» Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK)
» Agroecological Knowledge Toolkit (AKT5)
» Applications
» Where to find AKT5?
» Download
» Reading materials

» Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK)

Local Ecological Knowledge or LEK refers to what people know about their natural environment, based primarily on their own experience and observation. LEK is widely seen as important and of potential use in research and development programmes related to natural resource management. However, there is a need for effective methods for exploring, accessing and evaluating LEK, if it is to be integrated into the planning process in an explicit manner. One method that has been developed to enable representation of local knowledge has been the use of a knowledge based systems approach. In this method qualitative LEK are articulated by local people and represented using a computer technology. This is based on earlier studies and conclusions that majority of articulated knowledge can be broken down into unitary statements of knowledge that can then be represented on a computer using a formal grammar and a local taxonomy of terms. Such represented knowledge can then be subjected to synthesis and evaluation in an objective and unbiased manner.

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» Agroecological Knowledge Toolkit (AKT5)

The AKT5 software was developed at the University of Wales, Bangor (UK) with contributions from many national and international research and development institutions. It was designed to provide an environment for knowledge acquisition in order to create knowledge bases from a range of sources. It allows representation of knowledge elicited from farmers and scientists or knowledge abstracted from written material. The methodology involves the creation of knowledge bases that comprise formal records of local knowledge that then can be flexibly accessed and used by research and extension staff.

The process of acquiring and representing knowledge using this system is described in the AKT5 manual (Dixon et al., 2001). Essentially, during knowledge base creation, knowledge is elicited through a process of semi-structured interviews with a stratified sample of carefully selected informants. This knowledge is then broken down into short statements, comprising single items of knowledge that we refer to as unitary statements. These are then represented on computer using a formal grammar. In practice, the process of representation requires evaluation of the knowledge as it is inputted and provides the basis for further questioning. This iterative process of elicitation and representation continues until no new knowledge is revealed by further questioning. Robust knowledge bases on specified topics from well defined sources are created. The knowledge is stored in a form that is comprehensive, accessible and easily updated. Automated reasoning tools assist comparative analysis of knowledge held by different groups of people and can be customised to explore the implications of combining local and scientific knowledge.

Research using the AKT5 system has shown that local people often have sophisticated knowledge about ecological processes underpinning natural resource management.

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» Applications

The methodology has been used successfully in a number of projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America and has been adopted globally by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). This has included development of multistrata cocoa and non-timber forest products in Ghana and Cameroon, jungle rubber, soil erosion and conservation and Javanese home garden system in Indonesia, participatory plant breeding for cassava in Colombia and hill maize in Nepal, forest gardens and smallholder rubber in Sri Lanka, range management in South Africa and Lesotho and trees in crop fields and rangelands in Kenya and Tanzania. A Spanish language version is used in Latin America by the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) and a Thai version has been developed in conjunction with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Thailand. New applications include peri-urban vegetable production and waste recycling in Vietnam and China, alternative animal health care in Wales and a group of users have created an email network to support a range of activities in the Philippines.

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» Where to find AKT5?

Latest released version of the AKT5 software package can be downloaded free for non-commercial purposes from the AKT website at:
http://akt.bangor.ac.uk/

Feedback, queries and suggestions can be emailed to akt5@bangor.ac.uk.

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» Download

To learn about AKT5 application and to explore an existing knowledge base, the following files are available for download (or already in the CD).

1. Download and install AKT5 (latest version) in the computer hard disk. It is a relatively small application (less than 2 MB memory space). The installation also creates a shortcut (link) file that should be used to load the application: Start>Programs>University of Wales Bangor>AKT5. It is important that this shortcut is used to load AKT5 in the computer memory as it contains necessary memory parameters to load knowledge bases.
2. Download and unzip the sumber.kb knowledge base.
3. The knowledge base can be loaded only from inside AKT5 has been loaded. Use KB>Open Kb menu to load the knowledge base.
4. The Knowledge base guideline file, as implied, is to assist a user in exploring the sumber.kb. It is a quick demonstration of some key features of AKT5 application and the sumber.kb knowledge base.
5. The image files are in the zipped file; and this is optional. To see the images in AKT5, these image files need to be unzipped to the same subdirectory with the knowledge base. (Read ReadMe_images rules.txt file for more details)
6. The tool file contains example user tools, an advanced feature in AKT5, to analyse various aspects of the knowledge base and its content. This tool file may be loaded into AKT5 from Tools>Load Tool File menu. Please note that many useful tools are already included (called system tools) with AKT5 application. Only ‘user’ tools are stored in an external file.
7. The AKT5 user manual is a comprehensive guidebook for the methodology and AKT5 software. The initial chapters explain the theory and it is highly recommended that users read this early on to understand the principles and approach in knowledge articulation and use in an explicit manner.
   
   

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» Reading materials

» General overview

Sinclair, F.L. and Joshi, L. (2001) Taking local knowledge about trees seriously. In: A. Lawrence (ed) Forestry,
forest users and research: new ways of learning. ETFRN, Wageningen: 45-61.

Sinclair, F.L. and Walker, D.H. (1999). A utilitarian approach to the incorporation of local knowledge in agroforestry
research and extension. In: L.E. Buck, J.P. Lassoie and E.C.M. Fernandes (eds). Agroforestry in Sustainable
Agricultural Systems. Lewis Publishers, New York: 245-275.

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» Methodology

Walker, D.H., Sinclair, F.L. and Thapa, B. (1995a) Incorporation of indigenous knowledge and perspectives in
agroforestry development. Part One: Review of methods and their application. Agroforestry Systems 30: 235-248.

Walker, D.H., Sinclair, F.L. and Kendon, G., (1995b). A knowledge based systems approach to agroforestry research and
extension. AI Applications 9 (3): 61-72.

Sinclair, F.L. and Walker, D.H. (1998). Acquiring qualitative knowledge about complex agroecosystems. Part 1:
Representation as natural language. Agricultural Systems 56(3): 341-363.

Walker, D.H. and Sinclair, F.L. (1998). Acquiring qualitative knowledge about complex agroecosystems. Part 2: formal
representation. Agricultural Systems 56(3): 365-386.

Walker, D.H., Sinclair, F.L., Joshi, L. and Ambrose, B. (1997). Prospects for the use of corporate knowledge bases in the
generation, management and communication of knowledge at a frontline agricultural research centre. Agricultural
Systems 54: 291-312.

Kendon, G., Walker, D.H., Robertson, D., Haggith, M., Sinclair, F.L. and Muetzelfeldt, R.I. (1995) Supporting customised
reasoning in the agroforestry domain. New Review of Applied Expert Systems 1: 179-192.

Dixon, H., Doores, J.W., Joshi, L., and Sinclair, F.L. (2001) Agroecological Knowledge Toolkit for Windows:
methodological guidelines, computer software and manual for WinAKT. School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences,
University of Wales, Bangor, UK: 171 pp. [PDF file available from the AKT5 website].

» Applications and other relevant references:

Joshi L, Schalenbourg W, Johansson L, Khasanah N, Stefanus E, Fagerstrom M and van Noordwijk M (2004) Soil and
water movement: combining local and modellers’ ecological knowledge in scaling up from plot to landscape. In: van
Noordwijk M, Cadisch G and Ong CK (eds) Belowground Interactions in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and
Models with Multiple Plant Components”. Chapter 2. Chapter 19.

Joshi L, Shrestha P, Moss C and Sinclair FL (2004) Locally derived knowledge of soil fertility and its emerging role in
integrated natural resource management. In: van Noordwijk M, Cadisch G and Ong CK (eds) Belowground
Interactions in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Models with Multiple Plant Components”. CABI. Chapter 2.

Joshi L, van Noordwijk M, Sinclair FL (in press) Bringing local knowledge into perspective – a case of sustainable
technology development in jungle rubber agroforests in Jambi. Proceedings of workshop “Participatory technology
development and local knowledge for sustainable land use in Southeast Asia” workshop, 6-7 June 2001 in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. Hohenheim University, Germany. (initially proceedings distributed in a CD)

Joshi L, Wibawa G, Beukema H, Williams S and van Noordwijk M (2003) Technological change and biodiversity in the
rubber agroecosystem of Sumatra. In: Vandermeer, J. (ed) Tropical Agroecosystems, CRC Press, FL. USA: 133-157
pp.

Sunaryo dan Joshi L (2003) Peranan Pengetahuan Ekologi Lokal dalam Sistem Agroforestri. In: Utami SR and Widiyanto
(eds) Bahan Ajar Agrorestri [Chapter 7, Bahasa Indonesia]. ICRAFSEA, Bogor: 28 pp.

Thapa, B., Sinclair, F.L., and Walker, D.H., (1995) Incorporation of indigenous knowledge and perspectives in
agroforestry development. Part Two: Case-study on the impact of explicit representation of farmers' knowledge.
Agroforestry Systems 30: 249 - 261.

Thapa, B., Sinclair, F.L., and Walker, D.H., (1995) Incorporation of indigenous knowledge and perspectives in
agroforestry development. Part Two: Case-study on the impact of explicit representation of farmers' knowledge.
Agroforestry Systems 30: 249 - 261.

Thapa, B., Walker, D.H. and Sinclair, F.L. (1997). Indigenous knowledge of the feeding value of tree fodder. Animal
Feed Science and Technology 67: 97-114.

Thorne, P.J., Subba, D.B., Walker, D.H., Thapa, B., Wood, C.D. and Sinclair, F.L. (1999) The basis of indigenous
knowledge of tree fodder quality and its implications for improving the use of tree fodder in developing countries.
Animal Feed Science and Technology 81: 119-131.

Walker, D.H., Thorne, P.J., Sinclair, F.L., Thapa, B., Wood, C.D. and Subba, D.B., (1999). A systems approach to
comparing indigenous and scientific knowledge: consistency and discriminatory power of indigenous and laboratory
assessment of the nutritive value of tree fodder. Agricultural Systems 62: 87-103.

Joshi L, Suyanto S, Catacutan DC and van Noordwijk M (2001) Recognising local knowledge and giving farmers a voice
in the policy development debate. Towards integrated natural resource management in forest margins of the humid
tropics: local action and global concerns. M. van Noordwijk, S. Williams and B. Verbist (eds) ICRAF, SEA, Bogor,
Indonesia: 30 pp.

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