Mental maps: a pilot trial for assessing the implications of community understanding for participation in ecosystem management activities

Abstract

[Extract] This research note reports on a project in progress (a pilot for a larger study on indicators of ecosystem health in a Western Australian salinity recovery catchment) examining the inter-relationships between social and environmental components and functions of ecosystems. The selection of local catchment-based indicators requires the interaction of scientific, management and social-economic knowledge (Heinemann et al. 1998). This collation of knowledge and data generates a collective understanding of what possible outcomes may be achieved through environmental actions.