Network and knowledge transmission for climate change on a non-timber forestry product in an era of depopulation, shiitake produced in sawtooth oak trees at Kunisaki GIAHS site

Climate change is disturbing forests and other ecosystems at a global scale. It could affect how foresters, forest owners, and other related actors manage the forests and conduct their daily lives. This also applies to the producers and strategies of collectors of non-timber forestry products (NTFPs). This study examines, “How climate change affects NTFP producers and strategies of collectors? How resilient are their mitigation and adaption measures for forests and forest communities?” The shiitake, <i>Lentinula edodes</i>, produced in lower temperature are more valuable in market price but are facing challenges. We interviewed veteran producers of shiitake mushroom in Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture, Japan for the period of June to September 2020. They produce shiitake in the forests of sawtooth oak trees, <i>Quercus acutissima</i>, in a site of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). In this GIAHS site, the forests retain water and provide water for the irrigation pond system. Shiitake producers underpin this GIAHS system through participating in forest management and food supply. They cut the trees of about 15 years old and utilize the logs for shiitake production inside the forests. The branches of the cut trees are put to cover and humidify the logs until the fungus of shiitake spreads inside the logs. As shiitake production sustains the livelihoods of the producers in the depopulated society, the production maintains the forests for the centuries. The producers are adapting to the heats and frequent typhoons by countermeasures; for example, with the temperature increased, a producer wonders how much they keep producing shiitake which sprouts at low temperature. They also sprinkle more water to cool the inoculated logs. This study explores how traditional knowledge is changing or adapting to climate change and how they are transmitted. Keywords: Adaptive and integrated management, Climate change, Economic Development, Food systems, Knowledge management ID: 3486707

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Miyake, Y., Uchiyama. Y., Kohsaka, R.
Format:	Article biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	FAO ; 2022
Online Access:	https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/CC1322EN http://www.fao.org/3/cc1322en/cc1322en.pdf
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