Confronting Forest-Dweller Local Ecological Knowledge and eDNA Measurements of Biodiversity

1- In the face of global changes and the biodiversity crisis, Local Ecological Knowledge of Indigenous communities is increasingly valued for aligning conservation policies with the needs of local communities and enriching conservation strategies through the synergy of diverse knowledge systems.2-To assess whether conservation policies relying on biodiversity metrics integrate the interconnectedness between nature and Indigenous communities, we evaluated the congruence between standardised biodiversity measurements obtained through environmental eDNA (eDNA) and Indigenous Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK).3- We selected 19 sampling sites along the upper Oyapock River in French Guiana. We collected eDNA from the water to inventory fish and game species, and we conducted biodiversity perception surveys with anglers and hunters from the Wayãpi Indigenous group to collect LEK associated with each site.4- Across the studied area, Wayãpi LEK presented different pictures of biodiversity compared to standardised biodiversity assessments. This comparative analysis demonstrates that Wayãpi LEK not only reflects species distribution but also encompasses diverse place-based obligations and relationships.5- This underscores the need to integrate LEK into conservation policies to promote equitable and sustainable environmental decision-making. This can be achieved by encouraging participatory processes that incorporate diverse knowledge systems, enabling the identification of local conservation challenges and the determination of the most suitable compromises.

1- 面对全球变化与生物多样性危机，原住民社区的本土生态知识（Local Ecological Knowledge，LEK）愈发受到重视。该知识可通过多元知识体系的协同增效，使保护政策契合地方社区的实际需求，同时丰富保护策略的内涵。2- 为评估以生物多样性指标为基础的保护政策是否兼顾了自然与原住民社区之间的内在关联，本研究对比了通过环境DNA（environmental DNA, eDNA）获取的标准化生物多样性实测数据，与原住民本土生态知识（LEK）之间的契合度。3- 研究团队在法属圭亚那的奥亚波克河上游选取了19个采样点位：通过采集水样获取环境DNA（eDNA）以清点鱼类与猎用物种；同时与瓦亚皮（Wayãpi）原住民群体的垂钓者与猎人开展生物多样性认知调研，收集各采样点对应的本土生态知识。4- 在本次研究覆盖的区域内，瓦亚皮族的本土生态知识所呈现的生物多样性图景，与标准化生物多样性评估结果存在显著差异。本次对比分析表明，瓦亚皮族的本土生态知识不仅能够反映物种分布情况，更涵盖了基于特定地域的多元义务与社会关系。5- 这一研究结果凸显了将本土生态知识纳入保护政策的必要性，以推动公平且可持续的环境决策。而通过鼓励构建纳入多元知识体系的参与式流程，便可识别地方层面的保护挑战，并确定最适宜的折中方案，从而实现上述目标。