Society for Economic Botany Conference 2019: The Future of Forests: Perspectives from Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Practices, and Conservation: June 2-6, 2019, Cinncinati, OH

University Of Cincinnati Main Campus, Cincinnati OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the participation of students and indigenous peoples in a plenary panel at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Economic Botany (SEB). The meeting will be hosted by the University of Cincinnati on June 2-6, 2019. The theme of the meeting is, "The Future of Forests: Perspectives from Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Practices, and Conservation." It is well-known that the world's forests are important for a sustainable economic future, it is also the case that they are threatened by increased demand for forest products, population growth, climate change, and uncertain fire suppression policies. Globally and nationally, there are ongoing debates on various topics about forest management including sustainability, biodiversity, and economic impacts. This timely panel brings together anthropologists, foresters, botanists, and ecologists to discuss forest management on four continents from multiple perspectives. The panelists include ethno-ecologists, whose research highlights indigenous agroforest management practices. Cultural anthropology provides a unifying theoretical perspective and a set of methodological approaches, including participant observation and linguistic competency, which underpin the research of the presenters. Participation in the meeting will enable students to gain invaluable experience at an international meeting, assimilate new idea, and expand their professional networks and opportunities for collaboration. The conference organizers anticipate publication of the plenary panel and selected organized sessions in a special volume of Economic Botany. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.