Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

egularly visited areas, but as these are also the main hunting and gathering areas its
significance may be more than trivial. On the other hand, many people practice less
damaging harvesting strategies, climbing trees to cut individual racemes or branches
and in some cases leaving fruit specifically to ensure it is available for recruitment and
animal consumption.
4.5.3 Gathering for non-alimentary purposes.
A large number of plant and animal species are gathered for subsistence purposes
other than food. Most important, in both subsistence and ecological terms, are those
providing building materials. Houses are thatched with palm leaves, the preferred of
which is that of etai (Mauritia flexuosa). All savannah houses in Maruranau, where this
species is abundant, are thatched with these leaves. In Rupunau, however, substantial
etai groves do not occur within the vicinity of the village and only two villagers able
to afford to implement haulage by vehicle or draft animal are able to roof their house
with this material. Other houses are covered with the leaves of kokerite (Attalea
regia), a material whose appearance, rain-repelling properties, and durability are
considered inferior. As mentioned above, houses in the forest, where etai is
unavailable, are thatched with leaves of a variety of species: kokerite (Attalea regia),
low (Oenocarpus bacaba), turu (O. bataua) and manicole (Euterpe spp.) are the most
common.
Collection of etai leaves rarely involves felling the tree; instead, expert climbers
scale the trunk and cut the leaves. In most cases a single leaf is left, and people claim
this is sufficient to ensure complete recovery of the tree within a couple of years.
Felling of the trees for either leaves or fruit is considered highly irresponsible
behaviour, one which I did not observe, although previously abundant stands in the
vicinity of Marurawa'o creek, in the centre of Maruranau village, are reported to have
been felled over the years. Many people believe this to be the cause of declines in the
hydrology - the creek is no longer flowing year-round - water quality, and abundance
of fish, although it is also thought that poisoning might be a factor. There are also
concerns that the recruitment of etai may be adversely affected by the burning of
the savannah that regularly takes places in the dry season. Some people believe that
this can kill seedlings and young trees, and at current levels is preventing the
establishment of new trees in etai stands. Forest palms may be felled for their leaves
more commonly: I have seen young kokerite palms within a small monospecific stand
cut in the construction of a hunting camp. The practices observed are unlikely to be