By Nicholas Lawrence

Introduction  Big facet of sustainability is sustainable resource use  This can’t be done without understanding environmental dynamics/ using ecological thinking  Having ecological knowledge of the environment leads to a better understanding of the environmental dynamics and how to best work within the system.

The Study  Original Article: Olsson, Per, and Folke Carl. “Local Ecological Knowledge and Institutional Dynamics for Ecosystem Management: A Study of Lake Racken Watershed, Sweden.” Ecosystems 4 (2001): 85–104. Print.  Crayfish management in Lake Racken, Sweden  They set out to show the existence of LEK (local ecological knowledge) and it’s importance in ecosystem management

Lake Racken, Sweden

Background  Crayfish are largely enjoyed in Sweden  The catching and eating of crayfish has a large cultural aspect  Crayfish plagued reduced native populations by 95%  Acid rain also threatens crayfish populations

Crayfish

Methods  Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used  73 questionnaires sent to households with fishing rights  In depth qualitative interviews with 10 key informants  Participant observation through public meetings, informal meetings and newspapers

Results (Organization Levels)

Ecological Principles  Time: long scale and short scale  Place: local climate and geographic traits  Species: local species and their interactions  Disturbance: type of disturbance, severity and duration  Landscape: local landscapes influence local populations and communities

Results (Ecological Principles)

Significance  Local ecological knowledge exists and is combined with scientific knowledge  Ecosystem was monitored at different levels  Comanagement played a key role in enabling the inhabitants to react to disturbances

Conclusion  Local ecological knowledge (LEK) was found at different scales within the community  LEK alone doesn’t imply sustainable management, the nature of that LEK is important and institutional arrangements have to exist to make it work  Lake Racken could benefit from “adaptive comanagement systems—that is, flexible community-based systems of resource management tailored to specific situations and supported by and working in collaboration with concerned governmental agencies, educational institutions, and where appropriate nongovernmental organizations.”

Questions?