Co-creating conservation

Participatory cartography and land suitability analysis for community-based land-use governance in Mexico’s high-mountain forests

Dados Bibliográficos

ID19587366
AutoresGustavo Cruz Bello (0000-0001-9118-6565), Gustavo M Cruz-Bello, Brenda N Avelar-Rocha (0009-0006-6868-4586)
Ano2026
Volume24
Páginas101205
Data de publicação2026-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoTrees Forests and People (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2666-7193 • E-ISSN: 2666-7193
EditoraElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101205
OpenAlexW7131065202
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas41

High mountain forests are vital socioecological systems that support biodiversity, cultural identity, and local livelihoods; however, these ecosystems face increasing pressures from land-use change, climate variability, and unregulated tourism. This study examines the role of local communities in forest governance through a participatory case study in Nanacamilpa, Mexico, home to a threatened firefly sanctuary. We integrated participatory workshops with spatial analysis, including multi-criteria land-suitability and land-use change assessments (2012–2021), to co-develop sustainable management strategies with local stakeholders. The primary challenge lay in reconciling the preservation of the forest, vital for firefly habitat, with the economic well-being of local households, achieved through the sustainable development of the municipality's key economic activities. Results identified distinct land-suitability patterns: conservation showed the broadest potential (30.5 % very-high suitability), while climate conditions constrained agriculture, and sustainable tourism was the most restricted ( 99 %) between 2012 and 2021, with gradual forest loss and projected continued urban expansion toward 2032, reinforcing concerns about incremental degradation rather than abrupt deforestation. Community-generated proposals emphasized adaptive strategies: regulating tourism carrying capacity, promoting agroforestry, enforcing selective logging, and strengthening local conservation associations. Despite a net forest loss of 15 hectares, community insights highlighted that hidden degradation poses a greater threat than outright deforestation. The findings demonstrate that participatory, spatially explicit planning empowers communities to balance ecological integrity with livelihood needs. This bottom-up approach is essential for building resilient governance, positioning local communities not as beneficiaries but as critical co-managers of high-mountain forests

Citizen journalism · Corporate governance · Land use · Participatory evaluation · Perspective (graphical) · Suitability analysis · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Soil and Land Suitability Analysis