Analysis and deliberation as a mechanism to assess changes in preferences for indicators of sustainable forest management: a case study in Puebla, Mexico.

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in forest owners' preferences regarding indicators of sustainable forest management. The analysis and deliberation framework served as a platform upon which to explore these changes in a rural community in Puebla, Mexico. Sixty-two indicators were selected from existing sets to design a five-point Likert survey instrument. The instrument was administered three times: early in the study to capture the forest owners' preferences before intervention (baseline); following an educational meeting in which the participants learned of three alternative forest management plans (analysis); and following a community meeting in which the forest owners deliberated to choose one of the alternatives (deliberation). As forest owners were exposed to knowledge (analysis) and deliberation, their preferences for the indicators changed significantly. An examination of the instrument demonstrated how the indicators increased or decreased in importance. Social and economic indicators tended to be ranked differently following analysis and again following deliberation because of the commitment to pursue a forest management plan that would benefit the community without jeopardizing stakeholder values. The ecological indicators directly associated with forest structure gained relevance following the analysis meeting. The deliberation process elucidated the importance of forest administration and professional help. Forest owners' preferences were reflected by the selection of the management plan that included good science and accommodated community values. The forest owners changed their preferences in response to new knowledge, management objectives, and their commitment to safeguarding the future condition of the forest. Analysis and deliberation is a participatory forum that facilities communication and learning and allows stakeholders to share values; thus, it serves as a mechanism for forest planning.