Vegetation change threatens the sustainability of cultural keystone species and traditional ecological knowledge in a social-ecological system.

ABSTRACT: Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and cultural practices are often closely linked to local biodiversity through keystone species. However, the long-term ecological dynamics affecting the utility of such species remain underexplored. This study combines TEK with 40 years of vegetation monitoring in a Japanese wetland to examine how ecological change affects culturally important thatch. Interviews and sample observations categorized species into four ranks, from essential to undesirable for thatching. This index was then applied to analyze long-term vegetation monitoring data. Conventional indices such as species richness and the Shannon-Weaver index showed no clear trends, while NMDS detected shifts in species composition. However, these shifts were not directly linked to cultural usef

SUBMITTER: Takahashi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12623805 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature