Hunting of kebung (Ratufa bicolor) and other squirrel species from morang forest by the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India: biocultural conservation and livelihood dimensions
Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India is considered a biocultural diversity hotspot, with diverse tribal peoples and immense floral and faunal diversity. This rich diversity, sustained through the morang (community forests) and jhum (slash and burn) cultivation systems, is the backbone of native c...
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Published in | Regional environmental change Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 1479 - 1490 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Berlin/Heidelberg
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
01.08.2014
Springer Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India is considered a biocultural diversity hotspot, with diverse tribal peoples and immense floral and faunal diversity. This rich diversity, sustained through the
morang
(community forests) and
jhum
(slash and burn) cultivation systems, is the backbone of native communities’ livelihood security.
Kebung
(
Ratufa bicolor
) and other squirrel species are intricately related to biocultural systems of the
Adi
people of Arunachal Pradesh. Primary surveys and participatory rural appraisals were carried out in 20 villages of East Siang and Upper Siang districts of the state. Results indicated that
Kebung
squirrels are hunted from successional forests, including from
morang
and
jhum
lands. They are an integral part of the
Adi
sociocultural, economic and livelihood systems, being used for food, medicinal, ceremonial and other purposes. Hunting methods vary in the traditional and transitional
Adi
villages. Recently,
kebung
populations have diminished, and this is attributed to overhunting. In particular, a decrease in
kebung
populations in some
morang
and
jhum
habitats has threatened the biocultural resources of the
Adi
. Knowledge and management practices relating to
kebung
hunting are gradually eroding among the younger
Adi
generations. However, the community recently passed a resolution for
kebung
conservation, supported by the customary norms. We conclude with a discussion of policy requirements for sustainable management of
kebung
populations to maintain
Adi
biocultural and livelihood security. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1436-3798 1436-378X |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10113-014-0590-3 |