ABSTRACT
The conservation of biodiversity and the associated knowledge systems both need incentives tailored to specific social, ecological and economic conditions in different parts of the world. These incentives can be endogenously generated or exogenously provided. They can be in material or non-material form, and aimed at individuals or communities. The incentives can also be graduated or constant and provided singly or in the form of a portfolio. It is obvious that incentives must be substantial to act as a motivator for influencing behaviour in a particular manner. Too small an incentive may not be an incentive at all. But a combination of various material and nonmaterial incentives can produce much more powerful synergistic effects than any one of these incentives singly.
