Biosocial Conservation: Integrating Biological and Ethnographic Methods to Study Human-Primate Interactions

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Human-Wildlife Interactions
• Biosocial Research

Background:

• Biodiversity conservation faces challenges requiring interdisciplinary approaches.
• Traditional wildlife biology often overlooks crucial social, cultural, and political factors.
• Barriers exist due to knowledge hierarchies and the dominance of natural sciences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the value of integrating biological and ethnographic methods in conservation.
• To explore how a biosocial approach can address complex human-wildlife coexistence challenges.
• To showcase successful interdisciplinary case studies in conservation.

Main Methods:

• Review of three distinct conservation projects integrating biological and ethnographic research.
• Project 1: Gabon - Assessing wildlife crop foraging impacts using biological and ethnographic data.
• Project 2: Central African Republic - Evaluating great ape tourism risks and motivations.
• Project 3: Morocco - Co-producing ecological knowledge with local shepherds regarding primates.

Main Results:

• Gabon: Identified crop loss extent, responsible species, and social vulnerability.
• Central African Republic: Revealed risks of gorilla tourism to gorillas and motivations for proximity.
• Morocco: Demonstrated how co-production of knowledge with shepherds improved primate attitudes.
• Integrated biosocial approaches yielded insights unattainable through single-discipline methods.

Conclusions:

• Integrating biological and social science methods (biosocial approach) enhances understanding of human-wildlife interactions.
• This interdisciplinary framework is essential for effective and sustainable biodiversity conservation.
• Overcoming academic boundaries and valuing diverse knowledge systems are critical for conservation success.