Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Dynamics of Biocultural Approaches to Conservation in Inner Mongolia, China

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover From Biocultural Homogenization to Biocultural Conservation

Part of the book series: Ecology and Ethics ((ECET,volume 3))

Abstract

Biocultural approaches to conservation aim to provide ethically sound and effective mechanisms for confronting widespread cultural and biological homogenization. Here we use eight principles of biocultural approaches to conservation as an analytical framework to examine potential drivers of biological and sociocultural change in Inner Mongolia, China. We present two case studies to examine how national-level policy changes from the 1960s to early 2000s have either increased or decreased adherence to principles of biocultural conservation, as well as the subsequent impacts on social-ecological conditions in Inner Mongolia. We find that greater adherence to principles of biocultural conservation may be linked to potential increases in positive social and ecological outcomes. Our analysis also emphasizes that even long-standing trends in resource management institutions and their social and ecological implications can be reversed in relatively short time spans given the proper enabling conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The Man Tzu originated in the twelfth century. It is the third largest ethnic minority group in China and is found in 31 provinces and regions throughout the country. More than 100,000 Man Tzu residents live in Inner Mongolia.

References

  • Ao RQ (2003) The changing and bring forth new ideas of the property in grassland [in Chinese]. Inn Mong Soc Sci 4:24–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Ao RQ (2005) Institutional change and pastoral civilisation [in Chinese]. Inner Mongolia People’s Press, Huhehaote

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedunah D, Schmidt SM (2004) Pastoralism and protected area management in Mongolia’s Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. Dev Chang 35(1):167–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berkes F (2009) Evolution of co-management: role of knowledge generation, bridging organizations and social learning. J Environ Manag 90(5):1692–1702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao JJ, Xiong YC, Sun J, Xiong WF, Du GZ (2011) Differential benefits of multi-and single-household grassland management patterns in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of China. Hum Ecol 39:217–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Croquant (2007) The location of Hohhot Prefecture within Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Wikipedia Open Source. Retrieved on 6th September, 2010 via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Location_of_Hohhot_Prefecture_within_Inner_Mongolia_(China).png

  • Da LT (2003) A study of the non-equilibrium ecosystem in Inner Mongolia grassland [in Chinese]. Friends Nat 3:34–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Da LT (2008) The effects of institutional and policy changes to grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia [in Chinese]. In: Zheng YS (ed) A review of the environment and development in China. Social Science Academy Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Da LT, Si H (2006) The causes of desertification in Inner Mongolia [in Chinese]. Paper presented to the Friends of Nature Forum. Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson-Hunt IJ, Turner KL, Mead ATP, Cabrera-Lopez J, Bolton R, Idrobo CJ … Robson JP (2012) Biocultural design: a new conceptual framework for sustainable development in rural indigenous and local vommunities. S.A.P.I.EN.S. Surveys and Perspectives Integrating Environment and Society, (5.2). Retrieved from http://sapiens.revues.org/1382

  • Gavin M, McCarter J, Mead A, Berkes F, Stepp JR, Peterson D, Tang R (2015) Defining biocultural approaches to conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 30(3):140–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gavin MC, McCarter J, Berkes F, Mead ATP, Sterling EJ, Tang R, Turner NJ (2018) Effective eiodiversity conservation requires dynamic, pluralistic, partnership-based approaches. Sustainability 10(6):1846

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo QS, Tan DY, Wang CL, Shi ZM, Ma C (2005a) Effects of Cistanche deserticola inoculation on undergrowth vegetation of natural Haloxylon ammodendron forest [in Chinese]. Ecology 8:15–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo QS, Wang CL, Guo ZH, Tan DY, Shi ZM (2005b) Geographic distribution of existing Haloxylon desert vegetation and its patch character in China [in Chinese]. For Sci 5:23–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu JT (2005) Public speech at the five-year anniversary of the great western development strategy by Hu Jintao [in Chinese]. Accessed on 17th September 2018 via http://www.gov.cn/ldhd/2005-02/05/content_9525.htm

  • Huang PX (2002) Excused irrigation vegetation and its restoration in arid area [in Chinese]. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • IMARFA (Inner Mongolia Autonomy Region Forestry Administration) (2016) The report of preventing desertification in Inner Mongolia [in Chinese]. Accessed on 17th Mar 2017 via http://www.nmglyt.gov.cn/xxgk/xwzx/lyyw/201612/t20161212_120771.html

  • International Society of Ethnobiology (2006) The ISE code of ethics. Retrieved on March 17th, 2010 via http://www.ethnobiology.net/what-we-do/core-programs/ise-ethics-program/code-of-ethics/

  • Jiang GM, Han XG, Wu JG (2006) Restoration and management of the Inner Mongolia grassland require a sustainable strategy. AMBIO J Hum Environ 35(5):269–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Dietz T, Carpenter SR, Alberti M, Folke C, Moran E et al (2007) Complexity of coupled human and natural systems. Science 317(5844):1513–1516

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mead ATP (2013) Sharing power: Māori and protected areas. In: Katene S, Mulholland M (eds) Governance and leadership in future challenges for Māori: He Kōrero Anamata. Huia Publishers, Wellington, pp 195–204

    Google Scholar 

  • North DC (1991) Institutions. J Econ Perspect 5(1):97–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom E (2010) Polycentric systems for coping with collective action and global environmental change. Glob Environ Chang Hum Pol Dimens 20(4):550–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng H, Xu ZF (1996) The threatened wild plants used for medicine as Chinese medicinal herbs [in Chinese]. In: McKinnon J, Sung W (eds) Conserving China’s biodiversity. Environmental Science Press, Beijing, pp 175–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed MS (2008) Stakeholder participation for environmental management: a literature review. Biol Conserv 141(10):2417–2431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozzi R (2007) Future environmental philosophies and their biocultural conservation interfaces. Ethics Environ 12(2):142–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozzi R (2013) Biocultural ethics: from biocultural homogenization toward biocultural conservation. In: Rozzi R, Pickett STA, Palmer C, Armesto JJ, Callicott JB (eds) Linking ecology and ethics for a changing world, Ecology and ethics, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 9–32 

    Google Scholar 

  • SEE (Alashan SEE Ecological Association) (2005) The annual report of ecological protection projects, 2004–2005 [in Chinese]

    Google Scholar 

  • SEE (Alashan SEE Ecological Association) (2015) The saxaul project [in Chinese]. Retrived on 5th March 2017 via http://www.see.org.cn/Foundation/Article/Detail/3

  • Sheng Y, Zheng WH, Pei KQ, Ma KP (2005) Genetic variation within and among populations of a dominant desert tree Haloxylon ammodendron in China. Ann Bot 96(2):245–252

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss A, Corbin J (1990) Basis of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage, Los Angeles

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang R (2007) Linking traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable resource management of saxaul in the Alashan region, Inner Mongolia of China. Master thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang R (2013) An analysis of traditional ecological knowledge and its conservation options. PhD thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang R, Gavin M (2010) Traditional ecological knowledge informing resource management: saxaul conservation in Inner Mongolia, China. Soc Nat Resour 23(1):193–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang R, Gavin M (2015) Degradation and re-emergence of the commons: the impacts of government policies on traditional resource management institutions in China. Environ Sci Pol 52:89–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The National Bureau of Statistics China (2010) The statistical report of economy and development in Inner Mongolia, 2009 [in Chinese]. Accessed on 7th May 2010 via http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjgb/ndtjgb/dfndtjgb/t20100302_402625748.htm

  • Wang XY (2009) Pastoral communities under environmental pressure: case studies of six villages in Inner Mongolia. [in Chinese]. Social Sciences Academy Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams DM (2000) Representations of nature on the Mongolian steppe: an investigation of scientific knowledge construction. Am Anthropol 102(3):503–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams DM (2002) Beyond great walls – environment, identity and development on the Chinese grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Stanford University Press, Stanford

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao RW (2008) Reflection on the economic reform of China in the past thirty years [in Chinese]. Contemp Financ Econ 9:11–17

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEESP (Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy), IUCN, Wellington, New Zealand

    Ruifei Tang

  2. Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Michael C. Gavin

  3. Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

    Michael C. Gavin

Authors
  1. Ruifei Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael C. Gavin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy and Religion and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Ricardo Rozzi

  2. Departamento Ecuménico de Investigaciones, San José, Costa Rica

    Roy H. May Jr.

  3. Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    F. Stuart Chapin III

  4. Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Puerto Williams, Chile

    Francisca Massardo

  5. Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Michael C. Gavin

  6. Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Irene J. Klaver

  7. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile

    Aníbal Pauchard

  8. Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina

    Martin A. Nuñez

  9. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Daniel Simberloff

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Tang, R., Gavin, M.C. (2018). The Dynamics of Biocultural Approaches to Conservation in Inner Mongolia, China. In: Rozzi, R., et al. From Biocultural Homogenization to Biocultural Conservation. Ecology and Ethics, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99513-7_26

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation