Historical Ecology and Ethnobiology: Applied Research for Environmental Conservation and Social Justice

  • Chelsey Geralda Armstrong Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
  • James R. Veteto Department of Anthropology and Sociology and Cherokee Studies Program, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, USA; Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies, Burnsville, NC, USA; Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
Keywords: historical ecology, ethnobiology, environmental change, applied ethnobiology

Abstract

Historical ecology provides a research program and toolkit for applied interdisciplinary research in ethnobiology. With a focus on long-term changes in built environments and cultural landscapes, historical ecology emphasizes the need for scientific collaboration between disciplines for more relevant and applied academic research—particularly in service to environmental conservation and social justice.

Author Biographies

Chelsey Geralda Armstrong, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University

Chelsey Geralda Armstrong is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Archaeology at Simon Fraser University. Her work focuses on ecological archaeology and paleoethnobotany, ancient and modern plant genetics, and Indigenous knowledge in the Pacific Northwest and Eastern Great Lakes regions.

James R. Veteto, Department of Anthropology and Sociology and Cherokee Studies Program, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, USA; Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies, Burnsville, NC, USA; Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX, USA.

James R. Veteto is Assistant Professor and Cherokee Studies program faculty member in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University. He is recent past president of Culture & Agriculture, Executive Director of the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies, and Research Associate at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. His research is focused on three interrelated themes: sustainable agriculture, biocultural diversity, and food and culture; culture and climate change; and alternative political ecologies.

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Published
2015-03-06
How to Cite
Armstrong, C. G., & Veteto, J. R. (2015). Historical Ecology and Ethnobiology: Applied Research for Environmental Conservation and Social Justice. Ethnobiology Letters, 6(1), 5-7. https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.6.1.2015.313
Section
Mini-Reviews