Dissertation Research: Ethnoecology of Sabal uresana (Arecaceae) in Sonora, Mexico

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9311035 Pinkava Biological and cultural diversity have become commonly recognized terms over the past decade. Given the growing concern about loss of both, and coupled with the lack of basic knowledge for many species and traditional cultures, approaches which link the two may provide valuable insight into ecological and cultural processes. Traditional resource management is the use and management of natural resources for subsistence and commercial use by indigenous and local (rural) people not trained in Western scientific knowledge. If proven effective, traditional resource management, combined with modern ecological methods, may offer the best approach to the future management of wild plant resources made scarce by changing cultures and economics. Ethnoecology is a relatively new field of study which is a potentially powerful tool for studying basic ecological processes and for more rapidly assessing them for conservation purposes. Because many of the species involved are poorly known scientifically, methods must be developed which can be used to quickly assess basic ecological information (distribution, population traits, growths, etc.) and response to human manipulation. To be successful, ecological and anthropological techniques, both basic and applied, descriptive and experimental, must be employed. It is the synthesis of methodologies from the two fields that is novel. This study assesses traditional resource management of an endemic palm in Sonora, Mexico. Worldwide, palms are one of the most important plant families for humans, especially in the tropics. Sabal uresana is the most valuable a nd widespread of six palms native in northwest Mexico, an important non-timber resource (leaves used for weaving and thatching), is thought to be over-exploited, and has been listed as "rare" in Mexico. %%% Basic results will include: a description of the population dynamics of an endemic desert palm, the response of juvenile palms to the harvest of emerging leaves, and an ethnographic study of the use and management of an important wild-collected plant species. Most importantly, this study will produce an ethnoecological synthesis that will have immediate application to the conservation of wild-collected plants and for rural development, and will address basic questions about the development of traditional resource management. *** n o p q r s t u v w x y z { | } ~ 9311035 Pinkava Biological and cultural diversity have become commonly recognized terms over the past decade. Given the gro F Z Z ( Times New Roman Symbol & Arial " h t et e O panel summary doctoral dissertation Elizabeth M. Behrens Elizabeth M. Behrens