Mexico
Quelques réussites dans la réduction de la déforestation: Des pays tropicaux où les politiques de protection de la forêt et de reboisement ont fonctionnéThis report highlights successes of developing countries and their strategies for reducing deforestation and as a result, their emissions of greenhouse gases. The authors note that decreases in deforestation are primarily a result of REDD+ programs, including payments for ecosystem services, better law enforcement, governance reforms, moratoria on deforestation practices, and incorporating the environment in development efforts. Other successes come from policy changes and programs that have had intended and unintended positive impacts on forests.
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Lacandon Maya Ecosystem Management: Sustainable Design for Subsistence and Environmental RestorationbackgroundThis study examines swidden agroforestry used by the Lacandon Maya, an indigenous group living in Chiapas, Mexico, linking soil ecology to previous studies on plant communities. Open access copy available |
Local Knowledge Helps Select Species for Forest Restoration in a Tropical Dry Forest of Central Veracruz, MexicobackgroundThis paper presents a participative approach to species selection in forest restoration in the tropical dry forest in Mexico. Recent shifts in government programming now favor the planting of native speices over exotic timber species that have historically been used in reforestation projects. Open access copy available |
Can Pinus Plantations Facilitate Reintroduction of Endangered Cloud Forest Species?backgroundThis study tested the hypothesis that pine plantations can simulate the conditions of early forest succession, acting as a habitat for other native or endangered species to establish. In the cloud forest region of central Mexico, some tree species have become endangered due to land use change for both livestock production and tree plantations. Open access copy available |
Restoring forest landscapes for biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods: a spatial optimisation modelBackgroundConserving nature in the presence of human settlements is especially challenging in areas where livelihoods are largely based on locally available natural resources. The restoration of forests in such contexts calls for the identification of sites and actions that improve biodiversity protection, and ensure the provision of and accessibility to other forest-related ecosystem services. This paper introduces an integer-linear programming (ILP) approach to identify reforestation priorities that achieve such goals. Available with subscription or purchase |
Combining ecological, social and technical criteria to select species for forest restorationBackgroundThis study explores the role of ecological, social and technical criteria in selecting species for restoration in highly diverse ecosystems such as tropical riparian forests. A criteria-based index can help identify target species for restoration. Open access copy available |
Drug Policy as Conservation Policy: Narco-DeforestationBackgroundCentral America exploded into prominence as a drug trafficking corridor in the last decade. The authors document that an unprecedented flow of cocaine into Central America “coincided with a period of extensive forest loss”. The authors discuss the evidence that supports the idea that "trafficking of drugs (principally cocaine) has become a crucial—and overlooked—accelerant of forest loss” in Central America. Open access copy available |
Functional Diversity Changes during Tropical Forest SuccessionbackgroundThis paper evaluates changes in species richness and functional diversity during tropical secondary forest succession following shifting cultivation in Chiapas, Mexico. It examines whether speces richness is a good predictor of functional diversity. Research Goals & MethodsFunctional diversity was calculated based on a combination of nine functional traits and two individual traits important for primary production: specific leaf area and carbon sequestration (wood density). Open access copy available |
Neotropical Secondary Forest Succession: Changes in Structural and Functional CharacteristicsBackgroundThis paper reiviews the main biotic and abiotic factors that influence patterns of secondary forest succession in the Neotropics after complete forest clearance due to human activities. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors look at patterns of species replacement and various processes that occur during succession and suggest that the sequence of processes may be predictable even if species composition is not. Open access copy available |
Intensive Silvopastoral Systems: Improving Sustainability and Efficiency in Cattle Ranching LandscapesBackgroundThe article summarizes productivity benefits from implementation of intensive silvo-pastoral systems (ISPS) in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil, including benefits for the well-being of cattle, heightened biodiversity, and decreased area needed for production (allowing for greater quantities of forest area). The authors also summarize challenges inhibting greater adoption of intensive silvo-pastoral systems, and potential policy solutions for overcoming these challenges. Open access copy available |
