On knowing what trees to plant: local and expert perspectives in the Western Ghats of Karnataka

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Abstract

This paper investigates the ways in which different groups of people arrive at decisions regarding what tree species to plant. Data is drawn from a case study of afforestation that is taking place under the policy of Joint Forest Planning and Management in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. Whilst there is a clear disparity between villager and Forest Department preferences, this difference is not simply a case of Forest Department ‘science’ pitted against villagers’ ‘local knowledge’. On the one hand, both villagers and the Forest Department employ empirical evidence to inform their preferences; on the other hand, decision making goes beyond this, being influenced by a range of institutional and cultural issues. This paper identifies obstacles to a complementary working relationship between local and expert knowledge and considers the resulting management implications.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)57-69
Number of pages13
JournalGeoforum
Volume34
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2003

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