Diverse values on ecosystems are more likely to conserve forests: A multi-scale approach in the Indigenous Territories from Panama

Background/Question/Methods

Land use involves complex socio-ecological systems managed by diverse stakeholders and values. Governments and privates in neotropical landscapes traditionally focus on specific instrumental (e.g., food, carbon sequestration) or intrinsic (e.g., biodiversity) values, resulting in land-use practices that favor forest conservation or agricultural activities. Instead, indigenous peoples seem to integrate multiple instrumental and intrinsic values along with relational values that create social cohesion and cultural identity. While some studies imply that indigenous land use might be incompatible with forest conservation, others suggest that this land use is spatially and temporally limited, bringing stability to forest cover. However, these studies focus on deforestation and have not quantified the role of degradation and the spatial-temporal patterns that emerge from both causes of forest disturbance. Nor do they analyze the values involved in indigenous land use to explain these spatial-temporal patterns. To fill this lacuna, we analyzed deforestation and degradation spatial-temporal patterns in Indigenous Territories and Other Lands in Panama between 2000 and 2020, using a continuous change detection algorithm, geographic information systems, and generalized additive models. Based on this analysis, we performed participatory mapping across eight indigenous communities in eastern Panama to identify instrumental, relational, and intrinsic values influencing land use.

Results/Conclusions

Our results show that deforestation was four times higher (0.35 million ha) in other lands compared to Indigenous Territories, while degradation did not significantly differ (~ 0.15 million ha). The spatial patterns of these forest disturbances displayed contrasts. For example, a high probability of deforestation remained more than 3 km inside forest patches from other lands. Conversely, this probability continuously decreased in Indigenous Lands. Similar contrasts were found in increasing slopes, and distances to settlements, rivers, and roads. Contrasting other lands, Indigenous Territories maintained moderate degradation probabilities as the land became less accessible. The participatory mapping of land-use-related values provided support to these spatial-temporal patterns. Overall, the most accessible lands are especially valued for high disturbance activities such as permanent or shifting agriculture, providing means of subsistence and income. As the land becomes less accessible, other values emerge, such as fishing, hunting, and gathering. These low-disturbance values are closer to relational values such as sacred sites and species. Our findings exhibit how the diversity of indigenous values related to forest landscapes result in land-use dynamics that are more likely to maintain forests integrity when compared to other lands.