Linking Institutional Characteristics to Communal Natural Resource Conservation in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park
Abstract
National parks in developing countries often have inhabitants that practice
communal land management. Potential drivers for sustainable communal land
management have been identified in literature, however these drivers appear to vary
from case to case and their validity remains to be further tested. The objectives of this
research are to understand the factors that promote and deter; park promoted
conservation, overharvesting, overgrazing, and trust in members to follow the rules.
This study focuses on Cumbres de Monterrey National Park in Mexico.
Household surveys were conducted amongst 14 communities that reside in or have
boarders with the National Park. Using survey data, logistic regressions were performed
to identify the influencing factors of perceived overharvesting, overgrazing, park
promoted conservation, and trust in members to follow the rules. Overgrazing rules
were perceived to be just and external government punishment was associated with
reduced perceptions in overgrazing. Overharvesting rules were not perceived to be just
and external government punishment was associated with perceptions of overharvesting.
As a result, rules that are not perceived as just can result in possible retaliation
harvesting. Comunidades were more likely to report overgrazing than ejidos. Current
compensation for labor in the park is affiliated with reduced perceptions of park
promoted conservation. A local compensation program from water fees that is voluntary
and has land owner involvement in encouraged. Recipients of government assistance are
more likely to report there is overgrazing. There are decreasing levels of trust of
members to follow the rules when rule breakers are punished, sustainable harvest allowances are encouraged.
Citation
Clifton, Kathryn Marie (2014). Linking Institutional Characteristics to Communal Natural Resource Conservation in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /152858.