Socio-cultural and biological dimensions of sacred groves in Kodagu, Karnataka, India
Claudia Rutte, University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution

The preservation of natural resources is a major human challenge. How can people avoid selfish overexploitation of common goods? One institutional example of how the ‘tragedy of the commons’ can be alleviated is the sacred grove. Sacred groves are forest patches that are preserved out of faith by communities that established norms to ensure their protection. People are allowed to extract certain natural resources from some groves whereas in others the norms prohibit any human impact. In India, it is estimated that there are up to 150,000 sacred groves in the country.

It has been suggested that sacred groves play a vital role for biodiversity conservation and that these forest patches should be integrated in the existing network of formally protected areas. Such attempts, however, require the understanding of how the institution sacred grove works and of its ecological consequences. The proposed research project aims (1) to elucidate the socio-cultural systems that mediate the preservation of sacred groves, and (2) to investigate the relevance of these small forest patches, both for the livelihood of local people and for biodiversity.

We will apply evolutionary theory to study how community members sharing sacred groves maintain cooperation. Evolutionary theory provides several explanations of how cooperation can be established and maintained among selfish individuals. According to ‘reciprocity’ individuals behave strategically towards each other by reciprocating received help and retaliating defection. In recent years, however, several studies provided support for the idea that cooperation can be established through reputation and moralizing.

With help of census data and interviews we will assess the composition of communities administering sacred groves, the norms related to sacred groves and how the norms are enforced. Further, we will assess animal diversity in sacred groves by conducting surveys of birds, bats, and amphibians.

The field study will be carried out in Kodagu district, Karnataka, South India, which lies in the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot. The study is part of research collaboration with Prof. Cheppudira Kushalappa at the College of Forestry in Ponnampet, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India, and the Kodagu Model Forest Trust, an organisation that involves government, non-government, community and private groups aiming to develop sustainable management of natural resources in Kodagu.

The proposed study will contribute to an understanding of a long tradition of common resource management both its underlying mechanism and its ecological consequences. By disseminating our results and closely working together with policy makers, we hope to have an impact on the development of conservation strategies that take into account local traditions, which proofed to contribute to the preservation of natural resources.

Dr. Claudia Rutte
University of Lausanne
Ecology and Evolution
Biophore
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
+41 (0)21 692 4249
claudia.rutte@unil.ch
www.unil.ch/dee

Partnerinstitution in India:
Dr. C.G. Kushalappa
College of Forestry
Ponnampet
Karnataka
South India
kushalcg@sancharnet.in

University of Agricultural Sciences,
Bangalore
South India