ABSTRACT
El presente ensayo ofrece una serie de reflexiones metodológicas para la investigación cualitativa en contextos de conflicto. El texto toma como referencia la experiencia de una tesis de licenciatura en Sociología de la Universidad de Costa Rica desarrollada junto al movimiento recuperante del Territorio Indígena de Salitre, localizado en la región sur de Costa Rica. El ensayo trata las implicaciones éticas y metodológicas que conlleva la investigación científica en un territorio marcado por graves disputas territoriales. Se presenta además un esbozo del contexto donde se desarrolló la investigación y algunas reflexiones sobre el quehacer de la sociología frente a los conflictos socioterritoriales.
This essay offers a series of methodological reflections for research in conflict contexts. The text takes as a reference the experience of a sociology thesis from the University of Costa Rica developed together with the recovery movement of the Indigenous Territory of Salitre, located in the southern region of Costa Rica. The essay focuses on the ethical and methodological implications of scientific research in a territory marked by serious territorial disputes. An outline of the context in which the research was developed and some notes on the work of sociology in the face of socio-territorial conflicts are also presented.
ABSTRACT
Indigenous territories (ITs) are an integral component of global conservation strategies. We evaluate the range-wide overlap of ITs and the distribution of the jaguar (Panthera onca), a Neotropical apex predator with considerable cultural significance among Indigenous Peoples. We quantified overlap between protected areas (PAs) and ITs among: (1) jaguar range, (2) the species' core habitats, known as Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs), and (3) corridors connecting JCUs. We further evaluated deforestation rates between 2000 and 2020 among protected, unprotected, and indigenous portions of JCUs and corridors and compared jaguar density estimates among these land tenures. Our results indicate that ITs overlap 27.7% of jaguar range. South American JCUs and corridors, which comprise ~ 94% of jaguar distribution, experienced significantly less deforestation where ITs intersected PAs. We documented an unbalanced ratio of jaguar density estimates between indigenous and non-indigenous areas, highlighting the need for more representative sampling. Collaborative approaches for jaguar conservation, informed and guided by indigenous knowledge, can support more inclusive and effective monitoring that reduces dependence on external support.