TREE COVER THE ALAMEDA CENTRAL OF MEXICO CITY: 1ST PART

Abstract

In January of 1592, the Viceroy of New Spain Luis de Velasco, notified to the Mexico’s City Council his interest to construct a place in the city, for the recreation and enjoyment of the inhabitants. Following this inquire the city council selected a setting on the west side of the city, and the construction activities began on February of 1592. One thousand trees of the species Populus alba, P. nigra and Alnus sp. were planted in April of the same year, and according to the customs of such times, the place was called as Alameda (poplar grove). Since the foundation of this park, the Alameda complied the criteria that were later determined for an urban green space, i.e. public property located within the boundaries of the city, in charge of the city government and open as a public space to its inhabitants. The Alameda confronted many difficulties and damages in the early years, especially the continuous inundations of salty water from the Texcoco Lake. Nevertheless, as the centuries goes by, the environmental conditions of the basin, the city and the alameda itself changed, and induced the planting of different tree species, such as Salix sp., Fraxinus uhdei, Taxodium mucronatum in the intermediate phase and later in time, Ligustrum lucidum, Cupressus lusitanica and Eucalyptus sp. In addition, the activities that were practiced at the Alameda during the viceroyalty, the post-independence period up to the Second Mexican Empire are commented and discussed.