Dataset Information

Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe.

ABSTRACT: With the increase in illegal resource harvesting in most protected areas (PAs), the need to understand the determinants and relationships between PAs and local communities to enhance wildlife conservation is increasingly becoming important. Using focus group discussions and interviews, we established the determinants of PA staff-community relationship from both PA staff and local communities' viewpoints, and assessedperceptions of their relationship with each other. The study was guided by the following main research question, 'What is the nature of the relationship between PA staff and local communities and what are the main factors influencing the relationship?' Data were collected through focus group discussions and interviews from four PAs and their adjacent communities in Zimbabwe between July 2013 and February 2014. Our results showed that a total of seven determinants were identified as influencing PA staff-community relationship, i.e., benefit-sharing, human-wildlife conflict, compensation for losses from wildlife attacks, communication between PA staff and local communities, community participation in the management of CAMPFIRE projects, lack of community participation in tourism in PAs, and community perceptions of PA staff or PA staff perceptions of the community. Of the seven, only one determinant, benefit-sharing, was recorded as the main factor that differentially influencesthe perceptions of community and PA staff on their relationship. Furthermore, both the communities and PA staff reported mixed perceptions on their relationship with each other. We conclude that both communities' and PA staff's views on determinants are largely similar in all studied PAs irrespective of PA ownership, management and/or land use. Our findings could be relevant in policy making especially in developing countries in developing PA-community relationship framework in natural resource conservation.

SUBMITTER: Mutanga CN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5438145 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe.

Mutanga Chiedza Ngonidzashe CN Muboko Never N Gandiwa Edson E

PloS one 20170519 5

With the increase in illegal resource harvesting in most protected areas (PAs), the need to understand the determinants and relationships between PAs and local communities to enhance wildlife conservation is increasingly becoming important. Using focus group discussions and interviews, we established the determinants of PA staff-community relationship from both PA staff and local communities' viewpoints, and assessedperceptions of their relationship with each other. The study was guided by the f ...[more]

PMID: 28542185

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Project description:BackgroundSmoking is a public health concern and an avoidable cause of morbidity and mortality. Widening tobacco control policies might help shift social norms, the acceptability of exposing others to second-hand smoke, and cultural attitudes towards smoking. This study explored patient, staff, and visitor viewpoints of smoking within the grounds of a National Health Service hospital.MethodsAnalysis of free text responses given as part of a larger repeat cross sectional questionnaire study. Free text qualitative responses analysed using thematic analysis. Pinderfields Hospital, a UK National Health Service hospital in the county of Yorkshire, provides a health service to around half a million people living in the Wakefield and North Kirklees area. Surveys were distributed 10th-18th September and 17th-21st December 2012. Of the n=952 participants who completed an anonymous survey n=306 participants provided a response to the optional free text question.ResultsThematic analysis revealed 5 distinct themes: (1) smoking is a dirty problem; (2) smokers are free to do as they wish; (3) the poor smoker; (4) smoke in our space: the battleground; and (5) no smoking please. Of the n=272 represented by the five themes, generally people accepted that smoking is socially unacceptable but their understanding of smoking behaviours and attitudes towards management and control of smoking differed. There was a strong sense that action is needed to separate the space smokers and non-smokers share. We identified a distinct group of participants that supported a hard line approach and suggested enforcing the no smoking policy through fines and monitoring.ConclusionsSmoking on hospital grounds remains a contentious issue. Participants acknowledge that smoking is an increasingly unacceptable social behaviour but their understanding and acceptance of smokers vary. There is a strong sense of dislike about the impact of smoke and smokers on the shared hospital environment, with a focus on the hospital entrance. Participants suggest separating smokers and non-smokers and moving smokers away from the hospital entrance with the introduction of smoking shelters. These results suggest a complex narrative that should be investigated further to inform the implementation of the no-smoking policy across hospital settings.

Project description:BackgroundMany fish species have been introduced in wild ecosystems around the world to provide food or leisure, deliberately or from farm escapes. Some of those introductions have had large ecological effects. The north American native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792) is one of the most widely farmed fish species in the world. It was first introduced in Spain in the late 19th century for sport fishing (Elvira 1995) and nowadays is used there for both fishing and aquaculture. On the other hand, the European native brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) is catalogued as vulnerable in Spain. Detecting native and invasive fish populations in ecosystem monitoring is crucial, but it may be difficult from conventional sampling methods such as electrofishing. These techniques encompass some mortality, thus are not adequate for some ecosystems as the case of protected areas. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a sensitive and non-invasive method that can be especially useful for rare and low-density species detection and inventory in water bodies.MethodsIn this study we employed two eDNA based methods (qPCR and nested PCR-RFLP) to detect salmonid species from mountain streams within a protected area, The Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park of Redes (Upper Nalón Basin, Asturias, Northern Spain), where brown trout is the only native salmonid. We also measured some habitat variables to see how appropriate for salmonids the area is. The sampling area is located upstream impassable dams and contains one rainbow trout fish farm.ResultsEmploying qPCR methodology, brown trout eDNA was detected in all the nine sampling sites surveyed, while nested PCR-RFLP method failed to detect it in two sampling points. Rainbow trout eDNA was detected with both techniques at all sites in the Nalón River' (n1, n2 and n3). Salmonid habitat units and water quality were high from the area studied.DiscussionIn this study, a high quantity of rainbow trout eDNA was found upstream and downstream of a fish farm located inside a Biosphere Reserve. Unreported escapes from the fish farm are a likely explanation of these results. Since salmonid habitat is abundant and the water quality high, the establishment of rainbow trout populations would be favored should escapes occur. Environmental DNA has here proved to be a valuable tool for species detection in freshwater environments, and the probe-based qPCR highly sensitive technique for detection of scarce species. We would recommend this method for routine monitoring and early detection of introduced species within natural reserves.

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Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe.

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Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe.

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