Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico
Despite regional deforestation threats, the state of Quintana Roo has maintained over 80% of its territory in forests. Community forest management (CFM) has played a pivotal role in forest cover and biodiversity conservation in the region. In this article, we present the institutional, socioeconomi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/11/4295 |
| _version_ | 1811314555314241536 |
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| author | Edward A. Ellis Karen A. Kainer José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz Patricia Negreros-Castillo Dawn Rodriguez-Ward Maria DiGiano |
| author_facet | Edward A. Ellis Karen A. Kainer José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz Patricia Negreros-Castillo Dawn Rodriguez-Ward Maria DiGiano |
| author_sort | Edward A. Ellis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite regional deforestation threats, the state of Quintana Roo has maintained over 80% of its territory in forests. Community forest management (CFM) has played a pivotal role in forest cover and biodiversity conservation in the region. In this article, we present the institutional, socioeconomic and environmental conditions under which community-based forest management has been consolidated in the tropical state of Quintana Roo, which occupies the eastern half of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. With a focus on management for timber and other market-based development strategies, we then examine the institutional and socioeconomic factors, as well as biophysical shocks, that have constrained community forestry development in the past 25 years, challenging its persistence. Following, we discuss how forest communities and institutions have responded and adapted to changing forest policies and markets as well as major environmental shocks from hurricanes and fires. CFM in Quintana Roo has shown resiliency since its institutionalization 30 years ago. Future challenges and opportunities include biodiversity conservation, carbon management through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives, market strengthening, business management training as well as the implementation of alternative silvicultural systems, particularly to manage sustainable populations of commercial timber species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:13:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7b15b35c6df48e19c1cc549afc8414c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:13:40Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7b15b35c6df48e19c1cc549afc8414c2022-12-22T02:49:02ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072015-11-016114295432710.3390/f6114295f6114295Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, MexicoEdward A. Ellis0Karen A. Kainer1José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz2Patricia Negreros-Castillo3Dawn Rodriguez-Ward4Maria DiGiano5Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz 91090, MexicoSchool of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USASchool of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAInstituto de Investigaciones Forestales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz 91090, MexicoCenter for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Lima 1158, PeruEarth Innovation Institute, San Francisco, CA 94110, USADespite regional deforestation threats, the state of Quintana Roo has maintained over 80% of its territory in forests. Community forest management (CFM) has played a pivotal role in forest cover and biodiversity conservation in the region. In this article, we present the institutional, socioeconomic and environmental conditions under which community-based forest management has been consolidated in the tropical state of Quintana Roo, which occupies the eastern half of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. With a focus on management for timber and other market-based development strategies, we then examine the institutional and socioeconomic factors, as well as biophysical shocks, that have constrained community forestry development in the past 25 years, challenging its persistence. Following, we discuss how forest communities and institutions have responded and adapted to changing forest policies and markets as well as major environmental shocks from hurricanes and fires. CFM in Quintana Roo has shown resiliency since its institutionalization 30 years ago. Future challenges and opportunities include biodiversity conservation, carbon management through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives, market strengthening, business management training as well as the implementation of alternative silvicultural systems, particularly to manage sustainable populations of commercial timber species.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/11/4295community forestryejidoforest coveradaptationMaya ForestYucatán |
| spellingShingle | Edward A. Ellis Karen A. Kainer José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz Patricia Negreros-Castillo Dawn Rodriguez-Ward Maria DiGiano Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico Forests community forestry ejido forest cover adaptation Maya Forest Yucatán |
| title | Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| title_full | Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| title_short | Endurance and Adaptation of Community Forest Management in Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| title_sort | endurance and adaptation of community forest management in quintana roo mexico |
| topic | community forestry ejido forest cover adaptation Maya Forest Yucatán |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/11/4295 |
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