Abstract

VELAZQUEZ, Alejandro; FREGOSO, Alejandra; BOCCO, Gerardo  and  CORTEZ, Gonzalo. The use of a landscape approach in mexican forest indigenous communities to strengthen long-term forest management. INCI [online]. 2003, vol.28, n.11, pp.632-638. ISSN 0378-1844.

The present study quantitatively compares (advantages and disadvantages between) vegetation- and forest-mapping approaches. The results are meant to conciliate use and conservation of the same study subject, the forest. The vegetation approach followed the European school to describe and classify vegetation. A total of 177 relevés were surveyed via a stratified sampling. In total, 13 plant communities were distinguished as well as characteristic species per community. The forest approach followed a stratified systematic sampling design. On the whole, 136 forest stands, comprising 1271 forest substands were recognized. This included the surveying of 4662 sites of approximately 1000m² per site. For comparison purposes, three components were regarded: floristic, vegetation dynamics and spatial distribution. The vegetation approach included 609 vascular plant species, whereas the forest approach only included 11 (those of importance for wooden products). Vegetation dynamics was well represented by the 13 plant communities depicted by the vegetation approach. In contrast, the forest approach only regards dynamics of a few selected plant population species. In the spatial context, a substantial percentage of both approaches were successfully linked (70%). The rest of the forest stands harbor heterogeneous conditions that restricted linking plant communities and forest stands. It is strongly recommended to pursuit a complementary study strategy of both approaches since both provide relevant aspects for forest use and conservation.

Keywords : Conservation; Indigenous Communities; Landscape Approach; Mexican Forest; Vegetation Mapping.