Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Forestales

Can Mexico be competitive in the forest sector from a financial perspective?

Miguel Caballero Deloya — 2025-06-30

Throughout its history, Mexico has not been characterized as a competitive country in the forest sector. However, certain conditions and circumstances could promote its significant economic takeoff. The purpose of this paper is to analyze these factors and their feasible application in Mexico. The conditions that define competitiveness and the factors that characterize them are examined from a commercial perspective with a spatial focus, ranging from local to regional, national, and, ultimately, international competitiveness. Mexico's competitiveness in terms of timber products is conditioned by forest land tenure, in two modalities: ejido and communal. The factors that determine competitiveness under either of these conditions are considered as follows. The challenges that must be overcome to improve the competitiveness of the sector, as well as a list of the opportunities that Mexican forests offer for this purpose, are examined herein. Finally, recommendations are established to improve the competitive level of the country's forest sector. Emphasis is placed on adopting modern technologies, designing public policies with a short-, medium- and long-term vision, an efficient public administration, an appropriate regulatory framework, the availability of financing and accessible subsidies, and the necessary training and advice at all stages of the production and value chains. The promotion of forest plantations to increase production and productivity of the national forest sector is highlighted.

Forest health or forest pest management: comparisons among three protected ecosystems

Jorge E Macias Samano — 2025-07-04

The concept of forest health is associated with an anthropocentric view of agronomic origin, focused on pest control. In contrast, the concept of ecosystem health is closely tied to ecological functionality, in which herbivorous insects play a crucial role in key processes such as organic matter recycling and natural succession. From this perspective, the use of the term “pest” is inappropriate for describing ecological dynamics in unmanaged ecosystems. The application of both approaches, forest health and sanitation, is analyzed through the review and comparison of three documented case studies in protected ecosystems in Mexico: (I) The phytosanitary contingency caused by ambrosial beetles in the mangroves of Atasta, Campeche; (II) The change of strategy against bark strippers in Nevado de Colima National Park, and (III) Mortality processes in Abies religiosa forests in the Central region of the country. These cases represent ecosystems with different compositions, dynamics, and phytosanitary management trajectories. The objective was to examine the implementation of both approaches in real scenarios and identify the management decisions taken and their consequences within their respective ecological and regulatory frameworks. This review provides a comparative basis for analyzing the practical and ecological implications of forest health and sanitation approaches, especially in areas where conservation and ecosystem functionality are priorities. It is a critical reflection on the contextualized use of both concepts, reinforcing their theoretical value and applicability in forest management.

Defining priority protection areas based on forest fire Kernel density

José Germán Flores Garnica — 2025-06-30

In order to establish those areas where forest fire management strategies should be implemented, it would be sufficient to identify those areas with a history of forest fires; however, because of the anthropogenic nature of the causes of the fires, the location of the areas may vary from one country to another. The objective of this work was to determine the spatial-temporal variations of fire occurrence through the estimation of the Kernel density as well as the parameters that favor it. Historical information (2016-2023) on forest fires in Colima, Mexico, was used. The areas with the highest priority for protection against forest fires were those with the highest density of occurrence. Their distance was analyzed in relation to risk parameters: (a) Roads, (b) Highways, (c) Agricultural areas, and (d) Grasslands. The results indicated that most of the forest fires were located in the Western region of the state, in areas with secondary vegetation of low deciduous forest. However, there was a temporal variation in the spatial distribution of fires, although it was conditioned by the proximity of access routes, mainly by the proximity of roads, with a negative trend (p<0.001). The highest number of fires was located at an altitudinal range of 0 to 1 650 m; while, in relation to the proximity of roads, the highest frequency occurred at an altitude of 0 to 820 m. The definition of priority areas, based on (Kernel) fire densities, makes it possible to locate and delimit areas by fire risk class.

Implementation of a nutritional system for the development of Pinus cembroides Zucc. in Uruapan, Michoacán

Ramón Torres González — 2025-06-30

Pinus cembroides is a pine tree of arid and semi-arid zones of Mexico, which belongs to the piñon pine group, which produces edible seeds for humans. In this work it is proposed that the application of organic amendments can promote the development of a pine plantation. The calculation of the amendment doses was made according to the specific nutrient requirements of P. cembroides plants, considering maximum doses for the treatments assessed under a randomized block design: 241 g of sheep manure, 241 g of bocashi, 48 mL of fish extract, 22 g of humic acids+26 mL of fish extract and 13 g of Nitrofoska perfect^® per plant, applied every three months during one year, where five morphological variables were analyzed and a Slenderness index was determined. The effect of treatments and covariate were analyzed through an ANCOVA analysis of covariance, where significant differences between treatments were found for basal diameter (P=0.002), while the effect of the covariate was significant for basal diameter, plant height, number of shoots and Slenderness index (P<0.0001). An ANOVA analysis of variance was also performed for two additional variables, which indicated significant differences for the branch with the most outstanding length (P=0.02). It was concluded that amendments based on humic acids plus fish extract and bocashi supplemented with calcium sulfate were the most appropriate to promote the growth of P. cembroides.

Soil organic carbon stocks along an elevation gradient in mountain forests of Pinus hartwegii Lindl.

Lizbeth — 2025-06-30

High-elevation mountain forests (>2 500 m) play a crucial role in long-term carbon storage. This research aimed to determine how edaphic, climatic, and vegetal variables influence soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks along an elevation gradient in the Pinus hartwegii forest at Nevado de Toluca, Mexico. A total of 140 topsoil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected at 100 m intervals between 3 400 and 4 000 masl. Soil samples were analyzed to SOC (oxide-reduction method), bulk density (BD; cylinder method), pH, and texture (Bouyoucos method). In addition, climate data, including mean annual temperature and precipitation, were obtained from the ClimateNA model v5.10. Relationships among soil properties, vegetation structure, and climatic variables were analyzed, comparing logged (3 400-3 800 m) and unlogged (3 900-4 000 m) plots. SOC stocks increased linearly with elevation (r²=0.70; p=0.02), peaking at 4 000 m (173.1±5.2 Mg C ha^-1) and reaching a minimum at 3 700 m (146.8±5.72 Mg C ha^-1). Higher SOC at 4 000 m was associated with lower temperatures and larger P. hartwegii trees. Findings highlight that SOC stocks vary along the elevation gradient, with reduced decomposition rates at higher elevations promoting accumulation. At lower elevations, logging reduced SOC due to vegetation alterations, disrupting organic matter inputs and microsite conditions. These results suggest that P. hartwegii logging may weaken the role of mountain forest soils in mitigating climate change by accelerating soil organic matter decomposition.

Evaluation of progeny tests of Cedrela odorata L. in different regions of Mexico

Marcos Jiménez Casas — 2025-06-30

Progeny trials provide information on genotype performance, stability and adaptation in different environments, with the aim of refining and converting them into seed orchards that produce high-quality seed and genetic diversity. In three Cedrela odorata progeny trials established in Venustiano Carranza, state of Puebla, Tihuatlán, state of Veracruz and Tamazunchale, state of San Luis Potosí, the objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological variation between sites and families, and to identify the families with the best development and growth. The trials were established with the same families, in 16 complete randomized blocks with 64 families per block. After three years, the survival percentage, height, normal diameter, clean stem height, stem shape, bifurcation and incidence of Hypsipyla grandella were recorded; using these variables, the families were ordinally classified. Significant differences were observed between sites in survival, height and diameter. Survival rates were 80 % in Tamazunchale, 77 % in Venustiano Carranza and 35 % in Tihuatlán. Regarding height and normal diameter, Tamazunchale had the best averages (5.8 m and 7.1 cm, respectively), followed by Venustiano Carranza (3.5 m and 4.2 cm) and Tihuatlán (2.5 m and 2.5 cm). Within sites, families 7, 45, and 62 had outstanding and stable performance in the three environments tested. Although no variation was detected between families, the conditions of each site influenced the performance of the trees, with the Tamazunchale trial standing out with the best performance and commercial characteristics.

Characterization of urban trees and shrubs in Pampas, Huancavelica, Peru

Jairo Edson Gutiérrez Collao — 2025-06-30

Urban trees are an important resource for the ecosystem services they provide. The objective of this study was to determine the structure, composition, richness, and diversity of urban trees and shrubs in the city of Pampas, Huancavelica, Peru. Trees and shrubs in two avenues, four jirones (green verges), the main square, and an ecological park were evaluated, and their normal diameter at a height of 1.30 m from the ground, crown diameter, and total height were measured. Abundance, dominance, frequency, area, and volume (Importance Value Index) were determined. Likewise, the Shannon diversity Index, the Margalef Index, and the number of key species were calculated. Thirteen species, distributed in 12 genera and 10 families, were recorded. 69 % accounted for introduced taxa, and 31 % for native taxa. The family with the most significant presence was Rosaceae, with three species. The analyses of diameter and height classes showed a higher proportion of individuals with high diameters (>5 cm and <40 cm) and intermediate heights (h>1 m and <7m). The urban areas reported low to moderate species richness and diversity. In conclusion, the need for improved management of urban trees and shrubs in the city of Pampas is highlighted. The use of species native to the region should be prioritized, and attention should be given to risk factors affecting the public infrastructure.

Effect of forest harvesting on the structure and productivity of a pine forest in Chihuahua state

Christian Fabián Chapa Arce — 2025-07-04

The objective of sustainable forest management is to meet social needs without compromising future ecosystem goods and services. The structure, composition and productivity of a pine forest under forest management in the Southwest of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, is described. The information comes from nine permanent, circular plots (1 000 m²), which were remeasured in three stages of forest management: Initial Condition [CI (2012)], Recruitment [Rec (2022)] and Final Condition [CF (2022)]. The Importance Value Index (IVI), productivity (volume), species richness and diversity were processed. In the study area, a total of four tree species are identified, three of 218 individuals in the CI, four of 297 individuals in the Rec and four of 195 individuals in the CF. The highest ecological importance and productivity in terms of volume for Pinus arizonica was recorded in the Recruitment stage with 151.38 m³ ha^-1, with a similar percentage to the other stages varying between 1 and 2 %. According to the values of the different indexes used, the diversity is low.