Abstract
The Mexican Forest Code establishes structural reference values to differentiate between secondary and old-growth forests and requires a management plan when secondary forests become old-growth and potentially harvestable forests. The implications of this regulation for forest management, restoration, and conservation were assessed in the context of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, which is located in the Yucatan Peninsula. The basal area and stem density thresholds currently used by the legislation to differentiate old-growth from secondary forests are 4 m2/ha and 15 trees/ha (trees with a diameter at breast height of >25 cm); however, our research indicates that these values should be increased to 20 m2/ha and 100 trees/ha, respectively. Given that a management plan is required when secondary forests become old-growth forests, many landowners avoid forest-stand development by engaging slash-and-burn agriculture or cattle grazing. We present evidence that deforestation and land degradation may prevent the natural regeneration of late-successional tree species of high ecological and economic importance. Moreover, we discuss the results of this study in the light of an ongoing debate in the Yucatan Peninsula between policy makers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), landowners and researchers, regarding the modification of this regulation to redefine the concept of acahual (secondary forest) and to facilitate forest management and restoration with valuable timber tree species.
Highlights
Forest governance can be described as the modus operandi by which officials and institutions acquire and exercise authority in the management of forest resources
The most recurrent problems in the legislation identified by the participants were: (1) the traditional use and management of secondary forests is not taken into consideration and has been relegated to illegality given that the reference values for distinguishing secondary from old-growth harvestable forests are controversial; (2) landowners prefer to dedicate resources to agriculture or cattle grazing than to forest management or restoration, to avoid complying with the costly management plans that are required by the legislation; and (3) the expansion of deforestation and land degradation may prevent the regeneration of slow-growing tree species of high economic value
The current forest structural reference values established by the regulation of the Mexican Law for Sustainable Forestry Development (LSFD) are controversial and do not apply to the tropical forests of the Yucatan, as they do not serve to differentiate between young regenerating, secondary, and old-growth forests appropriately
Summary
Forest governance can be described as the modus operandi by which officials and institutions acquire and exercise authority in the management of forest resources. In 2003, the Mexican federal government published the Law for Sustainable Forestry Development (LSFD) with the primary objective of regulating and promoting the management, restoration, and conservation of forest ecosystems in the whole country [3]. This law authorizes timber harvesting in old-growth forest lands, and the establishment of commercial timber plantations in deforested lands. In 2005, the government published the regulation of this law [4]. The regulation determines the harvest potential based on specific minimum biomass/structural reference values that reflect the maturity of forest stands
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call