During the past decade the relationship between biodiversity and human diversity has received increased attention, resulting in the identification of what the Declaration of Belém calls an ‘inextricable link’ between biological and cultural diversity. Although the term biocultural diversity, introduced to denote this link, is being used increasingly, there has been little critical reflection on what it precisely refers to. I argue that it is used with particular reference to ‘indigenous traditional’ people, but that there is scope for extending its application within biocultural discourse. I therefore review the concept of culture and discuss what constitutes cultural values of the natural environment. I conclude that the concept of culture must be understood as involving a dynamic process of transcultural exchange and constant re-articulations of tradition resulting in the persistence of certain cultural practices. This approach ultimately reveals that the concept of biocultural diversity is also applicable to non-indigenous traditional communities.
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Notes
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These values have been converted at exchange rate of $1=R6.07, January 2005.
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The term wild plants has been used to distinguish between wild and domesticated species and not to suggest that the landscapes where they occur are virgin land or unaffected by human influence or tenure (Cunningham, 2001, p. 9). The term wild resources includes NTFPs, animals, insects, and marine species as well as vegetation units such as sacred forests, etc.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable assistance Dr K.F. Wiersum provided on the preparation of this manuscript. Dr G. Persoon, Prof. R.C.G. Palmer, Mr T. Dold, Prof. C. Shackleton, and Mr M. Greenland are also thanked for comments on earlier drafts. Thanks are also extended to three anonymous referees for their useful comments. Funding to carry out this review was provided by the IFS (International Foundation of Science).
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Cocks, M. Biocultural Diversity: Moving Beyond the Realm of ‘Indigenous’ and ‘Local’ People. Hum Ecol 34, 185–200 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-006-9013-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-006-9013-5