Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019).

Indigenous knowledge of plant diversity is based on generations of accumulated experience, and in some cases,x000D
indigenous people recognize a greater level of variation within certain plant groups than is discerned byx000D
science. However, indigenous plant knowledge is rarely considered when managing and conservingx000D
biodiversity. In Canada, development projects undergoing federal review are required to consider traditionalx000D
knowledge, but the regulations on how to do so are overly broad, and there are few stipulations on how tox000D
consider traditional knowledge in reclamation planning. As a result, First Nations and Métis people struggle tox000D
have their knowledge represented in land use planning. Integral Ecology Group (IEG) is a consulting companyx000D
that works with First Nation and Métis communities in northern Alberta to examine impacts of development inx000D
their traditional territories. The aim of this research is to partner with IEG to explore variation of rat rootx000D
(Acorus calamus) in the context of traditional and scientific knowledge. Rat root is a traditional medicine andx000D
keystone species of many First Nations and Métis communities in Canada, and it is recognized by the scientificx000D
community as a single species. However, there are many First Nation and Métis members who recognize twox000D
types of rat root, suggesting that there may be variation within the species that is not captured by science. Thisx000D
study is using DNA barcoding to determine if rat root comprises two distinct species. Currently, furtherx000D
research is required to sample and analyze additional populations to increase our statistical confidence to betterx000D
understand intraspecific variation. We also want to expand the genomic research to include Genome Scans andx000D
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) for all the samples collected. This will allow us to bridge genomics withx000D
metabolomics. The research could lead to the identification of a new species, which would assist the efforts ofx000D
IEG and First Nation and Métis communities in demonstrating the need to include traditional knowledge inx000D
land use and reclamation planning. Furthermore, the study is globally relevant in that it represents a novelx000D
approach at bridging traditional and scientific knowledge to expand our understanding of biodiversity.