Appendix-1 : Questionnaires used in the present study.

(A) Local people’s demography and dependence on mangroves
I. General
1. Questionnaire N°: / 2. Date: / 3. Location:
4. Name of the person(s) interviewed:
5. Sex: / 6. Age: / 7. Nationality:
  1. Religion:
/
  1. Occupation:

  1. Marital status:
/
  1. Duration of stay in The Gambia:

12. Address:
  1. Languages known:

  1. Education:
/
  1. Income:

II. Mangroves and its resource utilization
  1. Do you know where is Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP)[1] in The Gambia?

  1. What do you understand by the term mangrove?
-Vegetation / Wood / Ecosystem / Others
  1. What mangrove species do you know?

  1. Traditional/vernacular names of the mangrove species known:

  1. What are the uses (in general) of mangroves?

  1. What is your perception on the mangrove ecosystem, and why?
-Positive / Negative / Neutral
  1. How important are the mangroves in your livelihood?

  1. Do you believe in the relationship between mangroves and mosquitoes?

  1. Do you use any mangrove resources? Yes / NO

  1. What mangrove forest products do you use (in the order of ranking)?
-Fuelwood / Construction wood (for housing, boat, etc.) / Service wood (for furniture, wood carvings, etc.) / Edible plants / Medicinal plants / Fishery products / Chemicals / Others
  1. What is the level of commercialization for mangrove forest products here?

  1. What are the changes in mangrove resource utilization between past and present scenarios, and why?

  1. Are you aware of any conservation and management strategies in the TWNP?

  1. Would like to participate in conservation and management schemes meant for the TWNP, and why?

  1. What kind of management schemes would you prefer to implement in the TWNP and why?
-Zero access / Limited access and licensed extraction / Open access and extraction of non-living resources
  1. Importance of the TWNP in terms of fishery-related activities, and the available fin and shellfish products:

  1. Has the fishing yield changed over the time, and if so what are factors responsible?

  1. Do you think that the local fishing activities have any negative impact on mangrove vegetation, and how?

  1. What are the mangrove species preferred locally for fuelwood?

  1. Mode of mangrove fuelwood collection: Personal collection/ Purchase / both

  1. What are the alternatives instead of mangrove fuelwood, and do you use them?

  1. Have you used mangrove wood for construction and service purposes, and if so please describe:

  1. What are the mangrove species preferred locally for construction and service purposes?

  1. Mode of mangrove timber collection: Personal collection/ Purchase / both

  1. What are the mangrove species used locally for edible purpose, and why?

  1. What are the mangrove species used locally for ethnomedicinal purposes, and why?

III. Ecosystem changes
  1. Is there any impact of agriculture on the mangroves at TWNP?

  1. What crops do people grow in the vicinity of TWNP and since how long?

  1. What are the ecosystem (including mangrove vegetation) changes noticed between past and present scenarios?

  1. What are the factors presumably responsible for ecosystem changes?

  1. Do you think that Banjul city (The Gambia’s capital) is a safe location to live?

  1. What are the advantages/disadvantages of living in Banjul?

  1. Do you agree with the mangrove destruction for local development activities?

(B) Ecotourism
I. General (as described above in Appendix-1A)
II. For locals
  1. What is your opinion about tourism in The Gambia/TWNP?

  1. Have you heard of ecotourism?

  1. Have you been involved in any tourism activities?

  1. What are the activities currently available for tourists (e.g. boat rides, etc.)?

  1. Where do you prefer to construct a boardwalk inside the mangroves, and why?

  1. Do you think that ecotourism could improve people’s knowledge and respect on the nature?

  1. What are the pros and cons of tourism in The Gambia/TWNP?

  1. What are the other possibilities to improve tourism sector in The Gambia/TWNP?

III. For foreigners/tourists
  1. What is the purpose of your stay in The Gambia/TWNP?

  1. Is this the first time you were travelling in The Gambia/TWNP?

  1. Have you visited any ecotourism sites elsewhere before?

  1. Would you like to visit again this place?

  1. What are the pros and cons of your trip in The Gambia/TWNP?

  1. What recommendations would you offer to improve tourism in The Gambia/TWNP?

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[1]Also referred to as the Tanbi Wetland Complex (TWC) or simply the Tanbi Wetland.