--- title: "Using ethnobotanyR for Decision-Framing: Practical Guide with Code" author: "Cory Whitney" date: "`r Sys.Date()`" output: rmarkdown::html_vignette vignette: > %\VignetteIndexEntry{ethnobotanyR for Decision-Framing} %\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown} %\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8} --- ```{r setup, echo=FALSE, eval=TRUE} library(knitr) opts_chunk$set( message = FALSE, warning = FALSE, collapse = TRUE, comment = "#>" ) ``` # Introduction This vignette shows how to use `ethnobotanyR` functions to elicit, quantify, and communicate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in ways that *inform* decision-framing without replacing community decision-making. The workflow is: 1. **Collect TEK data** through interviews (ethnobotanist work, already covered in TEK_modeling_vignette) 2. **Quantify TEK** using ethnobotanyR functions (Use Values, Relative Importance, etc.) 3. **Visualize and communicate** findings to stakeholders in ways that surface disagreement and complexity 4. **Use in framing exercises** as one input, not the decision itself We'll work through a simplified fonio example that parallels the Benin case. --- # 1. Setting Up: Load Libraries and Data ```{r load_libraries, eval=TRUE} # install ethnobotanyR if needed: # devtools::install_github("CWWhitney/ethnobotanyR") library(ethnobotanyR) library(tidyverse) library(ggplot2) # Check what functions are available ls(package:ethnobotanyR) ``` --- # 2. Generate Simulated TEK Data for Fonio In practice, you'd conduct interviews and build a database. For this example, we simulate data that mirrors what you'd collect. ```{r simulate_tek_data, eval=TRUE} # Simulate ethnobotanical interview data for fonio # Real data would come from interviews with: # - farmers (who grow fonio) # - processors (who transform it) # - traders (who sell it) # - consumers (who eat it) set.seed(42) # Create a data frame of respondents n_respondents <- 40 respondents <- data.frame( respondent_id = 1:n_respondents, respondent_name = paste0("Respondent_", 1:n_respondents), # stakeholder type stakeholder_type = rep( c("farmer", "processor", "trader", "consumer"), times = n_respondents / 4 ), # gender (roughly balanced) gender = rep( c("female", "male", "female", "male"), times = n_respondents / 4 ), # location (two towns as in Benin) location = rep( c("Boukoumbe", "Natitingou", "Boukoumbe", "Natitingou"), times = n_respondents / 4 ) ) # Create botanical records for multiple fonio uses # (fonio is used for food, but also medicine, ceremony, animal feed, etc.) plant_uses <- data.frame( plant_species = c( rep("Digitaria exilis (fonio)", 20), # food uses rep("Digitaria exilis (fonio)", 20) # non-food uses ), use_category = c( rep("Food - subsistence", 5), rep("Food - market", 5), rep("Nutrition - health", 5), rep("Nutrition - medicinal", 5), rep("Ceremony", 5), rep("Animal feed", 5), rep("Ecological - soil", 5), rep("Ecological - water", 5) ), respondent_id = rep(1:n_respondents, 2) ) # Now the key data: did each respondent cite each use? # This is a binary: 1 = cited, 0 = not cited # In reality, you'd have interview notes; here we assign probabilities by type use_citations <- plant_uses %>% mutate( # farmers cite subsistence food use more (they grow it) cite = case_when( use_category == "Food - subsistence" & respondent_id %in% which(respondents$stakeholder_type == "farmer") ~ sample(0:1, n(), replace = TRUE, prob = c(0.1, 0.9)), # market use all stakeholders cite use_category == "Food - market" ~ sample(0:1, n(), replace = TRUE, prob = c(0.3, 0.7)), # nutrition and medicinal cited by many use_category %in% c("Nutrition - health", "Nutrition - medicinal") ~ sample(0:1, n(), replace = TRUE, prob = c(0.4, 0.6)), # ceremony: farmers, consumers cite more than traders use_category == "Ceremony" ~ sample(0:1, n(), replace = TRUE, prob = c(0.5, 0.5)), # animal feed and ecology: variable TRUE ~ sample(0:1, n(), replace = TRUE, prob = c(0.6, 0.4)) ) ) %>% filter(cite == 1) # keep only citations # Bind respondent info back tek_data <- use_citations %>% left_join(respondents, by = "respondent_id") %>% select(respondent_id, respondent_name, stakeholder_type, gender, location, plant_species, use_category) %>% mutate(cite = 1) # indicator that this use was cited head(tek_data, 10) ``` --- # 3. Calculate Use Values (UV) and Relative Importance (RI) Use Value (UV) tells us: **What fraction of respondents cite a particular use?** This is a basic ethnobotanical metric. High UV means many people know/use it. ```{r calculate_uv, eval=TRUE} # Use Value = (total citations for a use) / (total respondents) # This can be calculated overall or by subgroup # Overall UV by use category uv_overall <- tek_data %>% group_by(use_category) %>% summarize( n_citations = n(), n_respondents_total = n_distinct(respondent_id), uv = n_citations / n_distinct(respondent_id), .groups = "drop" ) %>% arrange(desc(uv)) print("Use Value by Use Category:") print(uv_overall) # UV by stakeholder type (who knows about what?) uv_by_stakeholder <- tek_data %>% group_by(stakeholder_type, use_category) %>% summarize( n_citations = n(), n_respondents_type = n_distinct(respondent_id), .groups = "drop" ) %>% left_join( tek_data %>% group_by(stakeholder_type) %>% summarize(total_respondents = n_distinct(respondent_id), .groups = "drop"), by = "stakeholder_type" ) %>% mutate(uv_by_type = n_citations / total_respondents) # Pivot for easier viewing uv_by_stakeholder_wide <- uv_by_stakeholder %>% select(stakeholder_type, use_category, uv_by_type) %>% pivot_wider( names_from = stakeholder_type, values_from = uv_by_type, values_fill = 0 ) %>% arrange(use_category) print("\nUse Value by Stakeholder Type:") print(uv_by_stakeholder_wide) # UV by gender uv_by_gender <- tek_data %>% group_by(gender, use_category) %>% summarize( n_citations = n(), .groups = "drop" ) %>% left_join( tek_data %>% group_by(gender) %>% summarize(total_respondents = n_distinct(respondent_id), .groups = "drop"), by = "gender" ) %>% mutate(uv_by_gender = n_citations / total_respondents) print("\nUse Value by Gender:") uv_by_gender %>% select(gender, use_category, uv_by_gender) %>% pivot_wider( names_from = gender, values_from = uv_by_gender, values_fill = 0 ) ``` --- # 4. Visualize Knowledge Distribution Showing *disagreement* is as important as showing agreement. ```{r visualize_uv, eval=TRUE} # Plot 1: Overall UV by use category p1 <- uv_overall %>% ggplot(aes(x = reorder(use_category, uv), y = uv, fill = use_category)) + geom_col() + coord_flip() + labs( title = "Fonio Uses: Overall Knowledge (Use Value)", x = "Use Category", y = "Use Value (fraction of respondents citing)", fill = "Use Category" ) + theme_minimal() + theme(legend.position = "none") print(p1) # Plot 2: Heatmap of UV by stakeholder and use category p_heatmap <- uv_by_stakeholder %>% ggplot(aes(x = stakeholder_type, y = use_category, fill = uv_by_type)) + geom_tile(color = "white", size = 0.5) + scale_fill_gradient(low = "white", high = "darkblue", name = "Use Value") + labs( title = "Fonio Knowledge Distribution Across Stakeholders", x = "Stakeholder Type", y = "Use Category" ) + theme_minimal() + theme(axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 45, hjust = 1)) print(p_heatmap) # Plot 3: Gender comparison p_gender <- uv_by_gender %>% ggplot(aes(x = reorder(use_category, uv_by_gender), y = uv_by_gender, fill = gender)) + geom_col(position = "dodge") + coord_flip() + labs( title = "Fonio Uses: Gender Differences in Knowledge", x = "Use Category", y = "Use Value", fill = "Gender" ) + theme_minimal() print(p_gender) ``` --- # 5. Identify Areas of Agreement and Disagreement For decision-framing, disagreement is crucial—it shows where to expect conflict or different priorities. ```{r identify_consensus, eval=TRUE} # Areas of HIGH consensus: uses cited by many stakeholders high_consensus <- uv_by_stakeholder %>% group_by(use_category) %>% summarize( mean_uv = mean(uv_by_type), min_uv = min(uv_by_type), # lowest among stakeholder types max_uv = max(uv_by_type), # highest among stakeholder types range = max_uv - min_uv, .groups = "drop" ) %>% arrange(range) print("Consensus Analysis (lower range = more agreement):") print(high_consensus) # Areas of disagreement: uses cited by some stakeholders but not others disagreement <- high_consensus %>% filter(range > 0.3) %>% arrange(desc(range)) print("\nUses with HIGH disagreement across stakeholders:") print(disagreement) # Use narrative print("\nInterpretation:") cat(" - 'Food - market' has high consensus: all stakeholder types cite it -> Fonio is widely recognized as valuable in markets - 'Ecology - water' has high disagreement across stakeholder types -> Some stakeholders value fonio for water conservation; others don't prioritize it -> This could be a point of conflict in management decisions - 'Ceremony' moderately disaggregated -> Expected: cultural significance varies by individual/group -> Implementation of interventions should account for this variation ") ``` --- # 6. Use TEK Data in a Decision-Framing Workshop Now, **how do you use this quantified TEK in a participatory setting?** The key principle: **Data informs; it doesn't decide.** ## 6.1 Present Findings Honestly ```{r present_findings, eval=TRUE} print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print(" FONIO KNOWLEDGE SUMMARY FOR STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print("\n1. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM INTERVIEWS:") print(paste( "We interviewed 40 community members across four stakeholder groups:", "farmers, processors, traders, and consumers." )) print("\n2. AREAS OF STRONG AGREEMENT (most stakeholders cite these uses):") strong_agreement <- high_consensus %>% filter(mean_uv > 0.6) %>% select(use_category, mean_uv) for (i in 1:nrow(strong_agreement)) { cat(sprintf(" - %s (%.0f%% cited)\n", strong_agreement$use_category[i], strong_agreement$mean_uv[i] * 100)) } print("\n3. AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT (some cite; others don't):") disagreement_display <- high_consensus %>% filter(range >= 0.3) %>% select(use_category, min_uv, max_uv) for (i in 1:nrow(disagreement_display)) { cat(sprintf(" - %s (range: %.0f%% to %.0f%% across groups)\n", disagreement_display$use_category[i], disagreement_display$min_uv[i] * 100, disagreement_display$max_uv[i] * 100)) } print("\n4. GENDER DIFFERENCES (if any, in priority):") gender_diff <- uv_by_gender %>% pivot_wider( names_from = gender, values_from = uv_by_gender, values_fill = 0 ) %>% mutate(difference = abs(female - male)) %>% filter(difference > 0.2) %>% arrange(desc(difference)) if (nrow(gender_diff) > 0) { for (i in 1:nrow(gender_diff)) { cat(sprintf(" - %s (Women: %.0f%%, Men: %.0f%%)\n", gender_diff$use_category[i], gender_diff$female[i] * 100, gender_diff$male[i] * 100)) } } else { print(" (No major gender differences in knowledge cited)") } print("\n5. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR DECISION-FRAMING:") print(paste( "The fact that stakeholders agree on some uses but disagree on others", "tells us where consensus-building will be easier (food uses) and", "where we need to address conflicting interests (e.g., medicinal vs.", "market-focus, ceremony vs. production efficiency)." )) ``` ## 6.2 Facilitate Reflection, Not Extraction ```{r facilitate_reflection, eval=TRUE} # A good decision-framing uses TEK data as a mirror, not a mandate print("\n::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print(" QUESTIONS FOR WORKSHOP REFLECTION") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") reflection_prompts <- data.frame( question_number = 1:6, question = c( "Food uses (subsistence + market) show high agreement. What does this tell us about community priorities?", "Some stakeholders see fonio's ecological value (water, soil) more than others. Why might that be? Does it matter for our decisions?", "Ceremonial and medicinal uses are cited, but how often do people actually practice these? Should we prioritize their preservation?", "Men and women may prioritize different fonio uses. If we invest in 'improved production,' whose values drive what 'improvement' means?", "These data show what people say in interviews. But what people say doesn't always match what they do. How do we account for that gap?", "If we wanted to preserve fonio's ceremonial importance while increasing production for markets, would those goals conflict? When?" ) ) for (i in 1:nrow(reflection_prompts)) { cat(sprintf("\nQuestion %d:\n%s\n", reflection_prompts$question_number[i], reflection_prompts$question[i])) } print("\n::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print("NOTE: We gather TEK data *to ask better questions in the room*,") print("NOT to replace community deliberation with quantitative 'evidence.'") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") ``` --- # 7. From Knowledge to Priorities: The Explicit Step Once stakeholders have reflected on TEK, they're ready to engage with the decision-framing question: "Given what we know about how fonio is valued and used, **what should priority interventions be?**" This is where structured prioritization (voting, ranking) becomes appropriate—because it's **explicit and grounded**. ```{r from_knowledge_to_priorities, eval=TRUE} # In the workshop, you might present this framework: print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print(" BRIDGING FROM KNOWLEDGE TO PRIORITIES") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print("\nThink about possible interventions for fonio:") possible_interventions <- data.frame( intervention = c( "Improve yields through new varieties or practices", "Increase dietary awareness and consumption", "Support markets and trader linkages", "Preserve ceremonial/cultural significance", "Promote ecological benefits (soil, water)", "Reduce processing labor burden", "Support women's economic participation" ), supports_which_uses = c( "Food production goals; market expansion", "Health/nutrition uses (especially medicinal value)", "Market uses; economic returns", "Ceremonial uses (may conflict with production focus)", "Ecological uses; sustainability values", "Processing uses; gender equity (if targets women)", "Multiple uses, especially processing and markets" ) ) print("\nFor each intervention, ask:") print("1. Which community values/uses does it support?") print("2. Which might it undermine or threaten?") print("3. Who benefits, and who bears costs?") print("4. Can competing values be balanced, or do we have to choose?") # Create a simple decision matrix decision_matrix <- possible_interventions %>% mutate( # rough scoring based on interview data # (in a real workshop, stakeholders would score) consensus_support = c(0.8, 0.7, 0.75, 0.5, 0.6, 0.9, 0.8), feasibility_rating = c(0.7, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.5, 0.8, 0.6), equity_concern = c("Medium", "Low", "Medium", "Low", "Low", "High", "Medium") ) print("\nDecision Matrix (illustrative):") print(decision_matrix %>% select(intervention, consensus_support, feasibility_rating, equity_concern)) print("\nKey insight from this analysis:") print("No single intervention serves all values equally.") print("Stakeholders must choose priorities and accept tradeoffs.") print("Decision-framing makes those tradeoffs explicit.") ``` --- # 8. Communicate Uncertainty and Limitations A critical part of using TEK data in decision-framing is **being honest about what you don't know**. ```{r communicate_limits, eval=TRUE} print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print(" LIMITATIONS OF THIS TEK DATA") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") limitations <- data.frame( aspect = c( "Sample size", "Participation", "Stated vs. actual behavior", "Temporal change", "Causality" ), what_we_have = c( "40 respondents", "Farmers, processors, traders, consumers", "What people said in interviews", "Snapshot in time (not longitudinal)", "Correlations (which uses co-occur)" ), what_we_dont_have = c( "Full population data; limited power for subgroup analysis", "People who couldn't attend; poorer/marginal farmers perhaps underrepresented", "What people actually do; markets constrain choices", "How knowledge/use changes over years; adaptation to climate change", "Why people think what they think; mechanism doesn't explain preference" ), implication = c( "Findings are suggestive, not definitive", "Results biased toward certain groups' views", "High-cited uses might not be currently practiced", "Traditional knowledge may not reflect future conditions", "Need qualitative follow-up to understand reasoning" ) ) for (i in 1:nrow(limitations)) { cat(sprintf("\n%s:\n What we have: %s\n What we DON'T have: %s\n Implication: %s\n", limitations$aspect[i], limitations$what_we_have[i], limitations$what_we_dont_have[i], limitations$implication[i])) } print("\n::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print("GOOD PRACTICE: Name these limitations explicitly in the workshop.") print("Acknowledge them in decision-making.") print("Plan for learning and adaptation as implementation proceeds.") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") ``` --- # 9. Disaggregate Results for Different Audiences Different stakeholders care about different aspects of the data. ```{r disaggregate_for_audiences, eval=TRUE} print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") print(" TAILORING COMMUNICATION TO DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS") print("::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::") # For farmers (producers) print("\n FOR FARMERS (WHAT SHOULD WE GROW? HOW?)") print("Key findings:") print(" - Multiple fonio uses (food, medicine, ceremony) are recognized") print(" - Yields and markets matter (consensus on food uses)") print(" - Processing burden matter to many (especially women)") print("Question for you: Which fonio uses/values are most important to YOUR household?") # For traders (markets) print("\n FOR TRADERS (MARKET & INCOME)") print("Key findings:") print(" - Market food use is high-consensus (demand is there)") print(" - Ceremonial and medicinal uses also cited (niche markets?)") print(" - Processing equipment is prioritized (value-addition opportunity?)") print("Question for you: What barriers limit your ability to scale fonio sales?") # For consumers (health/food) print("\n FOR CONSUMERS (NUTRITION & DIET)") print("Key findings:") print(" - Medicinal and nutritional values of fonio are recognized") print(" - But actual consumption may be limited by access/price") print(" - Gender affects food decisions in many households") print("Question for you: What would make fonio more often part of your meals?") # For conservation/government print("\n FOR GOVERNMENT/CONSERVATION (SUSTAINABILITY)") print("Key findings:") print(" - Ecological benefits (water, soil) are recognized but not always prioritized over production") print(" - Production increases must account for sustainability constraints") print("Question for decision-makers: How do we balance production goals with ecosystem health?") ``` --- # 10. Integrate ethnobotanyR Quantification into a Full Workflow Here's a complete workflow sketch for a real project: ```{r full_workflow, eval=FALSE, echo=TRUE} # This is pseudocode for a real project # STEP 1: Conduct interviews (months 1-3) # -> Use ethnobotanyR::ethnobotany interview guide/templates # -> Collect data on uses, citations, stakeholder type, location, gender # STEP 2: Quantify TEK (weeks 4-6) # -> Calculate UV (overall and by subgroup) # -> Calculate RI if you have multiple dimensions # -> Calculate confidence intervals or credible intervals # -> Aggregate by gender, location, stakeholder type tek_summary <- tek_data %>% group_by(use_category, stakeholder_type) %>% summarize( n_citations = n(), n_respondents = n_distinct(respondent_id), uv = n_citations / n_distinct(respondent_id), ci_lower = binomial::binom.confint( n_citations, n_distinct(respondent_id), methods = "wilson" )$lower, ci_upper = binomial::binom.confint( n_citations, n_distinct(respondent_id), methods = "wilson" )$upper, .groups = "drop" ) # STEP 3: Create visualizations (week 7) # -> Make heatmaps, bar plots, confidence interval plots # -> Focus on DISAGREEMENT not just means # STEP 4: Workshop (day 8) # -> Present findings back to stakeholders # -> Use data as mirror: "Here's what we heard" # -> Facilitate reflection on what data means for decisions # -> Introduce structured prioritization with stakeholder input # STEP 5: Document decisions (week 9) # -> What priorities did stakeholders choose? # -> Why (rationales)? # -> What tradeoffs were explicit vs. hidden? # STEP 6: Implementation and learning (months 10-24) # -> Monitor what was actually implemented # -> Track outcomes (did interventions work?) # -> Document failures and successes # -> Revisit data as conditions change # STEP 7: Retrospective analysis (month 25) # -> What did TEK data actually tell us? # -> What did stakeholders actually value? # -> Where were structural constraints vs. preference issues? # -> Publish case study (with limitations!) ``` --- # 11. Summary: ethnobotanyR as a Tool in Decision-Framing ## What ethnobotanyR functions help with: ✓ **Quantifying knowledge** (Use Value, Relative Importance, Fidelity) ✓ **Disaggregating data** (by stakeholder type, gender, location) ✓ **Creating visualizations** that make diversity visible ✓ **Documenting TEK** systematically ## What ethnobotanyR functions **do NOT** do: ✗ Make decisions for communities ✗ Prove that TEK is "better" ✗ Eliminate disagreement or political conflict ✗ Substitute for iterative learning and adaptation ✗ Replace participatory deliberation ## Best practice: **Use ethnobotanyR to make community knowledge visible and explicit.** Then bring that knowledge into a **decision-framing process designed around honest power analysis, respect for different values, and recognition of structural constraints**. The quantification is the easy part. The hard part—respecting diverse voices, making power visible, tolerating genuine disagreement—requires skilled facilitation and honest engagement with politics. --- # 12. References **For ethnobotanyR functions:** - See main vignette: "Modeling with Traditional Ecological Knowledge" - See framework vignette: "Decision-Framing in Community-Based Conservation" **For participatory decision-making:** - Gregory, R., & Keeney, R. L. (1994). Creating policy alternatives using stakeholder values. *Management Science*, 40(8), 1035-1048. - Schusler, T. M., Decker, D. J., & Pfeffer, M. J. (2003). Social learning for collaborative natural resource management. *Society & Natural Resources*, 16(4), 309-326. **For using TEK in research:** - Nadasdy, P. (1999). The politics of TEK: Power and the "integration" of knowledge. *Arctic Anthropology*, 36(1/2), 1-18. ---