Jessica L’Roe (Middlebury College) - Tracking Human Landscapes around Tropical Protected Areas

Abstract: The parks and reserves of the tropics host multitudes of species and provide humans with environmental services and resources. They also constrain human activities and can undermine local control over land. This talk will share findings from thousands of household surveys around protected areas across the African Tropics, describing the uneven and changing human communities that make up the sometimes overly simplified “local people” neighboring protected lands, and mapping their resource use and perceived benefits. Understanding the diverse and dynamic relationships between parks and local people can help negotiate space for both human and natural communities amid mounting global pressures.