Guillermo Jiménez-Ferrer

The role of local knowledge in determining shade composition of multistrata coffee systems in Chiapas, Mexico

This research explores interactions between farmers’ knowledge and socioeconomic circumstances and the floristic composition of multistrata coffee plantations in Chiapas, Mexico. Interviews with 24 individual farmers with accompanying vegetation transects and two community level participatory workshops were carried out. The frequency, density, dominance, utility and importance value for all tree species surveyed were obtained. Farmers were grouped by cluster analysis on the basis of their land area, time producing coffee and the age of their coffee farms but the dominant shade species in their coffee plantations was not influenced by socioeconomic status (p<0.05). A total of 74 shade species were recorded and classified as temporary, suitable, or unsuitable as shade species by farmers, based on attributes such as leaf phenology, foliage density, crown shape and the amount and timing of litter decomposition, as well as their overall impact on coffee yield. Principal component and cluster analysis using these attributes confirmed the consistency of the farmers’ classification system. A group of preferred species was identified, but less than half the trees recorded on farms were of these species, showing that farmers retained a wide range of trees and shrubs in their plantations, taking into account not only commercial interests but also their contribution to ecosystem functions. Farmers harnessed the forces of secondary succession by retaining pioneers as temporary shade, knowing that they would naturally be succeeded, while at the same time promoting and tolerating other longer living native species that they considered more suitable as coffee shade. Managing diverse secondary succession instead of establishing monospecific shade was an efficient way for farmers to achieve acceptable coffee yields while contributing to biodiversity and landscape conservation that could allow them access to niche markets.

Concepts and a methodology for evaluating environmental services from trees of small farms in Chiapas, México.

We propose a methodology to estimate the environmental service (ES) value of small farms in Chiapas, Mexico, involving trained farmers-promoters in field sampling. We considered the ways in which the landscapes principal organisms, the trees, contribute to ES. We proposed a species functional value (FV) index based on their functional traits and key ecological characteristics, and estimated each sites ES value using FV weighted by the dimensions and abundance of individuals in different land uses (LU). Tree contribution to carbon storage (C) was defined using species wood density and biodiversity conservation value (BD) using food and habitat provision for wildlife and species existence (non-use) value (EX). Many species and individuals had high C, as wind-dispersed species with dense wood were common, but low BD prevailed, with high BD species common only in riparian forests. Few species and fewer individuals had high EX conferred by dense wood, large size, harvesting pressure and animal dispersal, among others. High variance in value within LU types, suggested that LU is a poor estimator of ES value, and that the measurement of species FV and tree dimensions is essential. This tool accurately reflects the ecological values of farm tree cover, allowing negotiation of compensation for environmental services. This methodology could be implemented combining open-access regional traits databases and field sampling by local people, and can easily be adapted for the measurement of other ES, and to other ecological and cultural contexts.

Agroforestry Systems and Local Institutional Development for Preventing Deforestation in Chiapas, Mexico

The transformation of natural forest to secondary forest and pastures has been the most common process of land use change in tropical countries in recent decades (FAO, 2010). The main causes of deforestation include institutional factors, markets, public policies and global forces, which often act synergistically (Deininger and Minten, 1999; Bocco et al. 2001; Lambin et al., 2001). Mexico is a country with 64,802x103 ha of forested land, and it is one of the ten countries with the largest area of primary forest (3% of total). The annual net loss of deforestation in Mexico has been estimated to be 0.52% for the period of 1990-2010, but the net loss, on average, has decreased over the past few years (FAO, 2010). The highest deforestation rates are concentrated in the south and central regions of the country, as documented elsewhere: 8.4% in el Nevado de Toluca, state of Mexico (1972-2000) (Maass et al., 2006); 8% in Patzcuaro, Michoacan (1960-1990) (Klooster, 2000); 6.9% in some areas of Campeche (ReyesHernandez et al., 2003); 6.1% in the highlands of the state of Chiapas (Cayuela et al., 2006; Echeverria et al., 2007); and 2-6.7% in Selva Lacandona, also in Chiapas (Ortiz-Espejel & Toledo, 1998; de Jong et. al., 2000). Precisely, the states of Chiapas and Yucatan have registered the highest rate of forest conversion to grasslands and slash-and-burn cultivation over the past two decades, and Chiapas alone has contributed towards 12% of national deforestation during the period 1993-2007 (De Jong et al, 2010; Diaz-Gallegos et al., 2010). In Mexico, deforestation occurs because forests become converted to agriculture, livestock and urban areas. But also because logging activities fail to meet the requirements of forest management plans. All these processes result in the loss of forest goods and services (Lambin et al. 2003), and they contribute to ecosystem fragmentation (Ochoa-Gaona & Gonzalez Espinosa, 2000; Cayuela et al., 2006), biological invasions (Hobbs, 2000), greenhouse gas emissions (Watson et al., 2000), biodiversity loss (Lugo et al., 1993), soil degradation (Lal, 2004) and water siltation (Sweeney et al., 2004).

AGRO-ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ASSESSMENT OF SILVOPASTORAL EXPERIENCES IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO: TOWARDS A METHODOLOGICAL PROPOSAL

In response to the current needs of humanity with regard to food production, environmental disasters and climate change, it is important to define (livestock) production systems and management practices that are both productive and ecologically sustainable. We qualitatively assessed advanced silvopastoral experiences in five ecologically and culturally distinct regions in Chiapas, Mexico, given their ability to provide key services: internal (productivity and productive resiliency) and external (climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation). We propose 20 indicators that reflect management, resources, use of external inputs, availability of food, commercial products and animal feed and trees in grazing and forest areas. Sets of some indicators form criteria for dependence on external inputs, productive diversification with emphasis on food security, soil conservation, tree cover and landscape connectivity, among others. Indicators and thresholds were adjusted to critical (traffic light) levels, based on field data. Comparing the levels reached by the studied experiences, we found that most of the resulting services go hand in hand; so ‘win–win’ situations are possible to be achieved. The elements and practices that affect both internal and external services were explored. The red light critical points in each production unit were identified so that they could be attended. Experiences that presented higher levels in assessment criteria could serve as examples to enable the improvement of livestock systems under similar conditions. We propose this assessment as a tool for rapid intervention that can be widely applied to livestock systems, from conventional to organic or diversified, because of the criteria used. However, it can be more flexible, as new criteria can be added and thresholds can be adjusted for other types of production systems, always reflecting local and desired conditions. The proposed indicators can be also used as a basis for a quantitative agroecosystem assessment.