AUTHORS: Jennifer C. Selgrath, Sarah Gergel – University of British Columbia
ABSTRACT: Participatory mapping provides a unique opportunity to document the influence of humans on species and ecosystems, and the variability of human activities over space and time. This method is particularly valuable in data-poor systems. Methods for participatory mapping can involve individual interviews or group interviews, with distinct benefits for both methods. For example, individual interviews have greater potential to identify sensitive information such as illegal practices. For individual interviews however, there has not been a systematic method for identifying the number of respondents that are necessary to accurately map the extent of human activities. Here we discuss the importance of random sampling and present a technique for identifying sufficient sample sizes. We introduce area accumulation curves – adapted from species accumulation curves – to identify sufficient number of respondents. Using an example from a heavily fished ecosystem in the central Philippines, we identified that 125 fishers were necessary to map the spatial extent of fishing practices. Such maps of resource use patterns can provide context for current ecosystem conditions and can be used to develop informed guidelines for management and conservation.