Resumen

SANCHEZ-VELASQUEZ, Lázaro R et al. Opportunity for the study of critical successional processes for the restoration and conservation of mountain forest: The case of mexican pine plantations. INCI [online]. 2009, vol.34, n.7, pp.518-522. ISSN 0378-1844.

It has become clear that native species are incorporated naturally under the canopy of many tree plantations. This process of incorporation (facilitation) can be used as an opportunity to create successional models in restoration and species reintroduction projects. The need to incorporate basic ecological information is a critical issue in the process of ecosystem restoration. Pinus is a genus widely used in plantations worldwide. In Mexico, 199 790.4ha are planted with pine each year. Many of these plantations have been established with rehabilitation and conservation goals, and provide an opportunity for restoration through the reintroduction of native species of plants and animals. Because pine species are considered as pioneers in forest successional stages, pine plantations represent natural laboratories that can be used to test scientific hypothesis to strengthen the restoration and reintroduction programs. These plantations also represent an opportunity to apply scientific knowledge in practical field conservation and address the science-policy interface. In this essay, we presented arguments focused on the importance of plantations as areas for experimentation, given the diversity of environments in which they are found, from sea level to high altitudes, as well as the diversity in their structure and composition.

Palabras clave : Facilitation; Mexico; Pine Plantation; Reintroduction; Restoration; Succession.