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Sustainable Community Forest Management in Mexico: An Integrated Model of Three Socio-ecological Frameworks

Environmental Management volume 68, pages 900–913 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

The sustainability of management practices in forest ecosystems should provide ecosystem services and maintain the livelihoods that largely depend on the benefits directly derived from forests; but this goal requires various theoretical and analytical approaches. This research aims to develop a conceptual model for sustainable forest management based on the integration of three conceptual frameworks founded on the society–ecosystem interaction: socio-ecological systems, sustainable forest management, and ecosystem services. The results offer a methodological, analytical, organizational, and operational route to integrate a scientific model at the material, causal, and dynamic levels, considering theoretical and empirical information; it uses grounded theory methodology to select the interactions between variables and socio-ecological dynamics of forest ecosystems under community management. For example, it integrates social components (local knowledge, governance, and social organization) and ecological components (diversity and composition of plant species, carbon pools, and nutrient dynamics) to understand their interactions through management practices and the magnitude of the ecosystem services provided according to the local contexts. We illustrate this process by analyzing the influence of governance, decision-making, resource use, and management practices on forest management and ecosystem services; this exemplifies the factors, interactions, and effects on socio-ecological systems based on experience in forest communities. These integrated frameworks provide steps through which our understanding of specific socio-ecological approaches produces better outcomes for sustainable forest management, preserves ecosystems services and benefits livelihoods in Mexican temperate forests.

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Acknowledgements

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Project “Impactos de manejo forestal y los servicios ecosistémicos en bosques templados del Centro de México” 2016, Scientific Development to Address National Problems, ID Code 314. The authors thank Ann Grant for the English Language editing and revision.

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  1. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias, Ciudad Universitaria de la UAEM Cuernavaca, Av. Universidad s/n, Circuito 2, Col. Chamilpa, C.P 62210, Morelos, Mexico

    Gabriela De la Mora de la Mora & Laura Oliva Sánchez-Nupan

  2. Departamento de Geografía Física, Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior S/N, CDMX, México, C.P. 04510, Mexico

    Laura Oliva Sánchez-Nupan, Balam Castro-Torres & Leopoldo Galicia

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  1. Gabriela De la Mora de la Mora
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  2. Laura Oliva Sánchez-Nupan
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  3. Balam Castro-Torres
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de la Mora, G.D.l.M., Sánchez-Nupan, L.O., Castro-Torres, B. et al. Sustainable Community Forest Management in Mexico: An Integrated Model of Three Socio-ecological Frameworks. Environmental Management 68, 900–913 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01512-8

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Keywords

  • Ecosystem services
  • Governance
  • Local knowledge
  • Social organization
  • Socio-ecological systems
  • Sustainable forest management