Assessing multiple benefits of people-centered biocultural restoration

Abstract

Restoration is currently among the most important tools for conserving biodiversity, but participation in restoration by local communities in its planning and design must be improved. We devised a people-centered biocultural approach to restoration that combines Indigenous local knowledge and scientific methods to select species for restoration such that human welfare and biodiversity conservation are considered. We applied the approach to the Caatinga dry forest, for which we simulated agroforestry productive systems based on plant species previously selected by locals for use in restoration, given their importance for water, energy, and food security. We compared functional diversity in the simulated systems with functional diversity in natural systems. Common native and some non-native species with low invasive potential dominated the average productive system. These species had functional diversity similar to that of natural vegetation but had a slightly different functional profile. Simulated systems were dominated by plant species with more acquisitive functional strategies than native flora. The adoption of our biocultural approach to restoration programs in the region illustrates the importance of local participation; local selection of species for restoration had little effect on ecosystem functional diversity. Our framework can be readily adapted to various contexts for evaluating cultural preferences and the ecological efficacy of biocultural restoration initiatives globally.