Anti-TEK monoclonal antibody, clone UFL5 Functional Grade

Traditional and local ecological knowledge (TEK/LEK) are important sources of information for wildlife conservation. However, there are often limitations and biases in the TEK/LEK methods used. In this study, we examined and implemented strategies to address the limitations and biases we identified while analyzing the mapped observations collected from 27 interviews as part of a larger project on walruses in Nunavik (Canadian Arctic). Our main objectives were to: (1) examine the importance of recording participants' temporal and spatial limits of observations; (2) identify the factors influencing the quantity and diversity of mapped observations; (3) study the importance of documenting approximate numbers of animals observed; (4) examine the importance of gathering and presenting data at consistent and standardized spatial scales. We found that by adding to maps the geographic limits of participants' common areas of observations, we were able to distinguish areas that hunters typically visited and did not see walruses, from areas that hunters never visited. Furthermore, we showed that the variability in the quantity of mapped observations was explained by the community of residence and average number of hunting trips per participant, but not by participant age. Finally, although careful adjustments and standardization would be needed, we showed that by having an estimate of the number of walruses observed per area drawn, it would be possible to estimate mean local abundances of walruses. We hope this careful examination of TEK/LEK methods will help to increase confidence in these datasets as a valuable source of knowledge for wildlife conservation.

Local perceptions of climate anomalies influence adaptation behaviour. Specifically, perceptions that are more accurate and homogenous at the community-level are more likely to facilitate the collective action required to adapt to the local effects of climate anomalies experienced by many indigenous communities. We combine primary data on perceptions of climate anomalies from 200 individuals in six Penan villages in Sarawak, Malaysia with instrumental climate data. We find that perceptions of climate anomalies vary substantially in terms of occurrence and magnitude, and do not generally correlate with instrumental climate data. We operationalise the Penan forest sign language (Oroo') as a measure of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and find only weak evidence of a systematic statistical association with perceptions of climate anomalies among our sampled respondents. Our findings suggest caution in advancing adaptation strategies in indigenous communities that are predominantly premised on TEK. Instead, our findings suggest that in designing adaptation measures, indigenous communities may benefit by engaging in forums where community members and external stakeholders can come together, share their perceptions and observations of climate change, and reach a collective consensus on the community-level effects of climate change and pathways towards adaptation.