The scarcity of environmental data means that other sources of information are needed to complement empirical evidence for conservation decisions. We, therefore, aimed to explore Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) on mammal abundance and qualitative population trends through interviews from 331 local people in and around Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, Ghana. The results show that 62% of the respondents perceived that mammal abundances had decreased, 31% perceived stability, and 8% perceived that mammals had increased between 2006 and 2017. The respondents attributed the decline to habitat degradation and illegal hunting. The knowledge of local people about mammal population trends is consistent with reported mammal encounters by law enforcement rangers. However, the length of residence, location of communities, and cardinal direction of communities influenced local peoples’ knowledge of mammal abundance and population trends. Our results highlight the ability of LEK to provide reliable ecological information on animal abundance and qualitative population trends. Integrating LEK into monitoring and management is appealing because it can be cost-effective, enhance community participation, and provide novel insights into sustainable resource use.

中文翻译：

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使用当地生态知识检测加纳 Kogyae Strict 自然保护区哺乳动物数量的下降

环境数据的稀缺意味着需要其他信息来源来补充保护决策的经验证据。因此，我们旨在通过对加纳 Kogyae Strict 自然保护区及其周边地区的 331 名当地人的访谈，探索有关哺乳动物丰度和定性种群趋势的当地生态知识 (LEK)。结果显示，62% 的受访者认为 2006 年至 2017 年间哺乳动物的数量减少了，31% 的认为稳定，8% 的人认为哺乳动物数量在 2006 年至 2017 年间有所增加。当地人对哺乳动物种群趋势的了解与执法护林员报告的哺乳动物遭遇一致。但是，居住时间长短、社区位置、和社区的主要方向影响了当地人民对哺乳动物数量和种群趋势的了解。我们的结果突出了 LEK 提供有关动物丰度和定性种群趋势的可靠生态信息的能力。将 LEK 集成到监测和管理中很有吸引力，因为它具有成本效益、增强社区参与并提供对可持续资源利用的新颖见解。