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.