BIODIVERSITY AS A PRODUCT OF SMALLHOLDERS ’ STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING CHANGES IN THEIR NATURAL AND SOCIAL LANDSCAPES: A REPORT PREPARED BY THE UNU/PLEC AMAZONIA CLUSTER

This paper is the text only of a larger paper which includes tables, diagrams and calculations. An edited text is printed here because of its value as a demonstration of methodology. Background The PLEC objective to measure biodiversity levels within the landholdings of smallholders emerges as an opportunity to look beyond the superficial environmental ideologies that impel many biodiversity researchers to ignore land ‘tarnished ’ by humans and to search for ‘pristine ’ ecosystems. In contrast, reporting the biodiversity that is produced, managed or conserved by smallholders, w