Secondary Succession in Fallow Agroforestry Systems Managed in Tropical Dry Forest in Western Mexico

Alana Pacheco-Flores (), Alejandro Casas (), Ana I. Moreno-Calles, Roberto Lindig-Cisneros, Francisco Javier Rendón-Sandoval, Francisco Mora-Ardila, Fernando Estañol-Tecuatl, Gonzalo D. Álvarez-Ríos and Rubén Ortega-Álvarez
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Alana Pacheco-Flores: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Alejandro Casas: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Ana I. Moreno-Calles: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Roberto Lindig-Cisneros: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Francisco Javier Rendón-Sandoval: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Francisco Mora-Ardila: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Fernando Estañol-Tecuatl: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Gonzalo D. Álvarez-Ríos: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
Rubén Ortega-Álvarez: Centro de Estudios e Investigación en Biocultura, Agroecología, Ambiente y Salud (CEIBAAS-Colima), Investigadoras e Investigadores por México del Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT), Comala 28454, Colima, Mexico

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are ecosystems of high biocultural value, in which agroforestry systems (AFSs) have been essential in their management and conservation. We aimed to characterize agroforestry practices and analyze their capacity to conserve perennial plant diversity. In addition, we sought to evaluate how the management of TDFs as AFSs, together with their regeneration, influences species diversity and vegetation structure in a landscape with AFSs and TDFs in different conservation states. We compared the species diversity and basal area (BA) of plants in active and fallow AFSs at different regeneration stages in Zacualpan, Colima, Mexico. We found that AFSs harbored 71% of species richness ( 0 D ), forming a mosaic that contributed to the gamma diversity (124 species) of TDFs in the area. AFSs supported 23 endemic and 12 protected species. TDFs, active and advanced regeneration AFSs, had the highest number of useful species and diversity. Species richness ( 0 D ) in management categories increased as succession progressed, but not the BA, possibly due to frequent browsing and wood and firewood extraction. However, BA may be related to the management of useful trees maintained through agroforestry practices. We suggest increasing the matrix quality through a mosaic of active and fallow AFSs to promote ecological connectivity and biodiversity conservation.

Keywords: agrisilvicultures; agrobiodiversity; biocultural diversity; conservation; Colima; plant sustainable management; Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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