Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) is fast disappearing globally but the drivers of this loss are not fully understood. We present a a case study of how even long-standing and regulated forms of LEK ...are vulnerable to erosion as market forces spread to regions which have historically been peripheral to global markets.We consider changes in knowledge and use of a cultural keystone species, totora, in the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru around Lake Titicaca. Totora has been used for a variety of purposes and historically its cultivation and planting was regulated by village co-operative councils, called
ayllus
. We argue that a significant decline in the use of totora in the Altiplano along with the disappearance of the regulatory power of
ayllus
have primarily been driven by the integration of the Altiplano into the global market system, which has led to the replacement of totora with industrially manufactured goods, such as plastics and concrete. It has also undermined social bonds as individuals rather than the ayllu become the fundamental agents of economic decision-making.
Understanding the drivers of conflict and coexistence in human–wildlife relations are critical to conservation. This study sought to understand th varying attitudes of local indigenous people towards ...wildlife, focusing on the Titicaca Grebe (Rollandia microptera), an endangered endemic species found in Lake Titicaca and surrounding waters in the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia. We used an ethnobiology approach to understand which demographic, sociocultural, and economic factors influenced (a) attitudes and local ecological knowledge (LEK) towards the grebe and (2) their effects on Indigenous–wildlife conflict or coexistence. We used a qualitative, semi-structured questionnaire to interview 221 individuals over six months in villages surrounding Lake Titicaca. Participants primarily consisted of locals from the Aymara, Quechan, and Uro Indigenous groups. We found that most individuals expressed apathy towards the grebe, with a significant minority being hostile towards it. Hostility was concentrated amongst fishers and was driven by economic concerns. Knowledge of the grebe was low in the general population, but higher amongst fishers. There was, however, widespread willingness to conserve the grebe amongst the general population, particularly when informed that the grebe is endemic to the Altiplano. This small environmental education intervention suggested increased positive attitudes and a willingness to conserve the grebe. Non-homogenous perspectives towards the grebe were held within and between indigenous groups, suggesting the need for future research into intra-indigenous group dynamics in indigenous–wildlife relations. Future conservation work on the Titicaca Grebe should focus on reducing grebe-fisher conflict, both real and perceived, and on educating people on the grebe's endemic status.
