Jared R Stapp | University of California, Berkeley (original) (raw)

Papers by Jared R Stapp

Research paper thumbnail of Linking Attitudes, Policy, and Forest Cover Change in Buffer Zone Communities of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Deforestation in Nepal threatens the functioning of complex social–ecological systems, including ... more Deforestation in Nepal threatens the functioning of complex social–ecological systems, including rural populations that depend on forests for subsistence, as well as Nepal’s biodiversity and other ecosystem services. Nepal’s forests are particularly important to the nation’s poorest inhabitants, as many depend upon them for daily survival. Two-thirds of Nepal’s population relies on forests for sustenance, and these pressures are likely to increase in the future. This, coupled with high population densities and growth rates, highlights the importance of studying the relationship between human communities, forest cover trends through time, and forest management institutions. Here, we used surveys to explore how household attitudes associated with conservation-related behaviors in two rural communities—one that has experienced significant forest loss, and the other forest gain—compare with forest cover trends as indicated by satellite-derived forest-loss and -regeneration estimates between 2005 and 2013. Results found a significant difference in attitudes in the two areas, perhaps contributing to and reacting from current forest conditions. In both study sites, participation in community forestry strengthened support for conservation, forest conservation-related attitudes aligned with forest cover trends, and a negative relationship was found between economic status and having supportive forest conservation-related attitudes. In addition, on average, respondents were not satisfied with their district forest officers and did not feel that the current political climate in Nepal supported sustainable forestry. These findings are important as Nepal’s Master Plan for the Forestry Sector has expired and the country is in the process of structuring a new Forestry Sector Strategy.

Research paper thumbnail of Quantifying the relative success of community forestry in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal, using remote sensing techniques and satellite imagery

Background/Question/Methods Forests, which cover roughly 25 percent of Nepal, have witnessed a hi... more Background/Question/Methods Forests, which cover roughly 25 percent of Nepal, have witnessed a history of degradation due to rising population, agricultural expansion, and unsustainable timber harvests in response to expanded forest products markets and growing population pressures. If continued, current rates of loss pose serious threats to rural populations that depend on forests for subsistence use, as well as Nepal’s biodiversity, wildlife habitat, environmental resources, and the functioning of complex ecological systems. Forest policy in Nepal changed dramatically in 1989, when new laws were implemented which laid the foundation for community-based forest management. Here, we use Landsat satellite imagery for the years 1989, 2005, and 2013 to compute a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to compare changes in total percent forest cover for the 36 Buffer Zone (BZ) Village Development Committees (VDCs) surrounding Chitwan National Park (CNP). Our analysis, covering ~3,...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Impacts of Forest Management Policies and Community-Level Institutions in the Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2015

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www. tandfonli... more Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www. tandfonline.com/wjsf. 445 446 J. R. Stapp et al. institutions, and provide a model for other efforts to conserve forest resources in Nepal and elsewhere.

Research paper thumbnail of Linking Attitudes, Policy, and Forest Cover Change in Buffer Zone Communities of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Deforestation in Nepal threatens the functioning of complex social–ecological systems, including ... more Deforestation in Nepal threatens the functioning of complex social–ecological systems, including rural populations that depend on forests for subsistence, as well as Nepal’s biodiversity and other ecosystem services. Nepal’s forests are particularly important to the nation’s poorest inhabitants, as many depend upon them for daily survival. Two-thirds of Nepal’s population relies on forests for sustenance, and these pressures are likely to increase in the future. This, coupled with high population densities and growth rates, highlights the importance of studying the relationship between human communities, forest cover trends through time, and forest management institutions. Here, we used surveys to explore how household attitudes associated with conservation-related behaviors in two rural communities—one that has experienced significant forest loss, and the other forest gain—compare with forest cover trends as indicated by satellite-derived forest-loss and -regeneration estimates between 2005 and 2013. Results found a significant difference in attitudes in the two areas, perhaps contributing to and reacting from current forest conditions. In both study sites, participation in community forestry strengthened support for conservation, forest conservation-related attitudes aligned with forest cover trends, and a negative relationship was found between economic status and having supportive forest conservation-related attitudes. In addition, on average, respondents were not satisfied with their district forest officers and did not feel that the current political climate in Nepal supported sustainable forestry. These findings are important as Nepal’s Master Plan for the Forestry Sector has expired and the country is in the process of structuring a new Forestry Sector Strategy.

Research paper thumbnail of Quantifying the relative success of community forestry in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal, using remote sensing techniques and satellite imagery

Background/Question/Methods Forests, which cover roughly 25 percent of Nepal, have witnessed a hi... more Background/Question/Methods Forests, which cover roughly 25 percent of Nepal, have witnessed a history of degradation due to rising population, agricultural expansion, and unsustainable timber harvests in response to expanded forest products markets and growing population pressures. If continued, current rates of loss pose serious threats to rural populations that depend on forests for subsistence use, as well as Nepal’s biodiversity, wildlife habitat, environmental resources, and the functioning of complex ecological systems. Forest policy in Nepal changed dramatically in 1989, when new laws were implemented which laid the foundation for community-based forest management. Here, we use Landsat satellite imagery for the years 1989, 2005, and 2013 to compute a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to compare changes in total percent forest cover for the 36 Buffer Zone (BZ) Village Development Committees (VDCs) surrounding Chitwan National Park (CNP). Our analysis, covering ~3,...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Impacts of Forest Management Policies and Community-Level Institutions in the Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2015

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www. tandfonli... more Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www. tandfonline.com/wjsf. 445 446 J. R. Stapp et al. institutions, and provide a model for other efforts to conserve forest resources in Nepal and elsewhere.