Doctoral Dissertation Research: Institutional Analysis and Effective Conservation of Biodiversity in Central America

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

Because of human-related disturbances, tropical forests are suffering from rapid deforestation and fragmentation, which is leading to a significant decrease in biodiversity. This impacts the survival, livelihoods, and prosperity of local human populations. Conservation of biologically rich forests is one of the most crucial issues in current natural resource management. Institutional approaches to conservation range from limited-use laws to complete exclusion of people from protected areas. Institutions are formal and informal rules that people use to manage resources. Previous research has shown a correlation between monitoring and enforcement institutions and biodiversity, but there is no clear understanding about why some institutions successfully maintain biodiversity while others do not. This doctoral dissertation research project will quantify the differences in forest tree biodiversity and spatial distribution of deforestation and reforestation events in a contiguous high montaine cloud forest, La Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve, which is located at the intersection of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Each country has different institutional arrangements dealing with the protection of this area, and monitoring and enforcement vary across the countries. The doctoral candidate will address the following question: How do institutional arrangements for monitoring and enforcement affect biodiversity in protected areas? Remote-sensing land-cover change analysis along with intensive forest mensuration, local household surveys, and interviews will provide data needed to complete a comparative analysis of the impacts of three distinct institutional protection regimes on forest biodiversity. Findings are expected to show where deforestation and reforestation are occurring, compare tree biodiversity among the three countries, and correlate the results to institutional variables, especially monitoring and enforcement. The student expects to demonstrate that institutional arrangements limiting forest product use through monitoring and enforcement will be positively correlated with higher forest biodiversity. This research will conduct a multinational comparative analysis within a single forest ecosystem in a transnational protected area. In case studies across different forests, variability in abiotic and biotic variables can make meaningful comparisons difficult. Because this forest ecosystem is subject to three distinct institutional arrangements, it will be easier to attribute differences in forest biodiversity to institutional differences. Research results will enhance current knowledge of effective institutions for forest governance by comparing institutions and their effects on the ground. The project also will explore what institutional arrangements are associated with conservation in protected areas occupied by humans and which institutional variables correlate with greater biodiversity. This research has potential implications for approaches to current conservation initiatives in areas where people live within in protected areas. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career. This award is jointly supported by the NSF Geography and Spatial Sciences Program and the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering.