Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration
Abstract Forest regrowth is key to achieve restoration commitments, but a general lack of understanding when it occurs and how long secondary forests persist hampers effective upscaling. We quantified spatiotemporal forest dynamics in a recently colonized agricultural frontier in southern Mexico, an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.262 |
| _version_ | 1828288201179004928 |
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| author | Madelon Lohbeck Ben DeVries Frans Bongers Miguel Martinez‐Ramos Armando Navarrete‐Segueda Sergio Nicasio‐Arzeta Christina Siebe Aline Pingarroni Germán Wies Mathieu Decuyper |
| author_facet | Madelon Lohbeck Ben DeVries Frans Bongers Miguel Martinez‐Ramos Armando Navarrete‐Segueda Sergio Nicasio‐Arzeta Christina Siebe Aline Pingarroni Germán Wies Mathieu Decuyper |
| author_sort | Madelon Lohbeck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Forest regrowth is key to achieve restoration commitments, but a general lack of understanding when it occurs and how long secondary forests persist hampers effective upscaling. We quantified spatiotemporal forest dynamics in a recently colonized agricultural frontier in southern Mexico, and tested how temporal variation in climate, and cross‐community variation in land ownership, land quality and accessibility affect forest disturbance, regrowth and secondary forest persistence. We consistently found more forest loss than regrowth, resulting in a net decrease of 45% forest cover (1991–2016) in the study region. Secondary forest cover remained relatively constant while secondary forest persistence increased, suggesting that farmers are moving away from shifting cultivation. Temporal variation in disturbance was explained by annual variation in climatic variables and key policy and market interventions. We found large differences in forest characteristics across communities, and these were explained by differences in land ownership and soil quality. Forests were better conserved on communal land, while secondary forest was more persistent when farms were larger and soil quality is better. At the pixel‐level both old forest and secondary forests were better represented on low‐quality lands indicating agricultural concentration on productive land. Both old forest and secondary forest were less common close to the main road, where secondary forests were also less persistent. We demonstrate the suitability of timeseries analyses to quantify forest disturbance and regrowth and we analyse drivers across time and space. Communities differ in forest dynamics, indicating different possibilities, needs and interests. We warrant that stimulating private land ownership may cause remaining forest patches to be lost and that conservation initiatives should benefit the whole community. Forest regrowth competes with agricultural production and ensuring farmers have access to restoration benefits is key to restoration success. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:00:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e3b20600a3646bbaa7685e280ef4d32 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-3485 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:00:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e3b20600a3646bbaa7685e280ef4d322022-12-22T02:51:15ZengWileyRemote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation2056-34852022-08-018456457710.1002/rse2.262Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restorationMadelon Lohbeck0Ben DeVries1Frans Bongers2Miguel Martinez‐Ramos3Armando Navarrete‐Segueda4Sergio Nicasio‐Arzeta5Christina Siebe6Aline Pingarroni7Germán Wies8Mathieu Decuyper9Wageningen University and Research Wageningen the NetherlandsDepartment of Geography, Environment and Geomatics University of Guelph Guelph CanadaWageningen University and Research Wageningen the NetherlandsInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico Morelia MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico Morelia MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico Morelia MexicoInstituto de Geología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico Mexico City MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico Morelia MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico Morelia MexicoWageningen University and Research Wageningen the NetherlandsAbstract Forest regrowth is key to achieve restoration commitments, but a general lack of understanding when it occurs and how long secondary forests persist hampers effective upscaling. We quantified spatiotemporal forest dynamics in a recently colonized agricultural frontier in southern Mexico, and tested how temporal variation in climate, and cross‐community variation in land ownership, land quality and accessibility affect forest disturbance, regrowth and secondary forest persistence. We consistently found more forest loss than regrowth, resulting in a net decrease of 45% forest cover (1991–2016) in the study region. Secondary forest cover remained relatively constant while secondary forest persistence increased, suggesting that farmers are moving away from shifting cultivation. Temporal variation in disturbance was explained by annual variation in climatic variables and key policy and market interventions. We found large differences in forest characteristics across communities, and these were explained by differences in land ownership and soil quality. Forests were better conserved on communal land, while secondary forest was more persistent when farms were larger and soil quality is better. At the pixel‐level both old forest and secondary forests were better represented on low‐quality lands indicating agricultural concentration on productive land. Both old forest and secondary forest were less common close to the main road, where secondary forests were also less persistent. We demonstrate the suitability of timeseries analyses to quantify forest disturbance and regrowth and we analyse drivers across time and space. Communities differ in forest dynamics, indicating different possibilities, needs and interests. We warrant that stimulating private land ownership may cause remaining forest patches to be lost and that conservation initiatives should benefit the whole community. Forest regrowth competes with agricultural production and ensuring farmers have access to restoration benefits is key to restoration success.https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.262Forest regrowthLandsatMexiconatural regenerationsecondary forestsoil quality |
| spellingShingle | Madelon Lohbeck Ben DeVries Frans Bongers Miguel Martinez‐Ramos Armando Navarrete‐Segueda Sergio Nicasio‐Arzeta Christina Siebe Aline Pingarroni Germán Wies Mathieu Decuyper Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation Forest regrowth Landsat Mexico natural regeneration secondary forest soil quality |
| title | Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration |
| title_full | Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration |
| title_fullStr | Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration |
| title_short | Mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration |
| title_sort | mexican agricultural frontier communities differ in forest dynamics with consequences for conservation and restoration |
| topic | Forest regrowth Landsat Mexico natural regeneration secondary forest soil quality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.262 |
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