| Variable Type | Ordinal |
|---|---|
| Variable Component Type | Actor |
| Variable Kind | Interaction |
| Theme | Incentives (learn about themes) |
| Projects | SESMAD |
| Question | How visible are the effects of commons use to this actor group? |
| Select Options | 1 Low, 2 Medium, 3 High |
| Unit | |
| Role | |
| Importance | Feedbacks between the ecological and social sub-systems inform ecological knowledge systems and adaptation responses (Gunderson and Holling 2002). The capacity of actors to respond appropriately to commons decline is therefore expected to be affected by their ability to see or detect change through feedbacks. Impacts on a commons can be more or less difficult to detect depending on the nature of the commons- e.g., static, mobile, under-water, atmospheric; the knowledge and instruments available for measurement and monitoring, and whether system change is linear or non-linear. Where systems respond in a non-linear way, changes to the commons from use may be disguised. The visibility of changes to resources will influence the willingness of actors to curtail or manage their impacts (Scheffer et al. 2003). |
| Definition | "This variables describes how visible the effects of the use of this commons are to this actor group. High: This actor group can clearly see the effects of its own use. For example, foresters can see the trees being cut down, and that there are less trees available after their harvest. Low: It is very difficult or nearly impossible for this actor group to see the effects of its own use of the commons. Fishers usually cannot see the effect of their fishing. Similarly, farmers that use groundwater cannot see the depletion of an aquifer." |
| Sectors |
Theory Usages
| Theory | Value Used |
|---|---|
| Feedbacks and general resilience | Medium or High |
| Conditions for general resilience | Medium or High |
| Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) | High |
| Roving banditry | Low |
| Technical solutions and shifting the burden | Low |
Associated Studies
Case Usages
| Case | Interaction Type | Component | Value Used | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Indonesian "Adat" Communities | High (3) | Changes in the forest are immediately visible to local forest users. |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Large Extractive Industries in Indonesia | High (3) | Forest uses are highly visible to this actor. |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | "New Order" Indonesian Central Government (1965-1998) | actor group does not use -= it regulates. | |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Indonesian "Adat" Communities | High (3) | visibility of resource conditions is high in forests used by local people. |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Large Extractive Industries in Indonesia | High (3) | Changes in forest condition are highly visible. |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Civil society organizations in Indonesia | Medium (2) | This group is based outside of forest areas, and thus has a limited ability to observe forest conditions, but it also has access to some technology. |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | "Reformasi" Indonesian Central Government (1998-2012) | ||
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Indonesian Local entrepreneurs | High (3) | clearing of forest is highly visible to those living in proximity. |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | California Academic Researchers | Researchers do not use the commons. | |
| Seaflower MPA | Governance | Seaflower artisanal fishers | Missing | NO DATA |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR fisheries managers | Not Applicable | |
| Forests in Indonesia | Governance | Indonesian District Governments | High (3) | Changes in the forest are highly visible at the district (fairly local) level |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) | Governance | ICCAT Contracting Parties | Low (1) | Effects are usually only observed indirectly through change in catches and/or scientific estimates. However, these are not perfect indicators of actual resource stocks. |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) | Governance | ICCAT Contracting Parties | Low (1) | Effects are usually only observed indirectly through change in catches and/or scientific estimates. However, these are not perfect indicators of actual resource stocks. |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | California Sanctuary Recreational Users | Medium (2) | Individuals may observe visible effects when whale behavior changes, but the broader tourism industry's influence on whale observing may be less visible (e.g. gradually increasing or decreasing populations). |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) | Governance | ICCAT Contracting Parties | Low (1) | |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) | Governance | ICCAT Western Members | Low (1) | Effects are usually only observed indirectly through change in catches and/or scientific estimates. However, these are not perfect indicators of actual resource stocks. |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) | Governance | ICCAT Eastern Members | Low (1) | |
| Montreal Protocol | Governance | Ozone Secretariat | High (3) | With scientific knowledge and monitoring technologies the Ozone Secretariat can easily observe the effects of human action on the commons. |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ICCAT) | Governance | ICCAT Eastern Members | Low (1) | |
| Montreal Protocol | Governance | Ozone Nation States | High (3) | During the snapshot, nation states can clearly observe the effects of ODS emissions as a result of scientific knowledge. |
| Montreal Protocol | Governance | Ozone Depleting Substance Industrial Producers | High (3) | |
| International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) | Governance | ICPR nations (1976-1986) | ||
| International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) | Governance | Rhine chemical firms | Low (1) | Microscopic commons |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR government co-managers | Medium (2) | Damage to corals, for example from anchor damage or fishing with bottom gears in coral areas, is highly visible (if you are underwater to look at it) - broken, dead, or bleached corals. Depending on the extent of damage, recovery can range from a year to many years. Coded medium here because seeing the damage and effects of interventions require diving or use of ROVs. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR recreational fishers | Medium (2) | Recreational fishers would only see their effect if they snorkel or dive. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR government co-managers | Medium (2) | Damage to corals, for example from anchor damage or fishing with bottom gears in coral areas, is highly visible (if you are underwater to look at it) - broken, dead, or bleached corals. Depending on the extent of damage, recovery can range from a year to many years. Coded medium here because seeing the damage and effects of interventions require diving or use of ROVs. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR recreational fishers | Medium (2) | Damage to corals, for example from anchor damage or fishing with bottom gears in coral areas, is highly visible (if you are underwater to look at it) - broken, dead, or bleached corals, and recovery can likewise be seen. But most fishers probably don't snorkel or dive to see damage to corals, so coded as medium. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR commercial fishers | Medium (2) | |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR commercial fishers | Medium (2) | Changes are difficult to see given the size of the reef. However these actors function within a context of high management capacity, and have access to technologies and information to help them track their impacts. |
| Montreal Protocol | Governance | Ozone Depleting Substance Industrial Producers | High (3) | |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | California Academic Researchers | Low (1) | Researchers do not use the habitat, except for occasional research projects, but permits are allocated for such uses. |
| Montreal Protocol | Governance | Ozone Nation States | Medium (2) | Can observe declines in ODS emissions by monitoring production by industrial producers |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | Galapagos Artisan Fishermen | High (3) | Lower sea cucumber densities are clearly evident to fishers, and it has been noted that fishers find it harder to find sea cucumber, size landing declined, and the fishery became closed. |
| Macquarie Island Marine Park | Governance | Australian Toothfish Fishers | Missing | |
| Wakatobi National Park | Governance | Wakatobi managers | Not Applicable | |
| Wakatobi National Park | Governance | Wakatobi managers | Not Applicable | |
| Wakatobi National Park | Governance | Wakatobi managers | Not Applicable | |
| Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Marine National Monument | Governance | NWHI Monument Co-Trusteeship | Not Applicable | |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | GMR managers | Not Applicable | |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | GMR managers | Not Applicable | |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | Galapagos Tourism Sector | Medium (2) | Trampling of nests is not a very visible impact, but boat strikes can be highly visible- can see carapace damage on turtles when diving or while female turtles are nesting at night. |
| Wakatobi National Park | Governance | Wakatobi Bajau fishers | Low (1) | Over-fishing of long-lived species such as grouper and snapper can lead to dramatic declines in populations, but effects are not immediately seen. In addition Bajau conceive time as consisting of a series of unrelated events, without reference to backward or forward causal linkages, e.g. future catches will be determined by future effort, not any present-day activity (Clifton and Majors 2012) |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | National Marine Sanctuaries Office of NOAA | Not Applicable | |
| Wakatobi National Park | Governance | Wakatobi Bajau fishers | Low (1) | no real visibility of success ameliorating pressures on turtles. In addition, Bajau conceive time as consisting of a series of unrelated events, without reference to backward or forward causal linkages, e.g. future catches will be determined by future effort, not any present-day activity (Clifton and Majors 2012) |
| Wakatobi National Park | Governance | Wakatobi Bajau fishers | High (3) | Damage to corals, for example from blast fishing, is highly visible - broken, dead, or bleached corals, and recovery can be seen. Bajau live above reef flats, and spear fish and dive so can probably see the damage to corals fairly easily, so coded as high. |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | GMR managers | Not Applicable | |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | Galapagos Tourism Sector | Low (1) | Sharks are long-lived and highly migratory. But effects will be easier seen by dive tourism than other actors through more regular direct encounters. |
| Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Marine National Monument | Governance | NWHI Monument Co-Trusteeship | Not Applicable | |
| Macquarie Island Marine Park | Governance | Macquarie Island Managers | Missing | |
| Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Marine National Monument | Governance | NWHI Monument Co-Trusteeship | Not Applicable | |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | National Marine Sanctuaries Office of NOAA | Managers do not use this habitat. | |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Artisanal Fishers | High (3) | Damage to corals, for example from blast fishing, is highly visible - broken, dead, or bleached corals, and recovery can be seen, especially in an area that has generally good coral cover. Most people live near reefs and can probably see the damage to corals fairly easily, so coded as high. |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Managers | Not Applicable | |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Artisanal Fishers | Low (1) | Over-fishing of long-lived species such as grouper and snapper can lead to dramatic declines in populations, but effects are not immediately seen |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Tourism | Not Applicable | |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Artisanal Fishers | Low (1) | no real visibility of success ameliorating pressures on turtles. |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Managers | Not Applicable | |
| Raja Ampat (National Act No. 32 2004) | Governance | Raja Ampat Managers | Not Applicable | |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | California State and Federal Fisheries Agencies | Not Applicable | |
| Macquarie Island Marine Park | Governance | Australian Fisheries Management Authority | Missing | |
| Macquarie Island Marine Park | Governance | Macquarie Island Managers | Missing | |
| Seaflower MPA | Governance | Seaflower artisanal fishers | Not Applicable | |
| Macquarie Island Marine Park | Governance | Australian Fisheries Management Authority | Missing | |
| Svalbard Nature Reserves | Governance | Svalbard Tourism | Not Applicable | |
| Central California National Marine Sanctuaries | Governance | California Groundfish Fishermen | Low (1) | While largely unseen, destruction of the habitat is felt in declining stocks. Visibility is difficult in marine environments, but declining catches and declining catch portfolio diversity is a quite visible effect. |
| Svalbard Nature Reserves | Governance | Svalbard Resource Managers | Low (1) | Difficult to access - limited by sea ice, and when female bears have left their maternity dens - research usually takes place for one month of the year (April). Takes long time for population to recover. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR recreational fishers | Medium (2) | Recovery takes years to decades if there is high compliance to fisheries regulations and MPA rules |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | Galapagos Charles Darwin Foundation | Not Applicable | |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR government co-managers | Not Applicable | |
| Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GABMP) (Commonwealth Waters) | Governance | GABMP (Commonwealth Waters) Commercial Fishers | Not Applicable | |
| Svalbard Nature Reserves | Governance | Svalbard Shrimp Fishers | Medium (2) | From a single trawl event, it would be difficult to distinguish between a poor trawling location (stocks can change location each year) and a depletion of the fishery. Aggregate data from many fishermen over time are more useful in determining the trends. |
| Svalbard Nature Reserves | Governance | Svalbard Resource Managers | Not Applicable | |
| Svalbard Nature Reserves | Governance | Svalbard Resource Managers | Not Applicable | |
| Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GABMP) (Commonwealth Waters) | Governance | GABMP (Commonwealth Waters) Director of National Parks | Not Applicable | |
| Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GABMP) (Commonwealth Waters) | Governance | GABMP (Commonwealth Waters) Commercial Fishers | Medium (2) | Effects are observed through change in catches, scientific estimates and the lowering TAC. However, these are not perfect indicators of actual resource stocks. Stocks had already dramatically declined before this snapshot so further declines are likely to be less obvious to observe. |
| Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GABMP) (Commonwealth Waters) | Governance | GABMP (Commonwealth Waters) Director of National Parks | Not Applicable | |
| Seaflower MPA | Governance | CORALINA | Not Applicable | |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | Galapagos Charles Darwin Foundation | Not Applicable | |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR commercial fishers | Low (1) | Since there are not direct population estimates of green turtles, it is difficult to assess population level effects of bycatch. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR government co-managers | Low (1) | Since turtles are long-lived, slow reproducing species, changes in management strategies may take years before outcomes can be determined. |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR fisheries managers | Low (1) | Since turtles are long-lived, slow reproducing species, changes in management strategies may take years before outcomes can be determined. |
| Macquarie Island Marine Park | Governance | Australian Toothfish Fishers | Missing | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve | Governance | Australian Antarctic Division | Missing | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve | Governance | Australian Fisheries Management Authority | Not Applicable | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve | Governance | Australian Toothfish Fishers | Missing | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve | Governance | Australian Antarctic Division | Missing | |
| Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) | Governance | Galapagos Charles Darwin Foundation | Not Applicable | |
| Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Marine National Monument | Governance | NWHI Researchers | Not Applicable | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve | Governance | Australian Toothfish Fishers | Missing | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve | Governance | Australian Fisheries Management Authority | Missing | |
| Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GABMP) (Commonwealth Waters) | Governance | GABMP (Commonwealth Waters) Director of National Parks | Not Applicable | |
| Great Australian Bight Marine Park (GABMP) (Commonwealth Waters) | Governance | GABMP (Commonwealth Waters) Commercial Fishers | Not Applicable | |
| Svalbard Nature Reserves | Governance | Svalbard Tourism | Not Applicable | |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park | Governance | GBR commercial fishers | Medium (2) | Damage to corals, for example from anchor damage or fishing with bottom gears in coral areas, is highly visible (if you are underwater to look at it) - broken, dead, or bleached corals, and recovery can likewise be seen. But most fishers probably don't snorkel or dive to see damage to corals, so coded as medium. |
| Seaflower MPA | Governance | CORALINA | Missing | NO DATA |
| Cenderwasih National Park | Governance | Cenderwasih managers | Not Applicable | |
| Cenderwasih National Park | Governance | Cenderwasih fishers | Low (1) | Over-fishing of long-lived species such as grouper and snapper can lead to dramatic declines in populations, but effects are not immediately seen |
| Cenderwasih National Park | Governance | Cenderwasih managers | Not Applicable | |
| Cenderwasih National Park | Governance | Cenderwasih fishers | ||
| Falkland Islands squid | Governance | Falkland Islands Government (FIG) Fisheries Managers | Not Applicable | |
| Falkland Islands squid | Governance | Patagonian Squid Trawlers | Medium (2) | While overfishing can lead to a crashed population, catch-ability depends on a number of other factors (environment, Illex predation) |
| New Zealand squid | Governance | New Zealand Arrow Squid Fishers | Low (1) | Have not seen evidence of use effect. |
| Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica fisheries governance | Governance | Paquera-Tambor AMPR Costa Rica | Low (1) | |
| New Zealand squid | Governance | New Zealand Fishery Managers | Not Applicable | |
| California squid | Governance | California Department of Fish and Wildlife Market Squid Managers | Managers do not use commons | |
| California squid | Governance | California market squid fishermen | Medium (2) | Availability subject to multiple factors, overfishing only one of them. |
| Pond aquaculture on Lombok, Indonesia | Governance | Indonesian Institute of Sciences - LIPI | ||
| Pond aquaculture on Lombok, Indonesia | Governance | Lombok aquaculture farmers | High (3) | Pond aquaculture is highly visible and invasive in the landscape. The maintenance of canals is easily visible to all. |
| Pond aquaculture on Lombok, Indonesia | Governance | Lombok aquaculture farmers | ||
| Caete-Teperacu Extractive Reserve (RESEX) in Braganca, Brazil | Governance | Association of Users in the Caete-Teperacu RESEX (ASSUREMACATA) in Brazil | Missing | |
| Gili Trawangan Coastal Tourism | Governance | SCUBA diving businesses on Gili Trawangan | Missing | |
| Gili Trawangan Coastal Tourism | Governance | Gili Indah Dive Association (GIDA) | Missing | |
| Gili Trawangan Coastal Tourism | Governance | Gili EcoTrust on Gili Trawangan | Missing | |
| Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica fisheries governance | Governance | Isla Caballo AMPR Costa Rica | Low (1) | |
| Gili Trawangan Coastal Tourism | Governance | Gili Indah Dive Association (GIDA) | Missing | |
| Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica fisheries governance | Governance | Palito-Montero AMPR Costa Rica | Low (1) |