Nevado De Toluca National Park Research Articles

Within-population genotype – Soil interactions drive phenotypic variation in a recovering fir forest from central Mexico

Within-population phenotypic variation can be used as a proxy for adaptive potential and individual performance in forest plantations and natural populations. Such variation can be viewed as the sum of genetic factors and their interaction with environmental variation (e.g., soil characteristics), which lead identical genotypes to produce contrasting phenotypes in different environments, and introduced individuals to perform differently from local trees in plantations and test trials. Predicting this variation is of great interest to foresters working with commercially important species. Such is the case of sacred fir (Abies religiosa), a species that is an important source of wood and resin for communities living above 2500 m asl in central Mexico. We determined the contribution of both genetic and soil factors for predicting phenotypic performance of local naturally regenerated (NR) and introduced by reforestation (RF) seedlings in a sacred fir trial test performed by local communities in the Nevado de Toluca National Park. In spite of a low genetic differentiation between plant sources, NR seedlings outperformed RF plants in terms of height, diameter and water use. According to our models, a large part of these differences could be explained by the interaction of genetic, management and edaphic factors within the trial site, with local genotypes using more efficiently the available soil nitrogen than the introduced ones; thus indicating that planting could be changing plant microenvironment and have a measurable phenotypic effect. Association studies between genetic and edaphic variation further suggested that local adaptation might also be occurring at small within-population scales. All such traits, when correctly integrated, may result in fair genome-based phenotypic predictions for small secluded natural populations, which could be at the base of better reforestation practices, and conservation and assisted migration programs.

Isospora cardellinae n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the red warbler Cardellina rubra (Swainson) (Passeriformes: Parulidae) in Mexico.

A new coccidian species (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) collected from the red warbler Cardellina rubra (Swainson) is reported from the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico. Isospora cardellinae n. sp. has subspherical oöcysts, measuring on average 26.6 × 25.4 μm, with smooth, bi-layered wall, c.1.3 μm thick. Micropyle, oöcyst residuum, and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, measuring on average 19.0 × 12.0 µm, with a knob-like Stieda body, a trapezoidal sub-Stieda body and sporocyst residuum composed of scattered spherules of different sizes. Sporozoites are vermiform with one refractile body and a nucleus. This is the fourth description of an isosporoid coccidian infecting a New World warbler.

Dinámica de perturbación-recuperación de las zonas forestales en el Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca

Pese a la plena conciencia sobre los graves problemas de deforestación que sufren los bosques mexicanos, existen muy pocos estudios detallados que permitan identificar, de forma precisa, las dinámicas de perturbación-recuperación a que estos ecosistemas se encuentran sujetos. El presente trabajo, plantea una metodología detallada para analizar los procesos de cambio en la cobertura vegetal y uso del suelo, del Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca (PNNT) para el periodo 1972-2000 aplicando métodos de cartografía automatizada y procesos de reclasificación. Se estimó una tasa de deforestación de 8,4% para dicho periodo, con un cambio en más de 2,000 ha y una pérdida anual de superficie forestal cercana a 156 ha. Se estimaron además las probabilidades de transición, a fin de conocer la disminución y/o incremento en la densidad de las zonas forestales, y en consecuencia, la dinámica de perturbación-recuperación forestal. Finalmente, fue posible caracterizar los procesos de deforestación de una de las áreas naturales protegidas más emblemáticas de México.

Less protection for better conservation? A politicised relationship between a city and its protected area in the vicinity of Nevado de Toluca (Mexico)

The Nevado de Toluca Mountain is a protected area located near Toluca, the fifth largest city in Mexico. In 2013, Nevado de Toluca National Park was downgraded to an Area of Protection for Flora and Fauna. This new status aims to allow a measured use of natural resources in the Park, while also enhancing their control by stakeholders by means of supervised management plans. Tolerate and control, rather than forbid and fail, should thus better address the social pressure due to many surrounding suburban activities. This article will show, however, that the new status is not primarily geared towards improving nature conservation policies. Instead it is revealing a new pattern in stakeholder relationships, as well as power asymmetries and development gaps between rural and urban areas, with the possible privatization of forest resources. This trend also questions the liberalization in the management of protected areas at the international scale.

From ‘Revolutionary’ to Contested Park. Mobilization and Conflicts in the Recategorization Process of the Nevado de Toluca National Park (Mexico)

A governmental project intending to downgrade a National Park into an Area of Protection of Flora and Fauna has encountered both scientific and legal opposition. During this recategorization period, participation has become a major issue mobilizing various groups of interest related to the Nevado de Toluca. These groups include agrarian communities living within the park and others, living in neighboring urban areas, who value the park for its material resources and its biodiversity. This paper will analyze the way this change of category has engaged territorial actors to use participation procedures to gain power over decision-making regarding the future of the protected area. In exploiting the possibilities of the law and regaining legitimacy, local communities have been able to partially redesign actors’ relationships and to regain a central actor status, leading to a renewed governance system.

Isospora celata n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the orange-crowned warbler Oreothlypis celata (Say) (Passeriformes: Parulidae) in Mexico.

A new coccidian species (Protista: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is described from the orange-crowned warbler Oreothlypis celata (Say) collected in the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico at 3,000 metres above sea level. Isospora celata n. sp. has subspheroidal oöcysts, measuring 28.4 × 26.4 μm, with smooth, bi-layered wall c.1.2 μm thick. Micropyle and polar granule are absent, but oöcyst residuum is present as a compact mass. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 18.2 × 12.8 µm. Stieda body knob-like and sub-Stieda body irregular and barely discernible. Sporocyst residuum is composed of granules of different sizes. Sporozoites are vermiform with one refractile body and a nucleus. This is the third description of an isosporoid coccidian infecting a New World warbler.

Coccidia in passerines from the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico.

In this study, we found unsporulated coccidia oocysts in passerines from the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico. We captured birds and took samples of their droppings during three field visits. We examined a total of 72 fecal samples and found unsporulated coccidia oocysts in 10 samples from five passerine species: Atlapetes pileatus (3), Cardelina ruber (1), Mniotilta varia (1), Oreothlypis celata (2) and Regulus calendula (3). This appears to be the first recorded study of unsporulated coccidia oocysts in passerine species from Mexico.

Riqueza específica de vertebrados en un bosque reforestado del parque nacional nevado de toluca, méxico

This paper documents the richness of vertebrates in reforested woodlands inside the Nevado de Toluca National Park, State of Mexico, Mexico. A total of 85 species were identified, of which 24 species are endemic to Mexico, 14 species are in some risk category according to NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 and 3 species in the IUCN Red List. Even though the study area accounts for 0.42% of the total area of the Nevado de Toluca National Park, the richness of vertebrates in this area includes 11.37% of the total richness in the State of Mexico, highlighting the importance of the area and an urgent need to establish management strategies for its conservation.

Analysis of Fragmentation Processes in High-Mountain Forests of the Centre of Mexico

High-mountain forests (>3500 masl) are the main supplier of environmental services to Mexico City and its metropolitan area. Taking as a study case the Nevado de Toluca National Park, this article focuses on the considerable reduction on the density of its forest cover, characterised by disturbances in the structure and dynamics of Pinus hartwegii. This specie is located towards the upper limits of the altitudinal gradient (3500 - 4100 masl) constituting the only pine species in the world capable to be established in those extreme environmental conditions. The information was collected through the implementation of 30 Sampling Plots (SP) of 20 × 50 mts (1000 m2) in three forest density categories: dense, semi-dense and fragmented. For each forest category, all trees ≥2.5 cm DBH were measured in 10 SPs. The measurement variables were DBH, total and commercial height, forest health and forest extraction. The results show the abundance of dense, semi-dense and fragmented forest (336, 202 and 150 trees/Ha-1), with extraction percentages of 11%, 20% and 33% respectively. The horizontal structure distribution shows the shape of an inverted J for the three conditions. However, the phytosanitary conditions of the semi-dense forests (83% infested trees) and fragmented (63% infested trees), do not guaranties the survival of the adult trees, implying an intensification of the fragmentation process for the next decade; given the reduction of the regeneration patterns due to the lack of healthy tree breeding.

Participatory generation of sustainability indicators in a natural protected area of Mexico

Since the Rio Declaration in 1992, international institutions, governments and NGOs have promoted sustainability indicators as a tool for providing policy mechanisms that dictate development decision-making. The expert approach, also known as reductionist, has been the most used in the processes of sustainability evaluation; this approach has been criticized for its lack of holistic vision to evaluate a system. A participatory approach has been promoted in order to counteract this type of limitation. This paper presents a case study of a participatory assessment of sustainability in a local community inside a natural protected area; its objective is to attempt to answer if, from local knowledge, is it possible to generate a sustainability local assessment system. The process included the active participation of the inhabitants of Agua Blanca community, located within the Nevado de Toluca National Park (NTNP) in Mexico's central highlands. A framework was used to identify and select sustainability indicators, which was divided into four phases: the description of the system, the identification of the sustainability objectives, the selection of indicators, and the measurement of the progress toward the sustainability objectives. As a result, 64 indicators were identified, which were classified into three pillars of sustainability and its interactions. The participatory approach aided in the evaluation of diverse elements within the system, without limiting itself to one element or dimension of sustainability in particular. Most of the indicators corresponded to the environmental dimension of sustainability, which reflects the level of interaction the community has with its environment. The indicators proposed by villagers, as a whole, were not considered technically appropriate; therefore the need for a selection indicator process was reaffirmed. The process described here is an opportunity to strengthen the self-organization of the communities, reinforce local management, and contribute to the generation of mechanisms of cooperation and processes of co-management of the natural protected areas.

Genetic variability of sacred fir (Abies religiosa) in the Nevado de Toluca National Park

Sacred fir (Abies religiosa) forests of the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico, are threatened principally by illegal cutting and an increasing incidence of parasites as bark beetles and dwarf mistletoe. An important and sometimes ignored component of conservations plan is genetic variability hence, it is necessary to carry out studies on the genetic diversity of sacred fir to create an efficient plan of conservation and management. In the present study DNA markers were used to analyze genetic variability of seventeen populations of sacred fir. Results suggest high values of genetic variability among populations (GST > 0.5) and low levels of gene flow (Nm < 1), indicating high population differentiation. These results allow the localization of genetically unique populations and propose them as Conservation and Management of Gene Resources Zones. Key words: Nevado de Toluca national park, Abies religiosa, molecular markers, conservation.

Dinámica y condiciones de vida de la población del Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca (pnnt) en la generación de presión a los ecosistemas circundantes y de impactos ambientales a través de un sistema de información geográfica

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo conocer como influye la dinámica y condiciones de vida de la población de las localidades dentro del Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca y de su área de influencia inmediata, en la presión a los ecosistemas circundantes y en la generación de impactos ambientales, que propician una mala calidad del bosque y el cambio de uso del suelo, de forestal a agropecuario, urbano o industrial. Para ello se aplicó una novedosa metodología que permitió evaluar la relación entre estos factores socioeconómicos y el grado de deterioro ambiental dado en los geosistemas, estableciéndose en qué regiones se concentra la mayor influencia directa y en qué magnitud lo hacen y, del mismo modo, cuáles son las localidades en donde el impacto se deriva de factores externos.

Cambio de uso del suelo y vegetación en el Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca, México, en el periodo 1972-2000

Para conocer el estado de conservación del Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca (PNNT), se analizaron los cambios en el uso del suelo y vegetación ocurridos entre 1972 y el 2000. Para ello fue preciso obtener cartografía digital mediante procesos de digitalización y fotointerpretación. Los mapas obtenidos se basaron en el sistema de clasificación del INEGI, serie 1. La aplicación de un sistema de información geográfica (SIG) permitió obtener la densidad de la cobertura forestal y analizar el cambio de uso de suelo y vegetación, identificando los procesos de disminución y/o incremento en la densidad de las zonas forestales. En el periodo estudiado, poco más de 9 700 ha de bosques de pino, latifoliadas u oyamel, sufrieron pérdidas de densidad, esto representó 20% de la superficie del área natural protegida. Las zonas boscosas que mostraron incrementos apenas alcanzaron 4 800 ha. El enfoque metodológico adoptado resultó especialmente válido para obtener información detallada y con un alto nivel de precisión. Dicha información constituye un punto de partida para estudios a profundidad del parque nacional.

Effect of human disturbance on the structure and regeneration of forests in the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico

Sample plots were established in the principal forest types in the the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico including those dominated by Pinus hartwegii, Abies religiosa, Quercus laurina and Alnus jorullensis. The vertical structure was defined by three strata in the coniferous forests and two strata in the broadleaved forests. Timber harvesting in Abies religiosa and Quercus laurina forests and fires generated by humans in Pinus hartwegii forests impeded the recruitment of saplings. Mature trees were also heavily impacted by logging in Pinus hartwegii forests. On the contrary, Alnus jorullensis forests were increasing due to the disturbance of Pinus and Quercus forests, as well abandoned crop lands within the park. A combination of logging, uncontrolled fire, and grazing appears to be compromising the recruitment of important tree species in this national park. These factors, together with human settlements, have also increased the proportion of early successional species. Changes in forest structure from human disturbance indicate a need to control these activities if conservation goals are not to be compromised.

Payments for Environmental Services: An Alternative for Sustainable Rural Development

The Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico, performs important support, regulation, natural production, and cultural functions. Today these functions are severely endangered by the use of the Park's natural resources by people living within and near the National Park. Do payments for environmental services (PES), including schemes for carbon sequestration, offer alternatives that enhance livelihood options for local people and at the same time conserve the multiple functions of the protected area? This question was the basis of an assessment that elaborated the pros and cons of PES, with a special focus on the constraints of entering global carbon markets—the proposition emerging from today's increasingly globalized world. We compare the potential benefits of PES against the market value of forest resources for the local population. Alternative schemes, which do not necessarily involve monetary valuation, are proposed.