Role of Traditional Knowledge in Forest Resources Conservation in Ethnic Areas: A Case Study on Xiaohuang Village in Congjiang County, Guizhou Province
传统知识在民族地区森林资源保护中的作用——以贵州省从江县小黄村为例

The authors chose Xiaohuang, a Dong people community located in Congjiang County, Guizhou Province, as a sample-village. Based on analysis of data from the forestry sector and survey, three village-level forest maps of different periods over the past 60 years were made by the local public through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). Quantitative analysis of these maps unravels changes in forest resources from the forest area, and forest species composition and age structure. Results show that: 1) before the 1950s, the forest coverage rate was 89.1%, occupying most of the land in Xiaohuang village. Fengshui wood, water resource conservation forests, fire woods, and distant primeval forest were four major forest types with a large amount of trees over 100 years old. 2) Compared to the 1950s, the area of woodland decreased significantly. Woodland, the most land use of Xiaohuang, turned out to be wasteland between 1958 and the middle 1980s, with old trees rarely existing. 3) After the later 1980s, the wood area progressively increased and the forest coverage rate recovered to 70.03% in 2007. Current forests consist of shelterbelt wood, timber stands forest, economic forests, and firewood forests, while old trees have been replaced by those below 30 years old. Meanwhile, by literature review, field survey, key informant interview, field survey, and the method of weighted average index analysis, major driving factors affecting the forest changes were identified and sorted. The government policy is the factor of primary importance. Dong customary law, religious and traditional knowledge of forest practices is of secondary importance. The traditional ecological knowledge system, which had conducted an abstentious way of forest resources use, has been effective in ensuring the stability and longevity of the agriculture and forestry ecological system. Results of this study also show that the traditional knowledge has a close connection with forest changes. Local worship of old trees and custom of reservation of Fengshui forest and water source woodland played a significant role in forest resources protection, utilization, and management. Under general circumstances, the forest resources that are well protected and developed always mean that the role of traditional knowledge has been fully made use of. But when serious damages in forest resources happen, the role of traditional knowledge is often limited. Therefore, it is necessary to value the traditional ecological knowledge, and further study and evaluation should be conducted in order to balance development and environmental protection.