Abstract
AbstractBiodiversity conservation in protected areas requires strict legal limitations to land use. In the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) of the Republic of Korea (ROK), military control has created an accidental sanctuary for the world's rarest crane species: the white‐naped crane (Antigone vipio) and the red‐crowned crane (Grus japonensis). Yet varying land use demands on the CCZ by stakeholders have caused disagreements in achieving cooperative crane conservation. This paper aims to clarify relevant stakeholders' interconnection and their motives that have led them to either promote or inhibit crane conservation in the Cheorwon Basin of the CCZ. To answer these questions, we conducted participatory Net‐Map interviews and identified stakeholders with a powerful role in crane conservation. Our results identify 44 stakeholders whose trust relations occurred twice as often as conflicts. More than 80% of stakeholders included in this study supported crane conservation initiatives. We attribute local farmers' increased level of environmental stewardship to two key schemes: a community‐led farming project generating financial incentives and a communication channel for stakeholders. Our case study demonstrates that Net‐Map is a valid tool to analyze human‐crane interactions, which is critical to ensure acceptance of legal restrictions to land use as well as crane conservation.
Highlights
As the destruction of natural habitats continues to threaten wildlife populations, reducing the negativeContributed manuscript to the special section “Methods for integrated assessment of human-wildlife interactions and coexistence in agricultural landscapes.” Guest editors: König, H.J., Carter, N., Ceausu, S., Kiffner, C., Lamb, C., Ford, A
We focus on the following research questions: 1. Who is engaged in and plays a central role in crane conservation in the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ)? (Section 3.1—Key Stakeholders)
Our study presents a particular case in which schemes of local participation were successfully implemented
Summary
As the destruction of natural habitats continues to threaten wildlife populations, reducing the negative. In addressing these research questions, we provide up-to-date information on the network of relevant stakeholder groups, their motivations to support or oppose crane conservation in the CCZ, and the underlying factors that defined these opposing positions. We assess the levels of influence of each stakeholder group and explore how power imbalances can be dealt with to achieve long-term conservation of the crane wintering site in Cheorwon Basin. Using an interview guideline in Korean (see Supporting Information for the English version), participants were requested to (a) name the major stakeholders involved in crane conservation, (b) define the linkages between them (e.g., institutional and legal support, trust relations, and conflicts), (c) identify one or more motivations of stakeholders whose standpoints differ, and (d) rate the influence level of each stakeholder on a five-point scale (a higher number indicates greater influence). When visitors come to see cranes, they spend a certain amount of money on buying local agricultural produce, including ‘crane rice’... since it has remained the top-selling rice brand for a long time, many farmers appreciate the existence of cranes. [CON]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
