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Combining Stakeholder- and Social Network- Analysis to Improve Regional Nature Conservation: A Case Study from Osnabruck, Germany.

ABSTRACT: Many nature conservation projects fail primarily not because of a lack of knowledge about upcoming threats or viable conservation concepts but rather because of the inability to transfer knowledge into the creation of effective measures. Therefore, an increase in information exchange and collaboration between theory- and practice-oriented conservation actors, as well as between conservation actors, land user groups, and authorities may enhance the effectiveness of conservation goals. By considering the interactions between conservation stakeholders as social networks, social network analysis (SNA) can help identify structural optimization potential in these networks. The present study combines SNA and stakeholder analysis (SA) to assess the interactions between 34 conservation stakeholders in the major city and district of Osnabrück in northwestern Germany and offers insights into cost/benefit optimizations of these stakeholder interactions. Data were acquired using a pile sort technique and guideline-based expert interviews. The SA, based on knowledge mapping and SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, identified individual stakeholder's complementary properties, indicating which among them would most benefit from mutual information exchange and collaboration. The SNA revealed discrepancies in information exchange and collaboration between theory- and practice-focused stakeholders. Conflicts were found predominantly between conservation associations, authorities and land user groups. Ecological research, funding, land-use conflicts, and distribution of conservation knowledge were identified as fields with high potential for increased information exchange and collaboration. Interviews also showed that the stakeholders themselves see many opportunities for increased networking in the region. The results are discussed in relation to the existing literature on nature conservation networks and used to recommend optimization measures for the studied network. Finally, the conclusion reflects upon the developed approach's implications and possibilities for conservation stakeholders and planners in general.

SUBMITTER: Przesdzink F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8789692 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Studies of community-based obesity prevention interventions have hypothesized that stakeholder networks are a critical element of effective implementation. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the interpersonal network structures within a sub-sample of stakeholders from two past successful childhood obesity prevention interventions.Participants were recruited from the stakeholder groups (steering committees) of two completed community-based intervention studies, Romp & Chomp (R&C), Australia (2004-2008) and Shape Up Somerville (SUS), USA (2003-2005). Both studies demonstrated significant reductions of overweight and obesity among children. Members of the steering committees were asked to complete a retrospective social network questionnaire using a roster of other committee members and free recall. Each participant was asked to recall the people with whom they discussed issues related to childhood obesity throughout the intervention period, along with providing the closeness and level of influence of each relationship.Networks were reported by 13 participants from the SUS steering committee and 8 participants from the R&C steering committee. On average, participants nominated 16 contacts with whom they discussed issues related to childhood obesity through the intervention, with approximately half of the relationships described as 'close' and 30% as 'influential'. The 'discussion' and 'close' networks had high clustering and reciprocity, with ties directed to other steering committee members, and to individuals external to the committee. In contrast, influential ties were more prominently directed internal to the steering committee, with higher network centralization, lower reciprocity and lower clustering.Social network analysis provides a method to evaluate the ties within steering committees of community-based obesity prevention interventions. In this study, the network characteristics between a sub-set of stakeholders appeared to be supportive of diffused communication. Future work should prospectively examine stakeholder network structures in a heterogeneous sample of community-based interventions to identify elements most strongly associated with intervention effectiveness.

Project description:The world´s largest network of protected areas-Natura 2000 (N2000)-has been implemented to protect Europe´s biodiversity. N2000 is built upon two cornerstones, the Birds Directive, which lists 691 bird species (plus one additional bird genus with no further classification) and the Habitats Directive, which lists next to a variety of species, 233 habitat types to be protected. There is evidence of the positive impact of the Directives on the EU´s biodiversity, although the overall improvement reported for species in favourable condition in the last assessment was low. However, most of the assessments are species focused, while habitats have received very little attention. Here we developed a generic workflow, which we exemplified for Germany, to assess the status of habitat coverage within the N2000 network combining information from publicly available data sources. Applying the workflow allows identification of gaps in habitat protection, followed by the prioritization of potential areas of high protection value using the conservation planning software Marxan. We found that, in Germany, N2000 covers all target habitats. However, common habitats were proportionally underrepresented relative to rare ones, which contrasts with studies focussing on the representation of species. Moreover, the German case study suggests that especially highly protected areas (i.e. covered by more than 90% with N2000 sites) build an excellent basis towards a cost-effective and efficient conservation network. Our workflow provides a generic approach to deal with the common problem of missing habitat distribution data outside of N2000 sites, information which is however crucial for managers to plan conservation actions appropriately across Europe. To avoid a biased representation of habitat types within N2000, our results underpin the importance of defining qualitative and quantitative conservation targets which will allow assesment of the trajectory of habitat protection in Europe as well as adjustment of the network accordingly-a future necessity in the light of climate change.

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Combining Stakeholder- and Social Network- Analysis to Improve Regional Nature Conservation: A Case Study from Osnabruck, Germany.

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