Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice
Community forest management (CFM) is often a field of encounter between knowledge systems, where a conventional forestry blueprint is frequently applied in contexts rich in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This is the case in Mexico, a bioculturally diverse country and a reference of communit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/403 |
| _version_ | 1797571490544091136 |
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| author | José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz Patricia Gerez Fernández Citlalli López Binnqüist Louise Guibrunet Edward A. Ellis |
| author_facet | José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz Patricia Gerez Fernández Citlalli López Binnqüist Louise Guibrunet Edward A. Ellis |
| author_sort | José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Community forest management (CFM) is often a field of encounter between knowledge systems, where a conventional forestry blueprint is frequently applied in contexts rich in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This is the case in Mexico, a bioculturally diverse country and a reference of community forestry. Based on a review of laws, policies, literature, and empirical examples, we explore technical, epistemological, political, and contextual dimensions associated with the inclusion and exclusion of TEK in CFM in Mexico. Our analysis is composed of three steps: (1) A diachronic analysis of how TEK and associated practices have been considered by federal forest laws and codes (1960–2018), (2) a diachronic analysis of the scope of conventional forestry and its evolution in time and space, and (3) situated examples illustrating the inclusion and exclusion of TEK in CFM. We argue that: (1) Legal recognition of TEK as a concept does not necessarily entail the legal recognition of all traditional management practices; (2) the inclusion of TEK in CFM is heterogeneous across communities, ecosystems, regions, products and historical trajectories; and (3) different traditional practices are not equally integrated in CFM: traditional practices that contradict the spatial segregation of activities (i.e., land sparing) favored by conventional forestry tend to be less easily accepted or ignored by government institutions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:41:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4179bc1a66840619043e23f858e0f57 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:41:23Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4179bc1a66840619043e23f858e0f572023-11-19T20:39:49ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-04-0111440310.3390/f11040403Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and PracticeJosé Antonio Sierra-Huelsz0Patricia Gerez Fernández1Citlalli López Binnqüist2Louise Guibrunet3Edward A. Ellis4Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, 91000 Veracruz, MexicoCentro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, 91000 Veracruz, MexicoCentro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, 91000 Veracruz, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, 58190 Michoacán, MexicoCentro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, 91000 Veracruz, MexicoCommunity forest management (CFM) is often a field of encounter between knowledge systems, where a conventional forestry blueprint is frequently applied in contexts rich in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This is the case in Mexico, a bioculturally diverse country and a reference of community forestry. Based on a review of laws, policies, literature, and empirical examples, we explore technical, epistemological, political, and contextual dimensions associated with the inclusion and exclusion of TEK in CFM in Mexico. Our analysis is composed of three steps: (1) A diachronic analysis of how TEK and associated practices have been considered by federal forest laws and codes (1960–2018), (2) a diachronic analysis of the scope of conventional forestry and its evolution in time and space, and (3) situated examples illustrating the inclusion and exclusion of TEK in CFM. We argue that: (1) Legal recognition of TEK as a concept does not necessarily entail the legal recognition of all traditional management practices; (2) the inclusion of TEK in CFM is heterogeneous across communities, ecosystems, regions, products and historical trajectories; and (3) different traditional practices are not equally integrated in CFM: traditional practices that contradict the spatial segregation of activities (i.e., land sparing) favored by conventional forestry tend to be less easily accepted or ignored by government institutions.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/403Mexicocommunity forest managementtraditional ecological knowledgeforest policyknowledge systems |
| spellingShingle | José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz Patricia Gerez Fernández Citlalli López Binnqüist Louise Guibrunet Edward A. Ellis Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice Forests Mexico community forest management traditional ecological knowledge forest policy knowledge systems |
| title | Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice |
| title_full | Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice |
| title_fullStr | Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice |
| title_short | Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Community Forest Management: Evolution and Limitations in Mexican Forest Law, Policy and Practice |
| title_sort | traditional ecological knowledge in community forest management evolution and limitations in mexican forest law policy and practice |
| topic | Mexico community forest management traditional ecological knowledge forest policy knowledge systems |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/403 |
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