The cultural context of forest degradation in adjacent Purépechan communities, Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract

Recent changes in the cultural and forest landscapes of the Meseta Purépecha in Michoacán, Mexico as a result of forest degradation underscore the complexity of forest change processes in the tropical highlands of Latin America. Differences in community perception and forest structure and composition between the furniture‐making and lumber‐producing towns of Pichátaro and Sevina, Purépechan indigenous communities located amidst pine forests on Michoacán's volcanic plateau illustrate the dynamics of this process. We base our comparisons on interviews and field measures of forest structure. Our results show dramatic changes in the forests and cultural landscapes of both communities during the past decade. Following high regional timber exports during the early 1990s, Sevina shifted from a self‐sufficient to a timber importation community. By comparison, communal forests and individual parcels in Pichátaro continue to provide wood for approximately 300 wood shops. Field data and forest stand maps confirm the perception of forest degradation in both communities. While Pichátaro has maintained a larger and more diverse forest base to date, stand structure data indicate selective harvesting has led to a shift in dominance toward the less economically desirable pine species and oak. Deforestation and degradation of Sevina and Pichátaro's community forests are symptomatic of both the Meseta Purépecha and Mexico in general. Current forest conditions in both communities justify local, regional, and national concerns regarding declining biodiversity and sustainable economies.