The importance of conserving and maintaining biodiversity is a fundamental element of a healthy ecosystem and a common tenet of many knowledge systems, such as those of the circumpolar Arctic Indigenous Peoples (Gadgil, Berkes, & Folke, 1993). Although the various knowledge systems include different terms to describe the elements of biodiversity (Posey, 1999), the essential and shared components of the biodiversity concept include and require ecosystem function to be resilient if ecosystem services are to be maintained (CAFF, 2002, 2013; Reid et al., 2005). The concept that all species are connected through food webs and, in turn, are influenced by environmental forces is well-understood by harvest-based Indigenous communities around the globe (Gadgil et al., 1993; Merculieff et al., 2017; Mustonen & Ford, 2013). Despite the importance of freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services to Arctic Indigenous communities, there have been limited attempts to summarise Indigenous Knowledge (IK) regarding Arctic freshwater systems and understand how monitoring and conservation can benefit from such knowledge.
Systematic review of documented indigenous knowledge of freshwater biodiversity in the circumpolar Arctic
Year: 2020
