Social–ecological memory and responses to biodiversity changein a Bribri Community of Costa Rica

摘要

Social–ecological memory (SEM) is ananalytical construct used to consider the ways by whichpeople can draw upon biological materials and socialmemory to reorganize following a disturbance. Since itsintroduction into the literature, there have been few casesthat have considered its use. We use ethnographic methodsto study Bribri people’s commercial crops that have beeninvaded by different fungal pathogens and have undergoneseveral disturbance recovery cycles. We show how theBribri have used social memory and ecological memorytogether, dynamic interactions of legacies and reservoirs,and the role of mobile links for reorganization followingthe impact of fungal diseases. Insights from the Bribriindicate that protection of biodiversity, managementpractices, and adoption of new species and varieties areall crucial. The SEM concept extends the understanding ofIndigenous knowledge, to include linkages to otherpeoples’ memory and to landscapes as reservoirs ofSEM. An understanding of how people use SEM torespond to disturbances is necessary as biodiversitychanges are expected to become more pronounced in thefuture.