Framing scale in participatory biodiversity management may contribute to more sustainable solutions

Abstract
A current policy tenet in biodiversity management is decentralisation. However, there is growing recognition that human-environment systems and interactions operate across levels and across scales. An important initial step in addressing issues relating to scale is to acknowledge scale in the management of biodiversity. This is thought to lead to more sustainable solutions. We evaluated stakeholder perceptions in three case studies to understand the effect of scale on social processes and the social and ecological outcomes of these processes. We show that the perception of success in terms of process and outcomes was highest in the case study where scale was acknowledged, and where the process of including stakeholders matched the ecological scale of the problem. This finding emphasises that stakeholder involvement initiatives can and should incorporate scale explicitly. Moreover, we found that successful outcomes depended on legitimate leadership, involvement of all relevant stakeholders with clear guidance on the scope of the plan and their involvement, and the mutual recognition of biodiversity conflicts. Failure to acknowledge and address scale in the management of biodiversity may result in disenfranchised stakeholders and jeopardize long-term sustainability.
Year
2013
Category
Refereed journal