Mapping Community Values in Gabon for Community-based Environmental Management

Many rural communities in Gabon depend on bushmeat for both income and a source of protein, but demand for bushmeat has been on the rise as logging and mining operations set up shop. Local communities can play an important role in conserving wildlife in the face of these threats, particularly by incorporating local knowledge into wildlife management plans. My project will test a community value mapping technique to spatially map the value that communities place on their natural resources, combining that with wildlife density data to identify priority areas for protecting both social values and biodiversity. The resulting maps will also be a valuable tool for incorporating local values into community-based environmental management plans in this area.