Perception of conservation strategies and nature’s contributions to people around Chingaza National Natural Park, Colombia

Abstract

Summary A conventional conservation strategy is establishing protected areas to help combat anthropogenic and climate change impacts on tropical ecosystems, but the effectiveness of these measures is often hampered in upland areas by resource conflicts among armed groups, citizens and government institutions. Improved governance and community participation are key to effectively conserving these areas, yet little is known regarding citizen perceptions in such places. Here, a representative protected area in Colombia is used in order to analyse rural and urban citizen perceptions regarding conservation, conflicts with guerrilla groups and nature’s contributions to people (NCPs) around Chingaza National Natural Park. We used on-site, semi-structured in-person surveys, geospatial data and statistics to understand these perceptions and the roles of armed conflict and deforestation. Perceptions on ecosystem degradation were correlated with deforestation and past guerrilla attacks. Age and place of residence were influential pro-conservation factors, while younger respondents were most willing to invest time in conservation activities. Air purification and water supply and quality were the most identified NCPs and citizens differentiated conservation-related recreation activities from natural resource extraction. We suggest that the legacy of past armed conflict still affects conservation strategies and communities living near tropical highland protected areas.

Coffee and Potato Agroecosystems: Social Construction of Spaces as a Concept to Analyse Nature's Contributions to People

“…Potato farmers also recognize water supply and quality as the most important NCP. The latter is consistent with citizen perceptions of upland areas in Chingaza National Natural Park (Colombia) (Pedraza et al, 2020).…”

Community-Based Importance and Quantification of Ecosystem Services, Disservices, Drivers, and Neotropical Dry Forests in a Rural Colombian Municipality

“…Using the interview responses and Pedraza et al [7], we developed a structured survey with the following sections: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) the most important ES and (3) ED affecting them, (4) identification of key drivers of change, and (5) questions…”

“…Using the interview responses and Pedraza et al [7], we developed a structured survey with the following sections: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) the most important ES and (3) ED affecting them, (4) identification of key drivers of change, and (5) questions about respondents environmental attitudes and opinions. They survey was pre-tested with 10 university researchers and once finalized, 361 in-person intercept surveys were conducted in Coyaima.…”

“…The surveys method consisted of the following steps: (1) the study area context was explained to the respondents using a script and photos, (2) respondents were provided with a form in which response items were previously read, (3) once respondents read all the options, they selected their response options. This was done for Questions 1, 2, 3 and 5 to reduce protest responses [7]. The order of listing the benefit and damage response options in Questions 1 and 2 (Supplementary Material, Part 3) were randomly presented to the respondents in every survey to reduce selection bias associated with selecting the initially presented items.…”

“…Although much ES research focuses on generating information on ES supply, fewer studies begin by first consulting with local stakeholders to identify the demand for important ES before commencing their assessments [5,6]. Spatially explicit information on ES in Colombia exists, yet ineffective conservation goals, planning instruments, and degradation of ecosystems, such as Andean forests and the paramos (mountain grasslands), continue to alter both the storage and supply of water-a highly important ES to downstream municipalities [7]. Therefore, there seems to be a mismatch between the local realities and needs of municipal and regional planners with the information being provided by ES assessments [2].…”