Disentangling Heterogeneity of Mangrove Managers’ Perception of Ecosystem Services

Understanding the perception of mangrove managers about the ecosystem services (ES) that mangrove provides is important for the efficient design of conservation policies. The present study analyzes the perception of the stakeholders using a quantitative analysis based on latent profile analysis for a case study located in the South American Pacific coast. The results show for the first time how different groups of mangrove managers exist depending on the perceived importance of the ES provided by this ecosystem. Three kinds of stakeholders were identified: Skepticals, who did not value the ES of the mangrove; Holistics, who valued all ES remarkably; and Utilitarians, who represented an intermediate class that only valued the ES that generated direct utility for them. The complementary analysis supported by a multinomial logit model revealed that the three identified classes presented an uneven relationship with this high nature-value ecosystem, an issue that was evidenced in their different economic and subsistence dependence on it and their different attitudes and opinions. The results shed light on relevant policy implications, including the need to tailor governance mechanisms to specific stakeholder groups and promote awareness, nudging, and training campaigns