In South Africa, conservation and tourism planning that incorporate local communities, has a greater significance today than before given the historical Apartheid legacy, which marginalised the majority of the population from democratic processes and economic opportunities. Community participation in the critical facets of conservation and tourism, that is planning, decision-making and management has been an object of research discourse for a long time. Issues around sustainability, governance, employment opportunity and equity, cost and benefit-sharing, land rights, capacity-building, active participation and conflicts have received great attention from scholars throughout the world. Externally-generated (observer) views on the nature and extent of local community participation in conservation and tourism management, more often than not, fail to depict the perceptions of the local residents. Explanations tend to be more prescriptive and are forced onto the stakeholders, who are directly affected by the circumstances around them. The voice of the local residents clearly articulates their views and attitudes much more than any other external views. The goal of this research study is to investigate the perceptions of local community on their participation in wildlife conservation, ecotourism and social development and the information gathered will be used to develop a new model for enhanced private sector-community collaboration and communication for sustainability. The study interrogates factors constraining collaboration, which include organisational culture, power differentials and communication, from the perspectives of stakeholders, especially the grassroots community. It engages with the community for its views and opinions and as a result, delivers valuable criticisms of and suggestions for the improvement of the process followed. A qualitative approach was adopted. Data collection and analysis methods were identified, explained, justified and implemented. This project is a Case Study, carried out in Umkhanyakhude District of KZN, in which Phinda Game Reserve and the surrounding local communities are located. Makhasa and Mnqobokazi are situated about 30-40 kilometres north-east of Hluhluwe, on the R22 Road that links the town with Sodwana Bay. Semi-structured individual and group interviews allow the study participants to identify and describe concerns or concepts that may not have been expected or considered by the researcher Interviews are of particular importance to ensure honesty and impartiality. Documentary analysis allowed to generate inferences through objective and systematic identification of core elements of a written communication. Observation was used to capture situations of interest not readily volunteered by the participants due to notable different views among members of the particular community. The Adapted Nominal Group Technique workshop was prepared and conducted, to augment the other methods. A multi-method approach ensured the reliability of the findings and the validity of both the approaches and the data collected. The historical background of &Beyond, its philosophy and journey towards sustainable wildlife conservation, tourism and social development was discussed. It was evident that due to the proximity of Makhasa and Mnqobokazi, activities of Phinda directly affected the communities and the same applies to those of the communities in Phinda. There was an apparent need to carefully and properly manage the cultural, socio-economic, political and spatial relationships to build a common understanding about roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in a mutually beneficial manner. The findings of the study illustrates that the perceptions and attitudes of the local residents on their participation in decision-making and management of conservation, tourism and social development are important for sustainability. The understanding of land rights issues was restricted to a few. While there was general appreciation for the activities of Phinda and Africa Foundation, the participants expressed their unfulfilled expectations, concerns and also made suggestions for a way forward to prevent conflict and ensure sustainable conservation and tourism. Skewed power relations, lack of participation in decision-making, poor governance, employment opportunities and equity, lack of transparency and poor communication strategies were among the main issues raised by the participants. Constructive criticism and recommendations, together with the Bending the Curve Model could serve as a valuable community engagement framework for private sector tourism companies and private game reserves to involve and work with surrounding communities to ensure more sustainable private game reserves in the future. The study recommends the model with some concrete, practical measures adapted from ideas of collaborative theory, for sustainable development / School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / Ph. D. (Environmental Management)

Orientador: Cristiana Simão Seixas / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T06:11:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Islas_CamilaAlvez_M.pdf: 6133137 bytes, checksum: ebdb2978dff83f18d49a9a85333257f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Nesta dissertação investiguei o Conhecimento Ecológico Tradicional (CET) sobre a fauna silvestre em uma comunidade Caiçara, localizada dentro de uma Unidade de Conservação (UC) de proteção integral, para gerar informações para o manejo de fauna dentro da reserva e em Unidades de Conservação brasileiras, incorporando princípios das abordagens de Manejo de Base Ecossistêmica e Ecossystem Stewardship. Este estudo foi realizado na comunidade da Praia do Sono, situada dentro da Reserva Ecológica Estadual da Juatinga (REEJ), no município de Paraty, RJ, que atualmente passa por um processo de recategorização para adequar-se à legislação federal, o que pode modificar a relação das comunidades com os recursos de subsistência, como os animais silvestres. Além disso, teorias e abordagens de manejo de recursos naturais poderão ser incorporadas ao novo plano de manejo. Para a coleta de dados realizei quatro conjuntos de entrevistas: i) entrevista semiestruturada, com 39 unidades familiares da Praia do Sono, para investigação dos usos, interações negativas e conservação da fauna na comunidade; ii) entrevista estruturada, com 7 informantes-chave da comunidade, para correlação entre os nomes populares e científicos iii) entrevista semiestruturada, com 4 informantes-chave da comunidade, para investigação do CET sobre biologia da fauna silvestre; e iv) entrevista semiestruturada, com 10 funcionários da REEJ, para compreender sua visão sobre a gestão de recursos na reserva. Utilizei também conversas não planejadas e observação direta. Na comunidade da Praia do Sono, os animais silvestres são utilizados principalmente como alimento, mas também como remédio e estimação. As interações negativas são motivadas por prejuízos que ocorrem na agricultura, na criação de animais domésticos, à saúde e por lazer. Após análise dos dados, os animais apontados como relevantes para o manejo da reserva, devido a suas características cinegéticas, seu potencial de gerar interações negativas ou por suas flutuações populacionais, são os mamíferos: paca (Cuniculus paca), cutia (Dasyprocta leporina), gambá (Didelphis sp.), tatu (Dasypus sp.), coati (Nasua nasua), veado (Mazama americana), porco-do-mato (Pecari tajacu), macaco-prego (Sapajus nigritus) e jaguatirica (Leopardus sp.); as aves: jacu (Penelope obscura), macuco (Tinamus solitarius), e tucano (Ramphastos sp.); e o réptil lagarto-teiú (Tupinambis merianae). Ainda, foram encontrados apetrechos, técnicas e regras de Caça Caiçara que devem, especialmente, serem considerados na gestão da Reserva. O CET encontrado é bastante robusto e possui potencial para ser utilizado no manejo da UC, pois contém uma gama valiosa de informações sobre os animais silvestres. Nesse contexto, o uso da abordagem Manejo de Base Ecossistêmica para a elaboração de um plano de manejo pode trazer benefícios para a REEJ e para outras UCs brasileiras, devido a proposta de integração do CET as informações técnico-científicas e a visão sistêmica da abordagem. A estratégia Ecosystem Stewardship complementa a abordagem de Manejo de Base Ecossistêmica ao propor uma gestão "de baixo para cima", na qual os usuários dos recursos seriam os maiores responsáveis pelo seu cuidado e garantia de sua sustentabilidade. Afinal, as interações entre a população humana local e a fauna vem se modificando, apresentando distintas formas de compreender a conservação. Ao reconhecer que as populações tradicionais necessitam utilizar os recursos naturais para viabilizarem sua existência serão encontrados usos e interações negativas danosas aos ecossistemas, mas também soluções para o manejo desses recursos. É na construção junto as comunidades que é possível encontrar respostas para a conservação, e o Conhecimento Ecológico Tradicional mostrou-se um valioso aliado nessa caminhada / Abstract: Here I have investigated the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) on wild animals in a Caiçara community, located within a full protected area (PA), to generate information for the wildlife management in the reserve and in Brazilian protected areas, incorporating principles of Ecosystem-based Management and Ecosystem Stewardship approaches. This study was conducted in Praia do Sono¿s community, located within the Juatinga State Ecological Reserve (JSER) in Paraty municipality, Rio de Janeiro state, which is currently undergoing a re-categorization process to adapt to federal legislation, which may modify the relationship of communities with subsistence resources like wild animals. In addition, theories and management approaches to natural resources could be incorporated into the new management plan. For data collection I conducted four groups of interviews: i) semi-structured with 39 Caiçara family¿s units, to investigate uses, negative interactions and conservation of fauna in the community; ii) structured interviews, with seven key informants of the community, for correlation between popular and scientific names; iii) semi-structured interviews with four key informants of the community, to investigate TEK on biology of wildlife; and iv) semi-structured interviews with 10 JSER employees, to understand their view on resource management in the Reserve. I also used unplanned conversations and direct observation. In Praia do Sono¿s community, wild animals are mainly used as food sources, but also as medicine and pets. Negative interactions occur motivated by losses in agriculture and animal husbandry, as well due to fear of attack and leisure. After analyzing the data, the animals identified as relevant to the management of the Reserve, due to their hunting characteristics, their potential to generate negative interactions or its population fluctuations are the mammals paca (Cuniculus paca), agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), opossum (Didelphis sp.), armadillo (Dasypus sp.), coati (Nasua nasua), brocket deer (Mazama americana), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), capuchin monkey (Sapajus nigritus) and ocelot (Leopardus sp.); the birds: dusky-legged guan (Penelope obscura), solitary tinamou (Tinamus solitarius), and toucan (Ramphastos sp.); and the reptile: lizard-tegu (Tupinambis merianae). Still, Caiçara¿s hunting traps, techniques and rules were found and should especially be considered in the management of the reserve. The TEK found is robust and has potential to be used in the management of PAs because it contains a valuable range of information about the wildlife. In this context, the use of the Ecosystem Based Management approach for the development of a management plan can benefit the JSER and other Brazilian PAs due to the proposal of integration between TEK and technical and scientific knowledge and the systemic view of the approach. The Ecosystem Stewardship strategy complements Ecosystem-based Management approach whit its proposal of a "bottom-up" management, in which resource users are the most responsible for resource care and its sustainability ensuring. After all, interactions between local human population and fauna has been changing, with different ways of understanding conservation. Recognizing that traditional populations need to use natural resources to ensure their survival will highlight damaging uses and and negative interactions harmful to ecosystems, but may also be found solutions for manage resources. It is in the building with the communities that you can find answers for conservation, and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge proved to be a valuable ally in this journey / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestra em Ecologia

Nutritional quality and availability is thought to regulate geographic patterns of variability in animal body size due to phenotypic plasticity. The purpose of this study is to determine how vegetation quality, abundance and population density influence white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) body size on a subregional spatial scale at Fort Hood, Texas. Harvest and census records are used to test the hypothesis that white-tailed deer exhibit phenotypic plasticity (e.g. larger body size) in response to differences in vegetation quality and availability. Results from these analyses suggest that forage quality and abundance alone is not a main driver of white-tailed deer body size. Analysis of deer population density (generally) resulted in an inverse relationship with body size. Areas with high quality forage and low population density support larger deer while areas with low quality forage and high density support smaller than average deer. The few exceptions occur in areas exhibiting poor quality forage and low population density or high forage quality and high density. Results from this study suggest that continued overcrowding of deer within isolated areas may eventually lead to efficiency phenotypic conditions producing smaller sized deer. These results could prove useful in interpreting deer population responses to harvest management. For successful local management of deer, studies examining the combined influence of habitat variables (such as forage quality, abundance and population density) on deer health offer managers valuable information needed to establish annual harvest goals and understand deer-habitat relationships relative to carrying capacity.

<p>Human interactions with white-tailed deer (<em>Odocoileus virginianus</em>) continue to change across the U.S. The growth of deer populations and urbanization of human populations have shifted values for wildlife away from traditional use toward mutual coexistence while simultaneously providing habitat for deer to thrive.<strong> </strong>Still, a mismatch exists between the reality of human-deer interactions and the management of them. Despite a changing social landscape, the human dimensions of deer management remain focused on hunting interests and the mitigation of crop damage to agricultural producers. Amid a national push to broaden wildlife ‘stakeholders’ to encompass all potential beneficiaries of wildlife, state wildlife agencies need to assess the needs and concerns of the broader public they serve to determine whether and how to engage non-traditional groups in wildlife management planning.</p> <p>Recognizing these needs, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN-DNR) partnered with Purdue University in 2018 to initiate the Integrated Deer Management Project (IDMP). As part of the IDMP, this dissertation comprises the first empirical assessment of social perceptions of white-tailed deer across Indiana. My research aimed to: (i) examine the initial context of human-deer interactions in Indiana and identify key social and cognitive factors that shape them; (ii) investigate how emotions, an understudied construct, interact with beliefs and attitudes to influence resident judgements about deer management; (iii) understand existing levels of satisfaction with deer management, potentials for social conflict over management approaches, and their social-ecological drivers; and (iv) develop indices and tools that can help IN-DNR officials better account for social perceptions and concerns in deer management planning. Due to a lack of prior knowledge about human-deer interactions in the state, I used an exploratory mixed-methods research design to address these objectives. I began by conducting 59 semi-structured interviews with residents around Indiana and two focus groups in the city of Bloomington (n=14) to understand their existing perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions related to deer and deer management. These interviews informed the development of a quantitative survey which I distributed to 6,000 residents across the state. I received 1806 completed surveys for a response rate of 33%.</p> <p>My data show that social perceptions of deer and deer management remain complex, driven by dynamic feedbacks among emotions, personal experiences, livelihood and behavioral contexts, beliefs about deer management, and beliefs about other social groups. I found that mixed emotions, situational contexts, and perceived power imbalances play key roles in shaping and shifting deer-related cognitions, yet models of cognitive processing, and human-wildlife interactions more broadly, neglect these dynamics. Emotions, specifically, have been marginalized by researchers and practitioners, likely due to the perception that they represent irrational reactions rather than calculated judgements. Under different scenarios of encountering deer, however, I found that respondent emotions exert a mediating effect on their judgments about deer management, and that the type of deer encountered matters. Emotions thus work together with cognitions to process various stimuli in a human-wildlife encounter and reach a normative decision. I posit that understanding when and why emotional responses arise will help practitioners develop more effective and socially accepted approaches to wildlife management.</p> <p>I next developed and analyzed indices of public satisfaction with the IN-DNR and potentials for social conflict over deer management approaches. I found that public satisfaction with deer management is nuanced and multidimensional. Cognitive variables like residents’ perceived acceptability of management methods and their deer-related concerns most strongly predicted agency performance and quality measures of satisfaction, whereas demographic characteristics including self-identity, wildlife value orientation, and allowance of hunting on one’s property exerted the strongest influences on trust components of satisfaction. Future studies should advance a multidimensional conception of satisfaction and associate it with key variables that I suspect underly satisfaction but were not captured in this study: perceived control, psychological distance, and norms of knowledge exchange between wildlife agencies and the public. Next, I found that potentials for social conflict over deer management varied with resident self-identities and management methods but showed more predictable variation with political ideologies. Geographically, hotspots of social conflict clustered around urban areas, indicating that cities and their residents should serve as a focus for public engagement efforts and mixed management strategies. Expanding agency conceptions of public satisfaction and social conflict represents a critical step towards broadening support for wildlife management and practicing good wildlife governance.<strong> </strong>I conclude by discussing barriers to integrating social and ecological data and the practicality of incorporating complex social dimensions into wildlife management planning.</p>

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