presents an initiative and proposes a transdisciplinary methodology to cultivate biocultural memory based on the processes of participation and materialization in (educational) communities-of-practice. We implemented the project "Listening to elders" that sought to facilitate intergenerational dialogues in three mapuche schools (with approximately 90 children) in Wallmapu, Chile. Listening to elders used birds as the basis of constructing local narratives about the territory. We co-created a 5-Step cycle to promote participation and materialization. The children participated in an abstraction exercise to give meaning to the narratives they constructed themselves to create positive memes involving birds. These memes were communicated within and beyond their communities. The authors conclude that the experiences of elders must be honored in communities to counter the current dynamic involving the extinction of biocultural experience.
Resumo (analítico) Apresentamos uma iniciativa e propomos uma metodologia transdisciplinar para o cultivo da memória biocultural, baseada nos processos de participação e materialização, em comunidades de prática (educacionais). Apresentamos o projeto «Escutando os avós¼ que buscou facilitar o diálogo intergeracional em três escolas mapuche (~ 90 crianças) em Wallmapu, Chile. «Ouvir os avós¼ usou os pássaros como base para as narrativas locais sobre o território. Co-criamos um ciclo de cinco passos para promover a participação e materialização. As crianças desenvolveram um exercício de abstração para dar sentido às narrativas que elas próprias coletaram para criar memes positivos sobre pássaros. Esses memes foram comunicados dentro e fora de suas comunidades. Concluímos que a experiência dos avós deve ser honrada para conter a atual extinção da experiência biocultural.
RESUMO
Homegardens are coupled social-ecological systems that act as biodiversity reservoirs while contributing to local food sovereignty. These systems are characterized by their structural complexity, while involving management practices according to gardener's cultural origin. Social-ecological processes in homegardens may act as filters of species' functional traits, and thus influence the species richness-functional diversity relationship of critical agroecosystem components like beetles (Coleoptera). We tested the species richness-functional diversity relationship of beetle communities and examined whether habitat structure across different levels, sociodemographic profiles, and management practices act as filters in homegardens in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot, Chile. For 100 homegardens (50 campesino and 50 migrant), we sampled beetles and habitat attributes, and surveyed gardeners' sociodemographic profiles and management practices. We recorded 85 beetle species and found a positive relationship between species richness and functional richness that saturated when functionally similar species co-occur more often than expected by chance, indicating functional redundancy in species-rich homegardens. Gardener origin (campesino/migrant), homegarden area (m2), structural complexity (index), and pest control strategy (natural, chemical, or none) were the most influential social-ecological filters that selectively remove beetle species according to their functional traits. We discuss opportunities in homegarden management for strengthening local functional diversity and resilience under social-environmental changes.