Miriam Wyman

Examining the Linkages Between Community Benefits, Place-Based Meanings, and Conservation Program Involvement: A Study Within the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize

Nature-based tourism and a voluntary, written conservation pledge within the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize, are highlighted examples of community-based conservation initiatives. Little is known, however, about perceived benefits of riparian forests (the conservation focus), the function of place attachment as an incentive to conserving forests, or the role the conservation initiatives play in managing community benefits. A survey of 135 residents investigated place-based meanings of riparian forests and the importance and attainment of perceived community and individual benefits attributed to these landscapes. Results show a significant relationship between initiative involvement and higher perceived benefits (importance) and place attachment (meanings) toward riparian forests and conservation. All residents interviewed, however, regardless of initiative involvement, agree that riparian forests are not providing economic benefits. The findings, which expand on place attachment conceptualizations, provide a better understanding of the social outcomes of conservation and will aid future development and conservation planning of these initiatives.

Race and wildfire risk perceptions among rural forestland owners in north-central Florida

The southern United States is susceptible to wildfire, from its climate, growing seasons, lightning frequency, and decades of fire suppression. With much known about wildfires biophysical risks, less is understood about sociodemographic obstacles, including race, income, and education. Blacks in the rural southeastern United States are typically among the most marginalized Americans and least likely to have sufficient knowledge about resource protection. Because disaster preparedness has been shown to vary by sociodemographic status and race, this study focused on race and wildfire prevention by rural forestland owners in north-central Florida. Results show that while Whites were more aware of existing resources, they were less likely to incorporate preventative measures. In contrast, Blacks earned lower incomes and utilized their land less, but were more likely to manage and live on their land. We conclude that wildfire mitigation programs may be more effective when they work to connect absentee rural land owners to their land.

Does Population Increase Equate to Conservation Success? Forest Fragmentation and Conservation of the Black Howler Monkey

The Community Baboon Sanctuary (CBS) in Belize is a community reserve for the endangered black howler monkey ( Alouatta pigra ). This study assessed the performance of the CBS as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Category IV protected area through deforestation and forest fragmentation of the CBS and 500 m river buffer, and impacts on black howler monkey habitat over 15 years (1989-2004). Using satellite imagery remote sensing and landscape metrics, this study helps fill the gap in our understanding of forest fragmentation processes and habitat provision, using the black howler monkey as a specific example. Increased fragmentation resulted in decreased forest cover by 33% within both the CBS and river buffer. However, connectivity between habitat patches has remained high, indicating that dispersal and colonising potential between most forest patches has not been jeopardised. We conclude that conservation within the CBS may be more complex than simply equating forest conservation with black howler monkey conservation. One could say the CBS has been successful at black howler monkey conservation, as documented by population increases over the past 20 years. However, if the conservation objective is forest preservation, one could conclude conservation failure and may signal that the CBS should not be managed for a single outcome as assigned by an IUCN Category IV designation.