Participatory Conservation in the Condor Bioreserve,Ecuador

Abstract

The Condor Bioreserve (CBR) project seeks to promote community-based and participatory forms of conservation at four protected areas in Ecuador. This chapter provides a review of the academic and practitioner literature on participatory conservation, and explores the kinds of participation which occur in the CBR. Three assertions are central to the paper. First, the ways communities are represented by project documents and project planners condition the outcomes of participatory projects. Second, the intense focus of participatory approaches on the community level diverts attention from political and economic realities which constrain the ability of community members to actively conserve natural resources. And third, the chronological point at which communities and local people become involved in decision processes affects the kinds of participation in conservation projects; because problem definition is a key moment in which various participants establish basic assumptions about the nature of problems, the exclusion of local communities from the initial phases of program planning conditions the ways in which communities are likely to participate in conservation efforts. The paper addresses these issues by looking at the cases of management planning activities, the water fund (FONAG), extension efforts in the Sinangoé community, and the Local Participation in the Management of Protected Areas (PALOMAP) external review of participation in the CBR initiative.     

Institutional arrangement and typology of community forests of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland of North-East India

Most community forests in hill regions of northeast India have been managed by traditional local institutions for centuries and most of these institutions remain functional even today. Higher forest coverage on private and community lands as compared to government land indicates that traditional institutions effectively manage community forests in the region. The present study was conducted through a survey of literature and field work using participatory research tools viz., PRA exercises, group discussions and questionnaire interviews with key informants in northeast India. We categorized the institutions involved in conservation and management of forests into three major types: traditional, quasi-traditional and modern. Traditional institutions with hierarchal structure were found in all states and are intact and functional in the state of Meghalaya. Quasi-traditional institutions, a blend of traditional and modern institutions were prevalent in Nagaland while modern institutions have almost replaced traditional institutions in Mizoram. We recorded at least eleven types of community forests viz., group of village forest, village forest, restricted forest, sacred forest, clan forest, cemetery forest, regeneration forest, bamboo forest, recreation forest, village reserved forest and medicinal plantation in villages of three states. The tribal people, through long-term trial and error experiments, have developed an elaborate, functional and generally democratic system of conservation and management of forests and associated natural ecosystems. Several forest and natural resource management lessons can be learnt from the institutional structure and decision making system of the evolving and dynamic institutions of tribal communities of the region.     

How Can Participatory Forest Management Cooperatives be Successful in Forest Resources Conservation? An Evidence From Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

In many parts of the world, community-based approaches to forest management have been evolving after recognizing that the top-down approach impedes conserving forests effectively. In Ethiopia also, local communities have been involved in participatory forest management (PFM) arrangements for better conservation of forest resources. However, the achievements in improving forest conservation outcomes have been mixed, while some PFMs are successful, others are not. Using data collected from 42 PFM cooperatives from Metema and Quara districts in Amhara dry forest region of Ethiopia, this study seeks to examine the variables that explain the variations in the performances of PFM cooperatives in forest conservation. The study has found that the performance of the PFM cooperatives depends on the key attributes of users, physical resources, and institutions and these attributes explain best for the success of PFMs. Therefore, the study suggests that these attributes along with the external factors like government policy must be given due importance while designing PFM arrangement. Moreover, just to highlight the impact of the external factors, the government policy like the resettlement program must be reconsidered; while the expansion of trade and infrastructure must be encouraged in order to strengthen the performance of PFMs and achieve forest conservation.     

Legal frameworks for and the practice of participatory natural resources management in South Africa

This study evaluated the role of rural communities in the conservation of natural resources in South Africa. South Africa has sufficient legal instruments that promote interactive participation of rural people in the management of natural resources. These national laws operate within the policy frameworks provided by the multilateral environmental conventions and protocols to which South Africa is signatory. However, these legal commitments to participatory management of natural resources are not matched by the practice on the ground by South African conservationists. Grassroots conservation officials who are responsible for administering participatory processes primarily focus their attention on the establishment of participatory natural resources management forums. However, these forums typically die out, as they fail to meet local people's expectations. Lack of capacity, experience and innovation underlie the absence of institutional culture for effective integration of rural people's needs into the management of protected natural resources. Strategic recommendations are provided to overcome these inadequacies identified in the implementation of participatory management of natural resources in South Africa.     

Sustaining Multifunctional Forestry Through the Developing of Social Capital and Promoting Participation: A Case of Multiethnic Mountain Communities

Communities with multicultural, ethnically diverse populations located in forest areas of the Carpathian Mountains often face serious social and economic problems, including high unemployment rates, weak social support and institutions with little stakeholder participation in decision-making. In this paper, we apply participatory scenario processes to address the development of multifunctional forestry in these mountains by taking as an example the case study of Slovensky Raj National Park and specifically focusing on the involvement of local communities, particularly the Roma minority, in sustainable forest management (SFM). The paper argues that development of local institutions and promotion of horizontal and vertical participation to increase social capital is necessary for addressing social and economic problems, managing potential conflicts and sustaining multifunctional forestry development. The results suggest that the way forward is the integration of multi-purpose forest management with community development, and that learning, repeated stakeholder interaction, trust-building and cooperation between and within multiethnic local communities are important preconditions for success. The scenario process applied turned out to be beneficial for both the majority and the minority populations, particularly allowing for discussions about future development of mountain regions, their local economies and communities, and for providing some guidance about what are the preferred actions for participation in multifunctional SFM.     

By,For and Of the People

Abstract

This paper describes the development of two community-managed protected areas in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Specifically, it focuses on the diverse factors that have allowed the community-based reserves initiatives to unfold and analyzes some of the social-institutional structures that communities have constructed for autochthonous management of land and resources. The information for this paper was gathered through institutional analysis employing semi-structured, open-ended interviews with administrators, manager-practitioners, local farmers, and community representatives from the Chimalapas and Sierra Juárez regions of Oaxaca. The results of this study support the conclusion that, given strong social institutions, local communities can successfully form management partnerships for forest conservation and autochthonous development.     

Participatory Research for Adaptive Ecosystem Management

Summary

Participatory research involves members of interested communities who work with researchers to apply their joint skills and experience to explore issues of mutual concern. There is an increasingly explicit federal mandate for participatory research efforts involving stakeholder groups in public land management. This paper presents a case study of one effort ongoing in the Hayfork Adaptive Management Area (AMA) on the Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity national forests of northern California. There, a network of U.S. Forest Service staff, scientists, local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nontimber forest product harvesters (wildcrafters) has been working to address ecological, economic, and social aspects of harvesting nontimber forest products (NTFP) from public land. This paper discusses the challenges of NTFP management on public lands and analyzes participatory research as an approach for addressing some of these challenges.     

我国天然林的多目标综合管理

文中提出了天然林多目标综合管理的概念、原则、方法和管理程序。天然林多目标综合管理以社会经济信息和资源信息为数据基础, 以生态系统评估为依据, 以土地利用战略规划为核心, 以多部门共同管理为保障, 打破传统的针对天然林经营规划的管理方式, 实现以天然林区为对象的综合管理方式, 把天然林资源的经营与当地林区的发展结合起来, 实现天然林可持续经营和当地可持续发展的双赢。这种管理模式可解决我国天然林管理中存在的诸多矛盾, 发挥天然林的多种功能。     

Agroforestry landscapes and global change: landscape ecology tools for management and conservation

Forest ecosystems are impacted by multiple uses under the influence of global drivers, and where landscape ecology tools may substantially facilitate the management and conservation of the agroforestry ecosystems. The use of landscape ecology tools was described in the eight papers of the present special issue, including changes in forested landscapes due to agricultural and forestry activities, landscape changes due to recent intensification of agriculture, and the impacts of agroforestry as compared to natural forest ecosystems. Landscape ecology can improve the economic, environmental and social values of agroforestry, and this knowledge should help to develop new management alternatives for agroforestry. We believe that these papers will inform management at the landscape level, especially in agroforestry landscapes, offering new tools for management and conservation.     

Multi-criteria decision analysis in natural resource management: A critical review of methods and new modelling paradigms

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is an umbrella approach that has been applied to a wide range of natural resource management situations. This paper has two purposes. First, it aims to provide a critical review of MCDA methods applied to forest and other natural resource management. The review seeks to layout the nature of the models, their inherent strengths and limitations. Models are categorized based on different classification schemes and are reviewed by describing their general characteristics, approaches, and fundamental properties. The review goes beyond traditional MCDA techniques; it describes new modelling approaches to forest management. The second purpose is to describe new MCDA paradigms aimed at addressing the inherent complexity of managing forest ecosystems, particularly with respect to multiple criteria, multi-stakeholders, and lack of information. Comments about, and critical analysis of, the limitations of traditional models are made to point out the need for, and propose a call to, a new way of thinking about MCDA as they are applied to forest and natural resource management planning. These new perspectives do not undermine the value of traditional methods; rather they point to a shift in emphasis—from methods for problem solving to methods for problem structuring.     

Institutional Constraints on Interactive Community Participation in Forest Conservation in Mozambique

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the institutional constraints that limit the active participation of rural communities in the sustainable use and management of forest resources in Mozambique. It was found that the Land Law does not encourage smallholders to invest in land resource conservation when soil fertility and yields decline and weed infestation begins to manifest. Recognition of customary institutions as legitimate authorities in the management of land and embedded resources by the Land, and Forestry and Wildlife laws constrains the effective participation of women in sustainable use. Both laws externalize the costs of natural resource degradation and have inappropriate beliefs in the capacity of traditional institutions to effectively implement sustainable use and management of natural resources. Lack of skilled human resources was also identified as a key factor limiting the effective implementation of natural resources policies in Mozambique. The majority of rural communities that depend on land, forest, and wildlife resources are unaware of the relevant statutes that govern the ownership and utilization of these natural resources. This paper provides pertinent recommendations for resolving these institutional constraints on the sustainable use and management of natural resources in Mozambique.     

Integrating climate change into forest management in South-Central British Columbia: An assessment of landscape vulnerability and development of a climate-smart framework

The achievement of sustainable forest management requires the incorporation of risk and uncertainty into long-term planning. Climatic change will have significant impacts on natural disturbances, species and ecosystems, particularly on landscapes influenced by forest management. Understanding where vulnerabilities lie is important in managing the risks associated directly or indirectly with climatic change. The vulnerability of landscapes to natural disturbances, the resilience of ecosystems and distribution of species are all important components that need to be considered when undertaking forest planning, but climatic change is rarely factored into such planning. In this study, the vulnerability of fire potential, fire regimes, ecosystems and species to climatic change was modelled for a 145,000 ha landscape in the south-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The results from these analyses were used to guide forest zoning, using the triad zoning framework, and for the development of a “climate-smart” management framework. The use of climate-smart management is advocated as a decision-making framework for managing forested landscapes based on an understanding of landscape vulnerability to future climatic change. From this understanding, the maintenance of ecosystem health and vitality could be achieved.     

The Management of Small Diameter,Lesser-Known Hardwood Species as Polewood in Forest Communities of Central Quintana Roo,Mexico

ABSTRACT

Diversification in resource management can serve as a strategy to increase both economic well-being and environmental sustainability in rural communities, especially in tropical forested regions. This paper documents and analyzes the recent and rapid regional commercialization of small diameter, lesser-known tropical hardwood species as polewood in Quintana Roo, Mexico, presenting the promises and perils for sustainable management and resource diversification in the context of Mexican economic development and community forestry. We present data from interviews with local farmers and forestry officials involved in community management of timber resources to reveal baseline information regarding the use and management of polewood, locally called palizada. We found the same permitting system used for high-value timber was implemented for polewood without recognizing the complex ecological characteristics of polewood and the different metrics by which polewood and high-value timber are bought and sold. These factors, coupled with an unstable market for this new forest product and potential for overexploitation, present a difficult situation for the sustainable management of polewood. We conclude that incorporating local ecological knowledge in devising polewood management strategies can strengthen local governance and is an essential aspect of managing this emerging market of forest products.     

Farmers’ perceptions and attitudes toward forest watershed conservation of the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest

Over the past several decades, the management of forest ecosystem functions through policies such as “command and control” has not been successful, largely because existing policies and legislation for natural resource management are inadequate and often formulated without consulting local communities such as farmers. However, farmers’ decisions to participate in natural resource conservation or watershed conservation more particularly are generally influenced by their knowledge of the problems and perceived benefits of conservation. This study focuses on farmers’ perceptions and attitudes toward forest watershed conservation in the North West Selangor Peat Swamp forest of Malaysia. A survey questionnaire was administered to 380 paddy farmers at the North West Selangor irrigation scheme. Dates were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the theory of value and social psychology constructs. The study concludes that farmers have generally positive attitudes toward forest watershed conservation. Therefore, we recommend farmers’ involvement in the conservation and management of the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF).     

Evaluation of the sustainability of participatory management of forest plantations: the case study of Wari-Maro Forest Reserve,Republic of Benin§

This study assessed ecological and socio-economic impacts of a participatory forest management project in the Republic of Benin. The study focused on the Wari-Maro Forest Reserve and the ‘Projet d’Aménagement des Massifs Forestiers’ five years after its completion. A forest inventory was carried out using 37 square plots of 729 m² each to characterise the population structure of two types of plantations established: plantations with exotic species and plantations with native species. In addition, individual surveys were conducted with local households, organs of joint forest management and forestry officers to evaluate their perceptions about the participatory management of the plantations. Finally, the sustainability of the participatory management was assessed with an established rating system. Results showed that plantations with exotic species were more successful than plantations with native species. Local communities argued that they have not been involved in the plantations design but only in the implementation step and that their standards of living have decreased after the project completion. The rating system used showed that the participatory management of plantations had a short-term sustainability. The findings suggest that future projects should be designed and implemented with better participation of local communities as full partners.     

Developing and testing of a method for the analysis and assessment of multiple forest use from a forest conservation perspective

The goal of this study was to develop a method for analyzing and assessing multiple forest use from a forest conservation perspective and to test this method as a case study at a local forest management unit (Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd., Ontario, Canada).The method adopts a model concept and consists of the definition of a target system for forest conservation, the design of a set of criteria and indicators, the assessment of indicator performance, and the formulation of action plans. Implementation of the method, the state of the forest, and the impact of multiple forest use are analyzed and assessed.The formulated target system for forest conservation contains the goal of integrated, sustainable and natural forest management; the objectives of protection of natural processes, naturalness and natural diversity; and operational targets. The development of the set of criteria and indicators including measurement units is mainly based on the concept of protection of natural processes, but is modified and extended.The examined forest management unit shows good to very good performance for most of the indicators. Overall, the state of the forest can be assessed as good to very good, with only minimal impact caused by the multiple forest use operation. The method is suitable for analyzing and assessing multiple forest use. It contributes to the evaluation of new forest management concepts and forest conservation assessment methods, and supports approaches of certification and criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management at the local level.     

Forest Management Approaches for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: a Comparison Between Germany and Japan

ABSTRACT

Forest management affects carbon sequestration (mitigation) and resilience of forest ecosystems (adaptation) under climate change. Therefore, the efforts to integrate these two approaches have been made by the political arrangements to seek the synergy effects and deal with trade-offs. To study the state of the art linkages and forest policies to realize both adaptation and mitigation, we systematically review the literature highlighting the topic (136 publications) and outline two different approaches from Germany and Japan as countries with substantial forest resources and high influences on international forest policies and wood trade. We identify three linkages: (1) an ecosystem (based) approach assuming that a resilient ecosystem (adaptation), has high potential as a carbon sink (mitigation), (2) a sustainable forest management (SFM) aiming for enhancing forests’ resilience and carbon sink potential simultaneously, and (3) a cross-sectoral approach generating synergies among multiple sectors of agriculture, forestry, urban design, and nature conservation. We find that a significant objective is still SFM for sustaining the forest area andwood production, where SFM examples in Germany and Japan exemplify contributions to carbon sinks and ongoing disaster risk management, respectively. Overall, the current differentiated objectives of SFM do not underpin the twofold approach and their synergy effects.     

Forest Utilization in Oaxaca

Abstract

Two communities, Ixtlan and Chalchijapa, located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, are compared based on their utilization of local forests. The long-settled community of Ixtlan, with its pine-oak forests, is compared to the recently established village of Chalchijapa which is located in rain forest on the edge of the Chimalapas nature reserve. Constraints such as forest type and management, land ownership and tenure, and current and future plans for timber extraction and utilization are examined, as are methods of wood processing and milling. The degree and type of wood utilization carried out by these two timber-dependent communities is greatly reflective of the local forest type and social structure.