Edible Biological Resource Use in an Agricultural Heritage System and Its Driving Forces: A Case of the Shuangjiang Mengku Ancient Tea and Culture System

Nan Ma, Siyuan He and Qingwen Min
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Nan Ma: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Siyuan He: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Qingwen Min: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 18, 1-23

Abstract: An agricultural heritage system is a special type of protected area that is both culturally and ecologically important. Biological resources are an essential component of an agricultural heritage system. They are necessary to support human livelihood, and their usage is key to ensuring biodiversity. This study used a survey questionnaire and key informant interviews to investigate the use of edible biological resources (EBRs) in the Shuangjiang Mengku ancient tea and culture system (SMATCS). We investigated similarities and differences in EBR use between four minority groups as well as the driving forces behind them. The four groups used 245 EBR species in 113 families, and diversity of EBR use was found in terms of species, edible parts, harvest season, and usage. EBR use within groups was driven by natural, cultural, social, and economic forces. Two social factors (infrastructure and communication), two economic factors (overall economic development and farmer income), and a biological resource (species diversity) drove EBR utilization in all the groups convergently, while three cultural factors drove EBR utilization divergently. To assure the long-term sustainability of EBRs, the preservation of cultural diversity should be combined with the conservation of biodiversity. Targets must be set to adjust the impacts of the driving factors, and more stakeholders must be involved in the conservation of EBRs.

Keywords: agricultural heritage systems; edible biological resources (EBRs); resource conservation area; resources use; driving forces; Shuangjiang Mengku ancient tea and culture system (SMATCS); China–NIAHS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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