Showing papers by "John M. Kovacs published in 2004"

Examining Local Ecological Knowledge of Hurricane Impacts in a Mangrove Forest Using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Approach

Abstract: To examine the observations of fishermen regarding the impact of a hurricane on a mangrove forest of the Mexican Pacific, twenty-two structured interviews using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach were conducted in four villages of the Teacapan-Agua Brava lagoon-estuarine system. The local fishermen were asked to assess the likelihood that a mangrove tree would not survive a hurricane based on three attributes: main stem condition, diameter of main stem and species. The results suggest a high degree of consistency amongst the villages and with the observations of a previous investigation using the traditional scientific data collection methods. With few exceptions, the fishermen indicated that large diameter trees were the most susceptible to hurricanes. Conversely, that black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and an intact main stem condition would indicate a better likelihood of surviving such an event. From the results of this investigation, it is suggested that the use of the AHP meth...