Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Politics of Conservation in the Galapagos Islands

随着加拉帕戈斯群岛在2007年被列入联合国世界遗产名录，近期旅游业、迁徙和入侵物种扩散的快速增长将当地保护和开发之间的紧张关系升级到全球层面。一些政治和环境领导人为这些岛屿提出了新的愿景，希望改写过去将原始自然与人分开的政策，转而专注于参与式环境管理。然而，解决这场危机的努力必须在具有不同观点和利益的广泛利益攸关方之间进行谈判，包括当地居民、自然资源保护者、科学家、游客和旅游业。这篇博士论文研究项目以加拉帕戈斯群岛的危机时刻为背景，将使用巨型乌龟作为镜头，通过它来探索科学、自然和社会之间不断变化的关系。巨型乌龟是这个群岛的象征物种和有争议的象征。主持这个项目的博士生将通过探索以下问题的答案，将乌龟置于这些利益相关者辩论的中心：(1)巨型乌龟的历史如何反映出人类与自然互动和对自然的评价的变化？(2)今天对巨型乌龟的不同估值如何反映出对岛屿未来的竞争设计？(3)最近科学和保护方面的转变如何重塑乌龟及其与人和环境的关系？将使用档案和民族志方法来解决这些问题，包括对自然历史博物馆的研究，加拉帕戈斯地区利益相关者群体的调查和深入采访，以及对进化和生态乌龟科学和保护计划的参与性观察。这个项目采取跨学科的方法来理解自然、社会和科学之间的复杂纠葛，这些都是关于可持续发展和环境管理辩论的核心。虽然可持续性和参与性环境管理是广受欢迎的政策目标，但它们的实现往往仍然难以实现。该项目将有助于理解在日益增加的发展压力和冲突的背景下实现可持续发展的挑战，这些压力和冲突威胁着世界各地的标志性濒危物种和保护区。通过向学者、加拉帕戈斯保护官员和当地社区传播，项目调查结果将对加拉帕戈斯地区如何制定保护和发展政策产生潜在影响。作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立研究生涯。

Recent rapid increases in tourism, migration, and the spread of invasive species have escalated local tensions between conservation and development to a global level, with the Galapagos Islands placed on the United Nation's list of World Heritage Sites that were "In Danger" in 2007. A number of political and environmental leaders have generated a new vision for the islands, hoping to rewrite past policies that separated pristine nature from people by focusing instead on participatory environmental management. Attempts to resolve this crisis, however, must be negotiated among a wide set of stakeholders with diverse perspectives and interests, including local residents, conservationists, scientists, tourists, and the tourism industry. Set in the context of a crisis moment in the Galapagos Islands, this doctoral dissertation research project will use the giant tortoise, an emblematic species and contested symbol of the archipelago, as a lens through which to explore changing relations among science, nature, and society. The doctoral student conducting this project will position the tortoise at the center of debate among these stakeholders by exploring answers to the following questions: (1) How does the giant tortoise's history reflect changing human interactions with and valuations of nature? (2) How do different valuations of the giant tortoise today reflect competing designs for the future of the islands? (3) How are tortoises and their relations with people and the environment being remade by recent shifts in science and conservation? Archival and ethnographic methods will be used to address these questions, including research at natural history museums, surveys and in-depth interviews across stakeholder groups in the Galapagos, and participant observation of evolutionary and ecological tortoise science and conservation programs.This project takes a trans-disciplinary approach to understanding the complex entanglements of nature, society, and science at the heart of debates about sustainability and environmental management. Although sustainability and participatory environmental management are popular policy goals, their realization has often remained elusive. This project will contribute important theoretical insights for understanding the challenges of achieving sustainability in the context of increasing development pressure and conflict that threatens iconic endangered species and preservation sites around the world. Through dissemination to academics, Galapagos conservation officials, and local communities, project findings will have a potential impact on how conservation and development policies are formulated in the Galapagos. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.