Abstract

MARIN CABRERA, Melissa. Social networks in wildlife protected areas of Costa Rica. Uniciencia [online]. 2022, vol.36, n.1, pp.82-98. ISSN 2215-3470.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15359/ru.36-1.6.

This article compares social participation networks in three wildlife protected areas in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica. These areas represent different management categories, which means different approaches to the use of natural resources. A mixed approach methodology was used to have a wider understanding of the socio-environmental processes in these areas. Analyses used included graph theory, social network analysis, and heat maps with attribute variables and global and positional network indicators. The elements of analysis included 40 civil society groups related to local development and environment conservation organized between 2009-2010 and 40 between 2019-2020. The analysis units were the interactions among the groups. Results show that the more centralized the social networks and the less power of local and multisectoral groups, the greater the dissociation of the topics related to sustainability of wildlife protected areas and the more vulnerable to structural and external changes. It is concluded that, from the structural dimension, participation networks are influenced by the management categories, since they condition the access to their ecosystem services. From the functional dimension, the capability of participation networks to transform ecosystem services into development opportunities is irrespective of the management categories, although it is related to other social aspects.

Keywords : wildlife protected areas; social networks; organized groups; organizational participation..

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