Mining and Agriculture

Description
Rich in both biodiversity and natural resources, Panama is placed at the intersection between critical conservation efforts and land-use exploitation. Habitat fragmentation and deforestation is occurring as a result of extensive agriculture and resource extraction, in turn threatening these vital ecosystems. Careful land management strategies will be needed to mitigate these impacts, however often well-intentioned approaches (i.e. stringent restrictions) can result in complex and unwanted consequences, such as illegal extraction. Our team hypothesizes that these feedbacks are predictable but often neglected from existing ecological models.

This project intends to create an integrative model that incorporates both ecological and social feedbacks in order to more accurately reflect the nuances often associated with conservation science. Our research has the potential to provide a concrete tool that can help Panama navigate the complex tradeoffs between biodiversity conservation and land-use conflicts. Insights from this model will hopefully spark conversation about the current gaps in applied conservation efforts; not only in Panama, but across nations facing similar pressures.

PRISM project leader: Jade Aitken

Publications: To follow