Community participation toward biodiversity conservation among protected areas in Pangasinan, Philippines

The understanding of community participation in biodiversity conservation among developing countries, such as the Philippines, is still lacking and needs to be supplemented. This study aimed to determine the community participation toward biodiversity conservation in two communities located at two Protected Areas in Pangasinan, Philippines: Hundred Islands National Park and Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape. The knowledge, attitude, and community participation in the two communities vary, considering that they possess a unique ecosystem dimension (coastal ecosystem and forest ecosystem). Moreover, their knowledge of threats and importance on biodiversity, including their attitudes, is considered high. Despite their ecosystem uniqueness, there were no observed differences in both areas in terms of their knowledge and attitude. However, in terms of community participation, coastal communities show a higher level of community participation as compared to a forested community. The demographic factors, such as income and the number of programs and projects implemented in their areas, probably determine the status of their community participation.

Automated summary

The level of community participation in biodiversity conservation in two Protected Areas in Pangasinan, Philippines, is influenced by factors such as the unique ecosystem dimensions, knowledge, attitudes, and demographic factors of the communities.