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Niche Construction Theory and Ethnobiology

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Evolutionary Ethnobiology

Abstract

The focus of ethnobiological research is to understand the interactions between people and biota. Here we suggest that niche construction theory can provide an important “theoretical framework” for understanding these interactions from different perspectives. Niche construction is a process by which living beings, including humans, modify their own niches or those of other organisms through their activities and decisions. By altering their niches, organisms can also alter the natural selective pressures. In this chapter, we sought to explore the niche construction theory and its key concepts. We also sought to show how niche construction theory can illustrate the biological and cultural impacts of human populations on the environment and on its own species and how ethnobiology can benefit from this theory. Niche construction theory can serve as an integrating concept for different ethnobiological approaches.

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Acknowledgements

We particularly thank Dr. John Odling-Smee (Mansfield College—University of Oxford) and Dr. Kevin Laland (University of St. Andrews) for comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by funding from the National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq—Proc. 471989/2012-6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Applied and Theoretical Ethnobiology, Biology Department, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, 52171-900, Brazil

    Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque, Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior, Flávia Rosa Santoro, Wendy Marisol Torres-Avilez & José Ribamar Sousa Júnior

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  1. Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque
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  2. Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior
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  3. Flávia Rosa Santoro
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  4. Wendy Marisol Torres-Avilez
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  5. José Ribamar Sousa Júnior
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Correspondence to Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

    Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

  2. Institute of Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Barreiras, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Patrícia Muniz De Medeiros

  3. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabiilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Alejandro Casas

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Albuquerque, U.P., Júnior, W.S.F., Santoro, F.R., Torres-Avilez, W.M., Júnior, J.R.S. (2015). Niche Construction Theory and Ethnobiology. In: Albuquerque, U., De Medeiros, P., Casas, A. (eds) Evolutionary Ethnobiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19917-7_6

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