Alicia Castillo

Understanding the Interaction of Rural People with Ecosystems: A Case Study in a Tropical Dry Forest of Mexico

The aim of this study was to help understand the interaction of rural people with tropical dry forests. It was based on social research conducted in the Chamela-Cuixmala region, on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The analytical tools used in the study included stakeholder identification, environmental history and social perceptions. The two main social groups in the study were ejidatarios, who own most of the territory, and avecindados, who possess no land but have high population numbers. Through an interpretative methodological approach we documented the vision and meaning that rural people give to their natural and social worlds. The agricultural development model promoted by the Mexican government for decades was identified as the main driver of ecosystem transformation. Rural people, who arrived recently in the region, were proud of the pasture-lands that were transformed from tropical forests. Conservation policies implemented during the last two decades were viewed as impositions although people recognized the value of services provided by ecosystems. This case study has helped to unravel the main dimensions of the human system and how it relates to structures of signification. The social panorama unveiled can be used as an initial basis to promote further research on the social-ecological system of the Chamela-Cuixmala region and to develop future participatory management schemes.

THE USE OF ECOLOGICAL SCIENCE BY RURAL PRODUCERS: A CASE STUDY IN MEXICO

The role of ecological science in promoting sound environmental decisions has concerned ecologists worldwide and it has been stressed that the application of eco- logical knowledge requires new interactive and participatory forms of research, as well as sound partnerships between ecologists and land managers. However, concrete examples of ecological science as part of rural decision making have rarely been examined, especially in intertropical countries. We analyzed interactions between ecological scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a rural indigenous community involved in forest management in Central-Western Mexico. Using qualitative research meth- ods (such as observing participants, conducting interviews; generally focusing on the mean- ings that social actors give to phenomena), we compared the perspectives of the academic and community sectors in relation to benefits, products, problems, and obstacles faced when conducting integrative forest management. The research showed the relevance of rural communities demanding scientific information for ecosystem management and of academic institutions accepting to respond to these demands. Participatory approaches and continuous communication between sectors were essential for establishing trust and commitment for everyone involved. The obstacles found were related to an academic institutions inability to support such an experience and to accept capacity building of rural managers as part of its scientific mission. We concluded that applied ecological science in developing countries, such as Mexico, should regard rural communities as key ecosystem managers and should respond to their needs and demands in order to convert pure scientific findings into wise environmental decisions.

Social Participation in Conservation Efforts: A Case Study of a Biosphere Reserve on Private Lands in Mexico

Biosphere reserves protect ecosystems in a context that recognizes that humans must be included in conservation efforts. This article presents the case study of a biosphere reserve created from the lands of a private owner and a university research station. Our main objective was to analyze the role of social participation in the design and implementation of this reserve by examining the perspectives of different stakeholders. From the government perspective, there is a clear need to promote local participation in conservation. The only objectives of the institutions administering the reserve are conservation and scientific research inside their boundaries. From the perspective of an adjacent rural settlement, the presence and objectives of the reserve are alien. This study questions whether the strict conservation goals of private landowners and the inherent limitations of academic scientific institutions are consistent with the biosphere reserve vision of including local stakeholders.

How do people perceive urban trees? Assessing likes and dislikes in relation to the trees of a city

Cities are systems that include natural and human-created components. When a city grows without proper planning, it tends to have low environmental quality. If improving environmental quality is intended, people’s opinion should be taken into account for a better acceptance of urban management decisions. In this study, we assessed people’s perception of trees by conducting a survey with a controlled sample of citizens from the city of Morelia (west-central Mexico). Citizens liked both native and exotic tree species and rejected mainly exotic ones. Preference for trees were related to tree attributes; such as size. Trees that dropped leaves or tended to fall were not liked. The most-mentioned tree-related benefits were oxygen supply and shade; the most mentioned tree-related damages were accidents and infrastructure damage. The majority of respondents preferred trees near houses to increase tree density. Also, most respondents preferred trees in green areas as well as close to their houses, as they consider that trees provide oxygen. The majority of the respondents thought more trees were needed in the city. In general, our results show that although people perceive that trees in urban areas can cause damages, they often show more interest for the benefits related to trees and consider there should be more trees in cities. We strongly suggest the development of studies that broaden our knowledge of citizen preferences in relation to urban vegetation, and that further policy making takes their perception into account when considering creating new urban green areas, regardless of their type or size.

Environmental Education as Facilitator of the Use of Ecological Information: A case study in Mexico

Ecological research is expected to provide a scientific basis on which environmental management decisions can be taken. Environmental education is seen as raising environmental awareness among human populations and as a provider of the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills needed to protect the environment. This article proposes that in the context of developing countries such as Mexico, one role for environmental education is to facilitate the utilisation of ecological information in the solution of problems. In order to outline how this can work in practice, a case study is used to outline the role of environmental education as the linkage between science (its institutions, actors and products) and different sectors of society involved in the management of ecosystems, their resources and the services they provide.

Ecosystem Services in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests

Human populations depend for their survival and well-being on benefits derived from ecosystems, also called ecosystem services (MA 2003). The nature, magnitude, and reliability of the services provided by a certain ecosystem depend on its particular characteristics, the human group that interacts with it, and the nature of their interaction (MA 2003; Maass et al. 2005). The ability of an ecosystem to provide services depends on its processes—that is, the interactions between its physical and biotic components—and the rates and variability over time and space of such processes and components (Kremen 2005). The benefits people obtain from ecosystems also depend on demographic, economic, political, cultural, scientific, and technological characteristics of the human groups that interact with the ecosystem (MA 2003; Castillo et al. 2005). Human groups determine which services they demand, extract, or expect from ecosystems and thus drive decisions about how to manage them (MA 2003; Bennet and Balvanera 2007). Given the tight relationship between the delivery of ecosystem services and human well-being, the long-term maintenance of the capacity of ecosystems to provide services is essential to ensure a promising future for humanity. Indeed, technical and social interventions need to be designed to foster the maintenance of the services to ensure human well-being (MA 2003).

Communication and Utilization of Science in Developing Countries The Case of Mexican Ecology

Ecology has a major responsibility in solving environmental problems. In Mexico, scientific institutions need to contribute more to the practical use of their research findings, especially with regard to the rural management of ecosystems. Based on the framework of the Ecological Information System, two surveys were conducted among ecologists and nongovernmental organizations in Mexico. It was found that ecology has a great deal to contribute to environmental problem solving and that nongovernmental organizations function as links between science and rural producers, such as agriculturists, cattle ranchers, forest extractors, hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, although these interactions should be strengthened. Suggestions are made for the design of new forms of communicating science within scientific institutions that contribute to the utilization of scientific results.

Redes de Investigación Ecológica y Socio-Ecológica a Largo Plazo (LTER y LTSER) en Iberoamérica: Los casos de México y España

Las profundas diferencias economicas entre los paises, combinadas con igualmente diferentes contextos historicos, sociales y culturales complican enormemente la organizacion de procesos de investigacion cientifica a escala regional y global. Los diferentes paises miembros de la Red Internacional de Investigacion Ecologica a Largo Plazo (ILTER) han armado sus propias redes atendiendo a las necesidades, caracteristicas y restricciones nacionales, pero con miras a participar de manera firme en el proceso internacional. En este articulo se presenta una resena pormenorizada de las experiencias de dos paises iberoamericanos, Mexico y Espana, en su proceso de conformacion de redes LTER nacionales. Los paises comparten muchas similitudes culturales, pero con algunas diferencias importantes que han determinado la forma particular en que cada uno de ellos ha disenado e implementado sus propias redes LTER. Se aborda para ambos casos el proceso de conformacion de sus Redes Nacionales en el contexto de su entorno internacional. Asimismo, describe brevemente la manera como ambos grupos estan participando en un primer esfuerzo de la red ILTER por detonar un proyecto de colaboracion cientifica a nivel internacional sobre las relaciones existentes entre los motores socioeconomicos y los servicios ambientales de los ecosistemas.

Palm use and social values in rural communities on the coastal plains of Veracruz, Mexico

Palms are a resource of great importance in the tropics and are found in a variety of ecosystems, including the wetlands of the tropical coastal plains. In order to recover wetland ecosystems, we studied the traditional uses of wetland palms, by conducting interviews in the communities of four municipalities on the Gulf of Mexico coast. We found that people use five species of palm: Cocos nucifera, Sabal mexicana, Attalea liebmannii,Roystonea dunlapiana and Acrocomia aculeata. Main uses for the five species were for food and construction materials. Although palms are still used, traditional knowledge is declining in the younger generations, likely as a result of various social, cultural and economic factors. It is important to recover and promote the traditional use and value of palm trees, especially for the native species, because of both the economic benefits and the environmental services they provide. More participatory work with the inhabitants is needed to initiate palm breeding programs to assist in the recovery of wetland ecosystems.

Collective Action in the Management of a Tropical Dry Forest Ecosystem: Effects of Mexico’s Property Rights Regime

Dilemmas of natural resources governance have been a central concern for scholars, policy makers, and users. Major debates occur over the implications of property rights for common resources management. After the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917), land was distributed mainly as ejidos conceived as a hereditary but unalienable collective form of property. In 1992, a new Agrarian Law was decreed that allows individual ownership by removing various restrictions over the transfer of land. Scholars have examined the reform mainly focusing on land-tenure changes and environmental fragmentation. This study examines how the new ownership regime is affecting collective decision-making in ejidos located in a tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystem. Information on decision-making processes before and after the 1992 reform was gathered through 52 interviews conducted in four ejidos selected along a gradient including agricultural, cattle-raising, and TDF use. The new individualized land property system reduced collective action in ejidos but did not trigger it. Collective action responses to the 1992 reform were buffered by self-organization each ejido already had. Heterogeneous users who shared a short history and showed little understanding of TDF and low dependence on its resources seemed to explain why ejidos have not been able to share a sense of community that would shape the construction of institutions for the collective management of forest resources. However, when a resource is scarce and highly valuable such as water the same users showed capacities for undertaking costly co-operative activities.