ETFRN Workshop: Participatory assessment, monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity (PAMEB)

European Tropical Forest Research Network

Participatory assessment, monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity (PAMEB)

Internet workshop 7 - 25 January 2002, and policy seminar 21 May 2002
convened by the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

14-16 January: Key theme 3: Methods and tools

Setting the scene
Introductions
Discussion results
Case studies
Further contributions by participants

Setting the scene

This section of the E-conference will consider the ways in which different stakeholders have set about gathering biodiversity information. Because the workshop is about participatory assessment, we do not take into account scientific approaches where these stand alone; we are instead looking for methods and tools suitable for non-scientific stakeholders, and for scientists to work with such people.

There are different ways in which these have been developed. Some explicitly recognise that assessment is value-laden, others expect local stakeholders to measure the components of biodiversity which are valued by scientists, or by national planners. Some are methods developed by researchers to better understand local values or perceptions. Many rely on adaptations of PRA (participatory rural appraisal) methods.

Many of the methods which have been developed have not yet been widely publicised. There is still a need to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and difficulties of the various methods, and to address the following questions (among others):

Comparison with scientific methods - are processes which engage local stakeholders more or less rigorous or quantitative?
Should they be?
Is it a myth that local people / the public cannot handle more complex forms of assessment? Or produce information and data of reliable quality?
What is needed to support this - training, resources, facilitation, improved communication?
What form are the data in? (see next section).

This theme will address the following questions:

Which methods and tools have worked well? Why? What did they achieve?
Which methods and tools have been tried and did not prove particularly successful? Why not?
How can the useful methods and tools be combined in processes which include all the relevant stakeholders?
How does the success of methods and processes vary according to context (e.g. do some approaches work better in rural communities in developing countries, while others are more successful with groups from wealthier countries who have more recreational time)?
What further work needs to be done?

Introductions

Rijsoort, J. van, Introduction note to Theme 3: Methods and tools, Word (32 kb) or pdf (16 kb)

Bhattarai, T., Process and Methods for Participatory M & E of Biodiversity: A Southern Reconnaissance, introduction to theme 3, Word (33 kb) or pdf (15 kb)

Discussion results

Summary of Day 7, 14th January 2002 by Izabella Koziell
Summary of Day 8, 15th January 2002 by Bianca Ambrose-Oji
Summary of Day 9, 16th January 2002 by Anna Lawrence

Case studies

Ambrose-Oji, B. , A. Lawrence, J. Wong, R. Lysinge, P. Fraser, J. Hall, H. O'Connor, J. Healey, Obtaining local values for biodiversity: Protocols used by the ERP Mount Cameroon project, Word (378 kb) or pdf (121 kb), Appendices, Word (170 kb) or pdf (39 kb)

Cromwell E., Participatory assessment of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity in Malawi, Word (70 kb) or pdf (34 kb)

Danielsen F. et al., A simple system for monitoring biodiversity in protected areas of a developing country, Biodiversity & Conservation 9: 1671-1705, 2000. Kluwer Academic Publishers, abstract: Word (24 kb) or pdf (8 kb)
The full version is available online on the publisher's website after payment

Lawrence, A., R. Barnes, K. Paudel, Y. Malla, Biodiversity values inferred in five communities in Nepal, Word (61 kb) or pdf (29 kb)

Rijsoort, J. van, J.F. Zhang, Development of Participatory Resources Monitoring in two nature reserves in Yunnan, P.R. China, Word (141 kb) or pdf (60 kb)

Thomas, W., Case study for the ETFRN E-Workshop on Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation of Biodiversity, 7-25 January 2002, Biodiversity Unit, Department of Botany, The American College, Madurai 625 002, Tamilnadu, India, Word (319 kb) or pdf (42 kb)

Thomson, A. J., Methods and Tools for participatory processes, Word (34 kb) or pdf (11 kb)

Vu Ngoc Long-Truong Quang Tâm, The sound diagramme, a vivid contribution to the PRA exercise, Institute of Tropical Biology-Sub Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam, Word (44 kb) or pdf (28 kb)

Further contributions by participants

Additional links on this theme

Davidson-Hunt, I. J., Ecological Ethnobotany: Stumbling Toward New Practices and Paradigms, Word (115 kb) or pdf (48 kb)
By courtesy of MASA (Manitoba Anthropology Students' Association) http://geocities.com/masa_2003_2004/

Davidson-Hunt, I. J., The Changing Practice of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Research In Canada: Partnerships and Processes in Northwestern Ontario, Word (270 kb) or pdf (297 kb)

Davidson-Hunt, I. J., Contribution to dicussion and useful references (14 Jan), Word (32 kb) or pdf (11 kb)

Davidson-Hunt, I. J., Contribution to discussion (20 Jan), Word (26 kb) or pdf (12 kb)

Dechaineux, R., Community Experiments with Sustainable Management of Wild Frogs in Salavan Province, Lao PDR, March 2001, pdf (146 kb)

Foppes, J., R. Dechaineux, Non-Timber Forest Products in Lao PDR: a practical application of the ecosystems approach?, Case study for the pathfinder workshop “An Ecosystem Approach under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); from concept to action”, Malaysia, 30/10 to 1/11 2000, pdf (78 kb)

Foppes, J., S. Ketphanh, Forest extraction or cultivation? Local solutions from Lao PDR, Paper presented at the workshop on the evolution and sustainability of “intermediate systems” of forest management, FOREASIA, 28 June- 1 July 2000, Lofoten Norway, pdf (117 kb)

Gadgil, M., People's biodiversity register a record of India's wealth, Word (181 kb) or pdf (54 kb)

Gadgil, M., People's biodiversity registers: lessons learnt, Word (64 kb) or pdf (28 kb)

Gadgil, M., Deploying student power to monitor India's lifescape, Word (143 kb) or pdf (52 kb)

Gadgil, M., Guidelines for sub global assessments, Word (73 kb) or pdf (44 kb)

Gadgil, M., Conserving india's biodiversity: let people speak , Word (182 kb) or pdf (89 kb)

Gadgil, M. et al, Participatory Local Level Assessment of Life Support Systems, A methodology manual, Word (418 kb) or pdf (274 kb)

Gadgil, M., G. Utkarsh, P. Pramod, P.R. Seshagiri Rao, New meanings for old knowledge : the people's biodiversity registers programme, Word (176 kb) or pdf (51 kb)

Lawrence, K., Contribution to discussion (18 Jan), Participatory monitoring in the Philippines, Word (36 kb) or pdf (14 kb)

Lowe, R.G., Contribution to discussion (18 Jan), Method of forest monitoring in Nigeria, Word (30 kb) or pdf (14 kb)

Nagendra, H. and M. Gadgil, Linking regional and landscape scales for assessing biodiversity: a case study from Western Ghats, Word (86 kb) or pdf (39 kb)

Pramod, P., N.V. Joshi, U. Ghate, M. Gadgil, The hospitality of Western Ghats habitats for bird communities, Word (50 kb) or pdf (24 kb)

Pramod, P., R.J. Randjit Daniels, N.V. Joshi, M. Gadgil, Evaluating bird communities of Western Ghats to plan for a biodiversity friendly development, Word (50 kb) or pdf (33 kb)

Sheil, D., Contribution to discussion (17 Jan) - Thoughts on reducing the understanding gap, Word (26 kb) or pdf (12 kb)

Sheil, D., Contribution to discussion (18 Jan), Word (23 kb) or pdf (9 kb)

Sheil, D. et al. 2002, Exploring biological diversity, environment and local people's perspectives in forest landscapes. Methods for a multidisciplinary landscape assessment. Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Jakarta, Indonesia, available as pdf in English (2.4 Mb)

Thomson, A. J., Elicitation and representation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, for use in forest management, reprinted form Computers and electronics in agriculture, Vol 27, pp 155-165, copyright (2000) with permission from Elsevier, pdf (1.8 Mb), http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01681699

Thomson, A. J., Knowledge elicitation tools for use in a virtual adaptive environmental management workshop, reprinted form Computers and electronics in agriculture, Vol 27, pp 57-70, copyright (2000) with permission from Elsevier, pdf (1.7 Mb), http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01681699

Turner, N. J., Ethnobotany: Future Directions for the New Millennium, Word (45 kb) or pdf (19 kb)
By courtesy of MASA (Manitoba Anthropology Students' Association) http://geocities.com/masa_2003_2004/

Utkarsh, G., N. V. Joshi, M. Gadgil, On assessing the tree diversity of Western Ghats, Word (101 kb) or pdf (32 kb)

Widmann, P., Dr Hem Sagar Baral (BCN), Dr Mark Eaton (RSPB), Nepal Development of Participatory Biodiversity Monitoring Concept and Methodology, October 2003, Churia Forest Development Project, PN 2001.2173.1, (pdf, 751 kb)