Social Participation in Conservation Efforts: A Case Study of a Biosphere Reserve on Private Lands in Mexico

摘要

Biosphere reserves protect ecosystems in a context that recognizes that humans must be included in conservation efforts. This article presents the case study of a biosphere reserve created from the lands of a private owner and a university research station. Our main objective was to analyze the role of social participation in the design and implementation of this reserve by examining the perspectives of different stakeholders. From the government perspective, there is a clear need to promote local participation in conservation. The only objectives of the institutions administering the reserve are conservation and scientific research inside their boundaries. From the perspective of an adjacent rural settlement, the presence and objectives of the reserve are alien. This study questions whether the strict conservation goals of private landowners and the inherent limitations of academic scientific institutions are consistent with the biosphere reserve vision of including local stakeholders.