Trifinio_PA_Impact_Governance_Manag_capacity.xlsx

Study site is the Trifinio Region of Central America. Forest PAs (12) in Trifinio are classified into two management restriction levels following the IUCN classification system—strict (Categories I-II) and multiple-use (Categories III-IV). PA classifications based on level of decentralization and management capacity is based on interview primary data. Medium resolution remotely sensed Landsat images (30 m pixels) were acquired to develop least-cloud, NDVI values over 30 years in seven epochs, spaced at approximately five-year intervals, starting in 1986 and ending in 2016, during the dry season (between January and March). Two dependent variables were developed with these data: (1) mean NDVI value for 1986-2016, averaging NDVI values across all seven epochs, and (2) annual change of NDVI values between 1986-2016. A number of spatial variables expected to be correlated with designation as a PA and greenness values were sampled for each pixel in the data set. These include baseline NDVI, elevation, slope, and distance to roads, municipality capitals and country capitals.