Exploring perceptions of stakeholder roles in ecosystem services coproduction

Stakeholder groups engage in ecosystem services coproduction as both coproducers and beneficiaries. Stakeholder group perceptions of their own and each other's roles in ecosystem services coproduction therefore influence how ecosystem services are provided in a given landscape. However, only a few studies have investigated self-perceived and attributed stakeholder group roles in this context. The aim of this paper is to assess the self-perceived and attributed engagement and importance of stakeholder groups in the coproduction of ecosystem services in a case study of the Lahn River landscape in Germany. The research questions address (i) local stakeholder group perceptions of their own engagement in the coproduction of ecosystem services and (ii) differences and commonalities between self-perceived and attributed stakeholder group importance in ecosystem services coproduction. Our method involves a survey local stakeholder groups regarding involvement in the coproduction of twelve ecosystem services and social network analysis to assess the survey data concerning network structures. Our findings indicate that self-perceived and attributed perceptions differ mainly regarding the central role of stakeholder groups in collaborative networks. We further identify differences in the self-perceived levels of importance of stakeholder groups within collaborative networks but similarities in the understanding of the overall stakeholder group network structure. We conclude by highlighting key implications for ecosystem services governance, including the need to address power imbalances and the need to foster collaborative engagement to ensure sustained and just ecosystem services delivery.