Responsibilities of different institutions with regards to benefit provision to communities.

<p>Notes: ‘√’ indicates that the respective authority is responsible for providing that benefit, ‘?’ indicates that the respective authority may provide the benefit if it is possible, ‘X’ indicates that it is not the responsibility of the respective authority to provide that benefit although it may if it deems fit.</p

Determinants of PA-community relationship based on PA staff expectations.

<p>Determinants of PA-community relationship based on PA staff expectations.</p

Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe

<div><p>With the increase in illegal resource harvesting in most protected areas (PAs), the need to understand the determinants and relationships between PAs and local communities to enhance wildlife conservation is increasingly becoming important. Using focus group discussions and interviews, we established the determinants of PA staff-community relationship from both PA staff and local communities’ viewpoints, and assessedperceptions of their relationship with each other. The study was guided by the following main research question, ‘What is the nature of the relationship between PA staff and local communities and what are the main factors influencing the relationship?’ Data were collected through focus group discussions and interviews from four PAs and their adjacent communities in Zimbabwe between July 2013 and February 2014. Our results showed that a total of seven determinants were identified as influencing PA staff-community relationship, i.e., benefit-sharing, human-wildlife conflict, compensation for losses from wildlife attacks, communication between PA staff and local communities, community participation in the management of CAMPFIRE projects, lack of community participation in tourism in PAs, and community perceptions of PA staff or PA staff perceptions of the community. Of the seven, only one determinant, benefit-sharing, was recorded as the main factor that differentially influencesthe perceptions of community and PA staff on their relationship. Furthermore, both the communities and PA staff reported mixed perceptions on their relationship with each other. We conclude that both communities’ and PA staff’s views on determinants are largely similar in all studied PAs irrespective of PA ownership, management and/or land use. Our findings could be relevant in policy making especially in developing countries in developing PA-community relationship framework in natural resource conservation.</p></div

Determinants of PA-community relationships based on communities’ expectations.

<p>Determinants of PA-community relationships based on communities’ expectations.</p

Distribution of FG discussants among community members.

<p>Distribution of FG discussants among community members.</p

Summary of PA staff-community perceptions of their relationship.

<p>Summary of PA staff-community perceptions of their relationship.</p

Redundancy Analyses diagram displaying the first two ordination axes on the influence of environmental habitat variables on crane species abundance.

<p>Note: WC = Wattled Crane and GCC = Grey Crowned Crane.</p

Locations of crane sightings in the Driefontein Grasslands IBA, Zimbabwe.

<p>Where A1 = the self contained small scale commercial farms of 30 to 40 ha per household, A2 = large scale commercial agriculture farms of > 50 ha per household and OR = Old Resettlement, villagized agriculture farms of < 5 ha per household with communal grazing land. Source: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0166209#pone.0166209.ref002" target="_blank">2</a>].</p

Location of Driefontein Grasslands Important Bird Area, Zimbabwe.

<p>Where A1 = the self contained small scale commercial farms of 30 to 40 ha per household, A2 = large scale commercial agriculture farms of > 50 ha per household and OR = Old Resettlement, villagized agriculture farms of < 5 ha per household with communal grazing land. Source: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0166209#pone.0166209.ref002" target="_blank">2</a>].</p

Habitat Preference Indices (HPIs) for the Wattled Crane and Grey Crowned Crane in Driefontein Grasslands IBA.

<p>Habitat Preference Indices (HPIs) for the Wattled Crane and Grey Crowned Crane in Driefontein Grasslands IBA.</p