Eco-social analysis for the sustainability of Zapoteca’s Hill

Abstract

Zapoteca’s Hill is a Natural Protected Area under state jurisdiction that shows great deterioration. This research analyzes the state of conservation of the hill through the perception of its interest groups and the dynamics of the taxonomic group of birds as a bioindicator to propose strategic lines for the sustainability of the protected area. The annual change in the birdlife of the site was analyzed from April 2021 to March 2022, using the Shannon diversity indexes, ornithological value and importance value, observing 939 individuals belonging to 62 species. 19% of the taxa present some endemism, and two species are at risk. Regarding the social perception of the conservation status of the protected area, a concatenation method of three participatory processes was used: a) Impact Chain modeling workshop, b) Interviews with key actors and c) Surveys of users of the hill. The main problem perceived by interest groups is the absence of regulation for the flow of visitors and to regulate the uses given to the hill. A participatory management proposal includes 5 strategic lines for preserving the Natural Protected Area.