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

my part. In all cases I looked for patterns of identical or consistent answers across at
least two interviewees. Information provided by only a single interviewee was deemed
to be spurious, as was any where contradictory observations were each provided by
more than one informant. In such cases, the information was not employed in the
comparison.
A similar technique was used in evaluating dietary data. Any food item mentioned
by more than one interviewee was included, those only mentioned by a single
informant rejected. This method is not entirely satisfactory, as neither does a single
mention of a food item mean it is not eaten, nor do multiple mentions — which may
not necessarily be independent data points — indicate for certain that it is. However,
I think the method employed is fairly conservative, in that it is much more likely to
exclude correct observations than include incorrect ones. If error of this sort is
inevitable, I feel for the purposes of the analysis in this study it is better to be
conservative. To avoid repetition, I have not included complete lists of
ethnoecological information on diet here. This information is found in the comparison
between the ecological and ethnoecological data sets that it the subject of chapter
seven.
6.3.1 Collared peccary, ‘abuya’.
A range of group sizes was given which suggested a modal group size of 6-12. At the
extremes, two suggested group sizes of up to twenty while one said they were
solitary. Two interviewees pointed out that group size is smaller under hunting
pressure. Two interviewees also mentioned that males may move alone. All six
interviewees who considered ranging behaviour agreed that groups occupy definite
home ranges, one giving a size of one and a half miles. Two of these suggested
groups may abandon their home ranges in response to hunting pressure, another that
migration may occur as a result of food scarcity. One interviewee reported that
ranging behaviour varies seasonally, groups ranging widely in search of food during
the dry season but remaining within a more restricted area during the rainy season.
All eleven interviewees included seeds as a major dietary component, and eight
additionally mentioned fruits. Seven included worms, and only one roots. Five
interviewees considered there to be a seasonal food shortage, during the dry season.
Of two who said there was no food shortage, one added that this was because they
could eat dry seeds, available year round, and that they were fat during August. A
further four interviewees corroborated the use of dry seeds during the dry season.
Several of these mentioned particular species eaten at this time, but the identity of