Overcoming Key Barriers for Secondary Cloud Forest Management in Mexico

Tarin Toledo-Aceves, Manuel R. Guariguata, Sven Günter, Luciana Porter-Bolland and Leticia Merino
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Tarin Toledo-Aceves: Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Xalapa 91073, Mexico
Manuel R. Guariguata: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Lima 15024, Peru
Sven Günter: Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics, 21031 Hamburg, Germany
Luciana Porter-Bolland: Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Xalapa 91073, Mexico
Leticia Merino: Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City 04510, Mexico

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Secondary cloud forests (SCFs), those that regenerate naturally following abandonment of human activities in previously deforested land, are of great value as refuges of high species diversity and for their critical role in hydrological regulation. This opinion paper analyzes the main environmental, socio-economic, and regulatory aspects that currently hamper the sustainable use and conservation of SCFs in Mexico for the provision of timber and ecosystem services. The main constraints identified include contradictory norms and policies and the marginalization of smallholders in timber production activities. Developing economic incentives for forest product harvesting and provision of ecosystem services derived from SCFs, while also addressing legal and normative aspects related to their sustainable use, is paramount. Given the high heterogeneity in floristic composition and stand structure of SCFs among localities, technical and social norms for sustainable use should be sufficiently flexible to allow adaptive management approaches. Future research areas should be focused on monitoring the response of SCFs to silvicultural interventions, documenting existing traditional practices as well as conducting socio-economic analyses of timber production and associated ecosystem services. This is essential for developing sound policies and approaches for the sustainable use and long-term management of SCFs in Mexico.

Keywords: natural regeneration; selective logging; stakeholders; succession; tropical montane cloud forest landscape (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:10:p:1078-:d:655209

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