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Local knowledge helps select species for forest restoration in a tropical dry forest of central Veracruz, Mexico

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Abstract

Species for restoration forestry on degraded lands in the tropics are often restricted to a few well-known exotic timber species. This selection frequently leads to failed projects, as local people expect trees to cover a number of uses, not only timber. We studied local knowledge of the usefulness, scarcity and importance for wildlife of native tree species in central Veracruz, Mexico, a region with mainly secondary vegetation and remnants of tropical dry forest. Data were obtained from several workshops, in depth interviews of 40 key informants, field walks with informants, and botanical collections. Analysis included indices for cultural importance, scarcity and wildlife relevance. We documented 76 species in one or more of the categories, from primary, secondary, agroforestry and riparian habitats. Fabaceae was the most important family. All of the species were useful for humans, mainly for rural construction, food, fence posts and fuel. Two-thirds of the species were considered scarce though they were not necessarily rare—some were highly useful, overexploited species with populations insufficient for demand; this category included five of the ten most important species culturally. Also, two-thirds of the tree taxa were considered important for wildlife, especially species of Moraceae. The study shows that the local population is highly aware of the varying functions of trees in the landscape. However, few of the important species are available from regional nurseries. We propose a number of species for restoration forestry, agroforestry systems and enrichment plantings that would be valued by landowners.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the farmers of the municipality of Paso de Ovejas and Comapa, Veracruz, for their participation in workshops, interviews and field work, and for sharing their knowledge and experience on the use and management of the native trees of the region. We also thank Dr. Francisco Lorea and Biól. Claudia Gallardo of XAL for some species identifications, as well as the Biól. Oscar Ponce and Ing. Victor Carreto for their valuable assistance in the workshops. This research was financed in part by a CONACyT grant 208226 to the first author, and the European Community as part of the INCO (International Cooperation) Project ReForLan (CT2006-032132).

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  1. Alfonso Suárez

    Present address: Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Avenida Universidad Km1, 43600, Tulancingo, HGO, Mexico

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgrado en Botánica, Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas, Campus Montecillo, 56320, Montecillo, Estado de México, Mexico

    Alfonso Suárez, Carlos Trejo & Heike Vibrans

  2. Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, 91070, Xalapa, VER, Mexico

    Guadalupe Williams-Linera

  3. Postgrado en Ciencias Forestales, Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas, Campus Montecillo, 56320, Estado de México, Montecillo, Mexico

    Juan Ignacio Valdez-Hernández & Víctor Manuel Cetina-Alcalá

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  1. Alfonso Suárez
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Correspondence to Heike Vibrans.

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Suárez, A., Williams-Linera, G., Trejo, C. et al. Local knowledge helps select species for forest restoration in a tropical dry forest of central Veracruz, Mexico. Agroforest Syst 85, 35–55 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-011-9437-9

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