Community perceptions of four protected areas in the Northern portion of the Cerrado hotspot, Brazil

Abstract

SUMMARYEstablishing effective networks of protected areas (PAs) is one of the major goals of conservation strategies worldwide. However, the success of PAs in promoting biodiversity conservation depends on their integration to local and regional contexts, reducing and mitigating human impacts originating from buffer zones. Community perceptions affect interactions between residents and PAs, and thereby conservation effectiveness. Research at Tocantins state (northern Brazilian Cerrado), aimed to analyse local community perceptions of four PAs, discussing how different factors may influence these. Perceptions were assessed through standardized interviews applied to PA employees and 275 local inhabitants. There was modest community participation in PA establishment and management. Residents were aware of the PAs’ existence, but were unfamiliar with their goals. Length of residency and occupation of inhabitants influenced their PA perceptions, shaping different people-park relations in each of the four studied PAs. Involvement of local residents in PA planning and management represents a central strategy to strengthen local support for PAs over the long term. In those areas that still have settlements inside their boundaries, community relocation should follow a careful participatory process to avoid significant changes in local perceptions and attitudes towards these PAs, crucial for conserving Brazilian biodiversity.

Developing a conceptual framework for the attitude–intention–behaviour links driving illegal resource extraction in Bardia National Park, Nepal

“…These factors include perception about the park management and other relevant organisations (Allendorf, 2007;Gillingham and Lee, 1999;Lepp and Holland, 2006), inadequate benefits (Gillingham and Lee, 1999;Lepp and Holland, 2006), past experience with protected wildlife such as crop damage and livestock depredation (Campbell-Smith et al, 2010;Yihune et al, 2009), general conservation values (Sodhi et al, 2010), dependency on resource (Marshall et al, 2010), perceived impact of illegal resource extraction (Thapa and Chapman, 2010) and socio-economic factors related to the household and the village an individual belongs to (Anthony, 2007;Ferreira and Freire, 2009;Vodouhê et al, 2010). In the following paragraphs, we will explain how each of these factors has been found to influence attitudes and behaviour, leading to the development of a framework for modelling the likelihood of illegal resource extraction.…”

Local Residents' Knowledge about Protected Areas: A Case Study in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, India

“…However, respondents were confused about the park's goals, as they expected the park staff to focus on community development. Similarly, in a study in four PAs in Brazil, Ferreira and Freire (2009) found that residents were aware of the PAs' existence, but were unfamiliar with their goals.…”

Perspectives of traditional Himalayan communities on fostering coexistence with Himalayan wolf and snow leopard

“…Conservation of large carnivores like wolves and snow leopards requires a better understanding of their conflict with humans (Namgail et al, 2007) because community perceptions and attitudes affect conservation effectiveness (Ferreira & Freire, 2009). In addition, a proper understanding of the human dimension and related social norms characterizing wildlife conflicts is essential to inform management and ensure local support (Gelcich, Edwards-Jones, Kaiser, & Castilla, 2006;Madden, 2004).…”

“…Many studies on human-carnivore conflicts in highland Asia have provided important conservation implications by understanding people's attitudes toward carnivores; either by characterizing the attitudes (Bagchi & Mishra, 2006;Ferreira & Freire, 2009;Liu et al, 2011;Oli et al, 1994;Wang, Lassoie, & Curtis, 2006) or by identifying the drivers for the attitudes (Li et al, 2015;Mishra, 1997;Suryawanshi et al, 2014). But these studies usually present surveyors' opinions as possible solutions rather than including those of local communities.…”