Module: Rural Communities and Biodiversity Conservation

 

Readings and general questions to be addressed

 

1) What is biodiversity and what is biodiversity conservation?

 

Wilson, E.O., The Current State of Biological Diversity,  Introduction to the book “Biodiversity,” by Edward O. Wilson, Frances M. Peter, National Academies Press, 521 pp., 1988

 

Corker, B., Biodiversity and Conservation

 

 

2) How do biodiversity conservation and rural communities intersect?

 

A very brief description of community forestry programs oriented towards biodiversity conservation:  

 

Community Forestry & Biodiversity Conservation

 

People-oriented vs. protectionist-oriented conservation strategies:

 

Peter R. Wilshusen, P.R., Brechin, S.R., Fortwangler, C.L., and West, P.C., Reinventing a Square Wheel: Critique of a Resurgent``Protection Paradigm’’ in International Biodiversity Conservation, Society and Natural Resources, 15:17-40, 2002.

 

Agroforestry initiatives for promoting biodiversity conservation and enhancing rural livelihoods:

 

Kalaba, K. F.,  Chirwa, P., Syampungani, S., and Ajayi, C.O., Contribution of agroforestry to biodiversity and livelihoods improvement in rural communities of Southern African regions, T. Tscharntke et al. (eds.), Tropical Rainforests and Agroforests under Global Change, Environmental Science and Engineering, 461–476, 2010.

 

Market solutions for promoting biodiversity conservation:

 

Rosa, H., Barry, D., Kandel, S., and Dimas, L., Compensation for Environmental Services and Rural Communities: Lessons from the Americas, Workingpaper Series Number 96, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2004.

 

Discussion questions

 

We will define these questions in the Friday discussion sessions!

 

Assignment

 

Write a 3-page reflection paper that covers the discussion questions covered in the Friday discussion sessions.