Collective action across boundaries: Collaborative network initiatives as boundary organizations to improve ecosystem services governance

TL;DR: In this paper , the concept of boundary organizations is applied to analyze collaborative networks for ecosystem services governance, and the authors show that institutional design characteristics typical for boundary organizations are represented in both investigated collaborative networks and discuss how these characteristics can potentially affect ecosystem services provision as a collective benefit for the whole network.

Abstract: • This study applies the concept of boundary organizations (BOs) to analyze collaborative networks for ecosystem services governance . • As methods we combine the Net-Map method, social network analysis , and qualitative content analysis. • We show that institutional design characteristics typical for BOs are represented in both investigated collaborative networks. • We also discuss how these characteristics can potentially affect ecosystem services provision as a collective benefit for the whole network. In this study we explore the concept of boundary organizations in the context of collaborative network initiatives which aim to achieve collective action to improve ecosystem services governance at landscape scale. We are specifically interested to analyze how the boundary, which exists between actors with mainly economic interests, related to producing provisioning ecosystem services, and actors with mainly ecological interests, related to preserving regulating, cultural, or supporting ecosystem services, can be overcome for collective action. The analysis is based on empirical research conducted in a case study area from Eastern Germany, the Biosphere reserve Spreewald, where two collaborative governance approaches are compared: a citizen foundation and a water management board. For data collection we use face-to-face interviews based on the participatory Net-Map method. For data analysis we combine social network analysis and qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts. Results show that both governance networks display the typical structural and procedural characteristics of boundary organizations. We further discuss how single design characteristics can potentially affect ecosystem services provision as a collective benefit of the collaboration. Overall, the concept of boundary organizations provides a useful lens to study collaborative governance arrangements.