Poster Abstract Details

Author(s):
Hedy I. Nieves and Tania López

Affiliation:
University of Puerto Rico

Presentation Type:
Poster

Topic Area:
Ecosystem impacts on human communities (e.g., human health, economic well-being, political action)

Abstract Text:
Increasingly, the natural resources conservation literature puts emphasis on relating local needs to resource conservation and management. This research places forest conservation within the wider context of people’s lives and needs. The study took place in three different areas in Piuerto Rico: the forest within and around El Yunque National Forest, the Northern Karst forest and the urban forest in the Río Piedras Watershed. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit people’s everyday concerns in order to understand how forest conservation relates to immediate concerns. In addition, questions were directed to document residents’ knowledge of forest ecosystem services and drivers of change. The analysis revealed that people do recognize forest benefits and the negative impacts they are exposed to. However, people find other concerns – such as health and economic factors – more pressing. These immediate concerns are not independent from forest conservation and management, as forests are beneficial to human health and provision of resources. The results suggest mainstreaming forest conservation into the wider context of people’s general well being. Identifying and promoting forest conservation initiatives that include and attend people’s everyday concerns could be a way of promoting local participation and behavioral changes that support forest ecosystem services and their conservation.