Abstract ID: 3.13812 | Accepted as Talk | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

Since the dawn of humanity, the natural world has played a crucial role for people to sustain their livelihoods, and predict a wide variety of changes. As a result, knowledge of wildlife species has also evolved in different landscapes shaped by local conditions. A comparative study of this knowledge can offer valuable insight to identify common experiences and coping mechanisms across different landscapes.
Our studies were carried out among Hungarian peasants practicing traditional farming in the Eastern Carpathians (Romania) and transhumant Mongolian pastoralists (Mörön region). Although the two landscapes share many similarities in morphology (a mosaic of mountainous pine forests and grasslands), their cultural and economic characteristics are sharply different. We conducted in-depth, structured and semi-structured interviews with the most knowledgeable local people, focusing on positive or negative impacts, perceived or real indicative characteristics of wildlife species, mainly affecting traditional agriculture.
In Romania and Mongolia, a total of 238 and 184 wildlife species were recorded, respectively. However, only a small fraction of these species were associated with detailed knowledge of the impacts and relationships that influence management. In both regions, a significant proportion of species are associated with weather prediction. While in Mongolia, dzud (severe winter conditions) is the main weather risk predicted, in Romania also the main weather risks, rain and harshness of winter, are the main predicted aspects. In Mongolia, most perceived or actual impacts are related to mammals, while in Romania they are predominantly associated with amphibians. Interestingly, some smaller, distinct species that occupy similar ecological niches have surprisingly identical descriptions and assessments, such as dragonflies. Taboos exist in both landscapes for some species to prevent fire or the destruction of domestic animals. The influence of mythical species appears in both landscapes, but only to a minor extent.
This survey confirmed that individuals with a high level of traditional ecological knowledge, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, sometimes share surprisingly similar attitudes toward agriculturally similar species. At the same time, local key threat factors have proven to be the most important determinant of the perceived or real impacts and predictions of locally known species.