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Diversity
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Biodiversity and Human-Environment Interactions
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Biodiversity and Human-Environment Interactions

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2022) | Viewed by 11842

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kowiyou Yessoufou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Environmental Management, and Energy Studies, APK Campus, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
Interests: plant ecology; biodiversity and conservation; invasion ecology; ethnobotany; environmental management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mounting evidence is now pointing to an ongoing sixth mass extinction or biodiversity crisis. This crisis differs from the previous ones by its main cause: anthropogenic versus natural events (the Anthropocene era). The overwhelming signature of humans on the ongoing biodiversity crisis suggests that if we understand and are able to predict human interactions with the environment, we could achieve a great step towards curbing, controlling, or preventing destructive anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity or at least using this understanding to inform policy. Given that the survival of the human species itself depends on how well biodiversity and the environment are preserved (due to the tremendous ecosystem goods and services humans rely on), there is a need for a continued commitment to investigate human–environment interactions.

Studies that fall within the scope of human ecology, ecological anthropology, and ethnobiology (including ethnoecology, ethnobotany and ethnozoology, ethnopharmacology, etc.) investigate these interactions. However, some of these studies are heavily descriptive, making hot debates around hypotheses and theories in these fields less frequent, prompting some to even question if these disciplines have unifying theories.

The present Special Issue provides an exciting opportunity to share your recent research on theory-inspired studies on various aspects of human–biodiversity interactions, including how biodiversity responds to the anthropogenic disturbance. The key aspects of this Special Issue are twofold. First, human aspects—either as the drivers (direct or indirect) of disturbances to biodiversity or as the beneficiary of biodiversity functions (ecosystem goods and services)—must be clearly highlighted. Second, studies must rely on clearly formulated hypotheses or theories that can be used to fuel discussions in the field (purely descriptive studies are less likely to be accepted).

Diversity’s team and the Guest Editor kindly invite you to submit a manuscript focused on any of the above topics. Some of these studies or reviews may focus on human selection and the use of native biodiversity (plants, animals, fungi, etc.); the selection, use, and integration of non-native plants into local pharmacopoeias; plant harvest ecology; the responses of biodiversity to anthropogenic pressures; and conservation efforts of biodiversity at any scale (country level or beyond); including policy aspects of biodiversity conservation, etc. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Prof. Dr. Kowiyou Yessoufou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Anthropocene
  • Biodiversity and conservation
  • Biodiversity crisis
  • Ecosystem good services
  • Hypotheses and theories
  • Human ecology
  • Ecological anthropology
  • Ethnobiology
  • Ethnopharmacology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1727 KiB  
Article
What Does It Take to Further Our Knowledge of Plant Diversity in the Megadiverse South Africa?
by Mashudu Patience Mamathaba, Kowiyou Yessoufou and Annah Moteetee
Diversity 2022, 14(9), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090748 - 11 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2095
Abstract
In the context of biodiversity crisis, targeted efforts are required to accelerate the discovery and description of the still-unknown species. In the present study, we collected data on current knowledge of plant richness in South Africa and used a statistical modeling technique to [...] Read more.
In the context of biodiversity crisis, targeted efforts are required to accelerate the discovery and description of the still-unknown species. In the present study, we collected data on current knowledge of plant richness in South Africa and used a statistical modeling technique to predict what might still be missing in the country. We found that we might be missing 1400–1575 plant species, and it might take 40–45 years to identify and describe these species aided by 64–315 taxonomists. Surveyed taxonomists spent USD 95,559, on average, to describe one species. At this rate, USD 150,506,142 would be required to describe the 1575 species (modeling) or USD 133,783,237 for the 1400 remaining species (expert opinion). However, these estimates do not correspond to what is specifically required for only species description but does integrate connected activities, e.g., running cost, bursary, salaries, grants, etc. Furthermore, these estimates do not account for the possibility of taxonomic revision, which, on its own, needs to be funded, nor do they account for molecular laboratory requirement. Nevertheless, if we consider that 15% of the predicted funds are solely spent on taxonomic activities, we would need ~USD 14,334 on one species. Overall, our study provides figures that can inform attempts to fuel efforts toward a comprehensive assessment of the unique South Africa’s biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Human-Environment Interactions)
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10 pages, 1294 KiB  
Article
The Test of the Availability Hypothesis Reveals the Needs for Ex-Situ Conservation for Some Protected Area-Restricted Species
by Kowiyou Yessoufou, Isidore Muleba and Isaac T. Rampedi
Diversity 2022, 14(8), 693; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080693 - 22 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
In ethnobotany, the availability hypothesis predicts that plants that are abundant and easily accessible to people are more likely to be medicinal than not. By protecting species diversity away from people, protected areas (PAs) may act as a limiting factor to a sustainable [...] Read more.
In ethnobotany, the availability hypothesis predicts that plants that are abundant and easily accessible to people are more likely to be medicinal than not. By protecting species diversity away from people, protected areas (PAs) may act as a limiting factor to a sustainable development of traditional knowledge concerning medicinal uses, and in so doing, PAs provide opportunity to prioritize ex-situ conservation for species that are PAs-restricted. In this scenario, ex-situ conservation becomes the only chance for people to develop traditional knowledge on plants which otherwise wouldn’t be documented as traditionally useful to people. To test these expectations, we used data collected for almost 20 years of fieldworks on plant medicinal uses and their abundance inside and outside the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. We fitted four different scenarios of structural equation models (SEMs) to the data collected. We found that total plant abundance (abundance outside + inside KNP) is a significant positive predictor of medicinal status, and so is abundance outside KNP, thus supporting the availability hypothesis. However, not only is abundance inside KNP not a direct significant correlate of medicinal status, but the relationship between both is also negative. The lack of predictive power of inside-abundance is most likely because some species are exclusively found inside KNP and local communities do not have access to them. It also shows that the positive and direct correlation of total abundance with medicinal status is driven by outside-abundance. In addition, the negative relationships between inside abundance and medicinal status implies that abundant plants inside KNP tend to be not-medicinal, further providing evidence that PAs hinder the development of medicinal knowledge. Furthermore, when inside and outside abundance were included simultaneously in one metamodel as two distinct variables, inside abundance was never a direct significant predictor of medicinal status, but it was so, via an indirect path mediated by outside abundance. This suggests that outside abundance is the key variable driving the development of medicinal plant knowledge. Cumulatively, our findings suggest that anything that favors the establishment of PA-restricted plants outside the naturally realized niches of these plants (ex-situ conservation), such as in botanical gardens, private gardens, in agroforestry systems, etc., is to be promoted so that people-plant interactions may continue for the benefits of ethnobotanical knowledge development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Human-Environment Interactions)
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21 pages, 2604 KiB  
Article
Traditional Food and Medicine: Ethno-Traditional Usage of Fish Fauna across the Valley of Kashmir: A Western Himalayan Region
by Musheerul Hassan, Shiekh Marifatul Haq, Muhammad Majeed, Muhammad Umair, Hakim Ali Sahito, Madeeha Shirani, Muhammad Waheed, Robina Aziz, Riyaz Ahmad, Rainer W. Bussmann, Abed Alataway, Ahmed Z. Dewidar, Tarek K. Zin El-Abedin, Mohamed Al-Yafrsi, Hosam O. Elansary and Kowiyou Yessoufou
Diversity 2022, 14(6), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14060455 - 6 Jun 2022
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3937
Abstract
People have traditionally relied on fish to supply their major food and healthcare needs all across the world. However, there has been little focus on the traditional dietary, cultural identity, and integrity of traditional food systems in many rural Himalayan populations. The current [...] Read more.
People have traditionally relied on fish to supply their major food and healthcare needs all across the world. However, there has been little focus on the traditional dietary, cultural identity, and integrity of traditional food systems in many rural Himalayan populations. The current study looks into the use of fish in traditional food and foraging practices, as well as its role in local traditional medicine and cultural practices. Semi-structured interviews and group discussions were used to collect data in the years 2020–2021. The data were analyzed using various statistical indices such as the fidelity level (FL), rank order priority (ROP), and relative popularity level (RPL). The data were then classified through a heat map, and ordination techniques were used to refine them even further. The current study identified 20 fish species of five families, with Cyprinidae (70%) as the dominant family. Three unique traditional fish preservation techniques were documented, namely: (1) smoking, (2) sun drying, and (3) pickling. The smoked fish are locally called fari, sun-dried fish are known as hugaad, and pickled fish are gaad anchaar. As a result of rapid modernization, fish has become a symbol of social class in the valley. In total, 17 diseases were identified, with joint pain being treated by the greatest number of species (N = 10). Flesh (43%) was the most commonly used part to treat various diseases. The mode of application of various fishbody parts for treating a variety of diseases was most commonly peroral (65%), followed by topical (35%). Schizopyge niger demonstrated the highest level of fidelity (82%) for joint pain. Schizopygeniger, Schizothorax curvifrons, Catla catla, Schizothorax esocinus, Schizothorax labiatus, and Schizothorax plagiostomus were the most popular (relative popularity level = 1.0). The rank order priority of six species was above 55 (Schizothorax plagiostomus (59.18), Labeo dyocheilus (61.99) Schizothorax labiatus (64.28), Schizothorax esocinus (68.36), Schizothorax curvifrons (73.19), and Schizopyge niger (82)). Two principal groups of six ethno-zoological categories (medicine, food, black magic, poultry, agricultural, and recreational) were identified using cluster analysis. Fish are also important as a source of livelihood and are closely associated with a local ethnic group known as Hanji/Haanz, who have extensive knowledge of ecology of the local fish species. Our research will contribute to filling a knowledge gap in the Kashmir Himalayan region, with policy implications for the protection and preservation of high-quality traditional knowledge for future generations. The findings of this documentation study can be used as an ethnopharmacological foundation for selecting fish in future pharmaceutical research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Human-Environment Interactions)
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11 pages, 1759 KiB  
Article
Time, Mediated through Plant Versatility, Is a Better Predictor of Medicinal Status of Alien Plants
by Kowiyou Yessoufou, Annie Estelle Ambani, Hosam O. Elansary, Ahmed M. El-Sabrout and Shadi Shokralla
Diversity 2022, 14(4), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14040286 - 11 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2536
Abstract
Ethnobotany has been, for too long, a descriptive discipline. However, ethnobotanists are increasingly calling for a paradigm shift towards the formulation of unifying theories and hypothesis-driven research in ethnobotany. Here, we formulated a theory, termed time-since-introduction theory, to explain the integration of [...] Read more.
Ethnobotany has been, for too long, a descriptive discipline. However, ethnobotanists are increasingly calling for a paradigm shift towards the formulation of unifying theories and hypothesis-driven research in ethnobotany. Here, we formulated a theory, termed time-since-introduction theory, to explain the integration of alien plants into local pharmacopoeias in their recipient environment. This theory suggests that the factor time is paramount in determining which alien plants are more likely to be included in the medicinal flora of the areas they are introduced in. The theory relies on three hypotheses, the availability and versatility hypotheses alongside the residence time hypothesis newly proposed in the present study. We tested this theory by fitting a structural equation model to ethnobotanical data collected on South Africa’s alien woody flora. Although residence time is a direct predictor of the medicinal status of alien plants, it is a better predictor when mediated through plant versatility. These findings are in support of the theory, and we consequently proposed a framework that can be used to understand different paths linking all three hypotheses. Collectively, our study shows the value of time in the development of ethnobotanical knowledge and fully responds to the pressing call for a paradigm shift in ethnobotany. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Human-Environment Interactions)
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