Abstract
Differences in governance relationships and community efforts to remove an exotic, rapidly spreading invasive plant, the-mile-a-minute weed ( Mikania micrantha ), are explored in five case study community forests in the subtropical region of Chitwan, Nepal. An institutional analysis informs an examination of the de jure (formal) versus de facto (on the ground) institutions and actor relationships relevant to Mikania removal efforts. Contrary to the expectations set by the de jure situation, we find heterogeneous governance relationships and norms related to Mikania management across community forests. Content analysis of interview data illuminates reoccurring themes and their implications for social and ecological outcomes in the communities. Complex governance relationships and regular discussion of distrust of government and non-government officials help explain collective action efforts and management decisions. The content analysis suggests that Mikania is impacting people’s daily lives but the degree of severity and the response to the disruption varies substantially and is heavily affected by other problems experienced by community forest members. Our results indicate that understanding how the de facto, or on the ground situation, differs from the de jure institutions may be vital in structuring successful efforts to manage invasive species and understanding collective action problems related to other social-ecological threats. We present data-informed propositions about common pool resource management and invasive species. This study contributes to a better scientific understanding of how institutions mediate social-ecological challenges influencing common pool resources more broadly.
Highlights
Contrary to the expectations set by the de jure situation, we find heterogeneous governance relationships and norms related to Mikania management across community forests
We address a gap in analyses of community forestry outcomes (Lachapelle et al 2004; Charnley and Poe 2007) by elucidating the impacts of governance relationships, or their absence, on collective action in a common pool resource facing social-ecological changes
The propositions presented in this article provide stakeholders a generalizable starting point for addressing institutions and relationships that impact invasive plant management and common pool resource management generally
Summary
Chitwan National Park, buffer zone community forests, and the mile-a-minute weed. The park’s area is approximately 932 square kilometers (Nepal and Weber 1994) and in 1996 a formally recognized buffer zone of approximately 750 square kilometers surrounding the park was created (Straede and Treue 2006). The purpose of establishing the buffer zone was to decrease the impact of human activity on the park ecosystem by creating rules on resource collection and use for people who live in these areas (Nepal and Weber 1994). The buffer zone area saw a net decrease of 62 square kilometers of forest and a net increase of 67 square kilometers of agricultural land between 1978 and 1999 (Baidya et al 2010)
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