Plant Management in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico. Plant management types currently practiced in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, México, were documented and analyzed based on ethnobotanical studies conducted in 13 villages with six indigenous groups and Mestizo people. The information was organized in a data base, and then detailed and guided to a consensus through six workshops carried out by ethnobotanists working in the area. From a total of 1,608 useful plant species, we identified 610 with at least one management type other than simple gathering. Managed species are mainly used as food, fodder, medicinal, and ornamental, and they belong to 101 plant families. The higher species numbers were recorded in Cactaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Crassulaceae, and Agavaceae. Nearly 60% of the managed species are native to the region and the rest are introduced from other regions of Mexico and the world. In total, 400 species are ex situ managed out of their natural environments through seed sowing and/or planting their vegetative propagules or entire young plants; 373 species are in situ managed in their natural habitats as follows: all these species are deliberately left standing during vegetation clearance, 76 species are also enhanced intentionally favoring their abundance through modifications of their habitat, or directly by planting their propagules, and 51 receive protection through regulations, particular strategies of extraction, and actions against herbivores, competitors, freezing, radiation, and drought. Most management forms involve artificial selection at different intensity levels. The information allows visualizing co-occurrence of incipient and advanced forms of management at different intensity levels within and among species, which helps to postulate testable hypotheses on factors influencing plant management and domestication in an important area for studying the origins of agriculture.Manejo de plantas en el Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, México. Se documentaron los diferentes tipos de manejo de plantas que practican actualmente los pobladores del Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, México. El análisis se basa en estudios etnobotánicos llevados a cabo en 13 comunidades campesinas con seis grupos indígenas y poblados mestizos. La información se organizó en una base de datos, la cual posteriormente se detalló y se consensó a través de seis talleres en los que participaron los etnobotánicos trabajando en la región y cuyos trabajos son la base de esta investigación. De un total de 1,608 especies de plantas útiles, identificamos 610 con al menos un tipo de manejo distinto a la recolección simple. Las especies 1 manejadas pertenecen a 101 familias botánicas y se utilizan principalmente como alimento, forraje, medicina y ornamentales. Los mayores números de especies manejadas se registraron entre las Cactaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Crassulaceae y Agavaceae. Aproximadamente 60% de las especies manejadas son nativas de la región y el resto son introducidas de otras regiones de México y del mundo. En total, 40...

3Autora para la correspondencia isabel_moreno@enesmorelia.unam.mxResumen: Se revisó información de diferentes fuentes para caracterizar la diversidad biocultural de los principales sistemas agroforestales tradicionales de México, desarrollados en distintos contextos culturales y ecológicos. Se analizaron los factores que los favorecen y aquellos que los amenazan. Se propone una clasifi cación general de los sistemas que considera su ubicación espacial, la intensidad de manejo del sistema y el contexto ecológico y biocultural en el que se desarrollan. Para ilustrar los distintos tipos de sistemas se revisan el tlacolol de Guerrero, la kool de la Península de Yucatán, el metepantle de Tlaxcala, las chinampas del Valle de México, el calal del suroeste de Tlaxcala, el sistema milpa-cactáceas columnares del Valle de Tehuacán, el huamil en Guanajuato, los oasis de la Península de Baja California, el kuojtakiloyan en la Sierra Norte de Puebla, el te´lom en San Luis Potosí, los cacaotales de la Chontalpa en Tabasco y del Soconusco en Chiapas, el ekuaro de Michoacán, los patios de Oaxaca y los solares de Puebla y Yucatán. Se discuten los benefi cios ecológicos y económicos de estos sistemas y se proponen estrategias que permitan apoyar los procesos locales y regionales en defensa de la diversidad biocultural. Palabras clave: etnoecología, manejo de plantas, Mesoamérica, sistemas agrícolas tradicionales. Abstract:We reviewed information about traditional agroforestry systems of Mexico and its biocultural diversity. The review included the slash and burn agricultural systems: kool in the Yucatán Peninsula and tlacolol in Guerrero; the terrace called metepantli in Tlaxcala; the drained fi elds chinampa in the Valley of México and calal in southwestern Tlaxcala; the arid land systems milpa-chichipera in the Tehuacan Valley, huamil in Guanajuato and oasis (oases) in the Baja California Peninsula; the agroforests kuojtakiloyan in the Northern Sierra of Puebla, te´lom in San Luis Potosí and cacaotales in Soconusco region in Chiapas and Chontalpa region in Tabasco; and the homegardens ekuaro in Michoacán and other homegardens in Puebla, Oaxaca and Yucatán. The discussion emphasizes the importance of traditional agroforestry systems and strategies for their maintenance.

Agroforestry systems (AFS) derived from the cactus forest ''chichipera'' and cultivated with ''milpa'', the traditional multi-crop system of maizebeans-squash were studied in the Tehuacán Valley, Mexico. Plant management types practiced by people, role of agricultural and forest resources in households' subsistence, and consequences of changes in AFS were investigated through ethnobotanical, ecological, and economic approaches. People maintain in this AFS 122 plant species that provide useful products for 14 different purposes. Nearly 90% of useful plants are native to the region, representing 54% of all plant species recorded in the chichipera forest. Management strategies were identified occurring on 63 species at landscape, parcel, and individual plant levels. About 67% of managed plant species are left standing during clearance of vegetation; 35% are transplanted to the parcels' surrounding area, 32% receive particular protection, and 10 species from other areas are cultivated inside the fields. During years of higher rainfall (*745 mm) AFS supply nearly 75% of the maize grain and 50% of the maize straw used as fodder by households. AFS with intermediate vegetation cover have higher economic value than monocultures and forest. However, plots with low forest cover and monocultures are progressively more common as consequence of socio-cultural processes. Local traditional ecological knowledge and management techniques are crucial for managing resilience of these AFS.

The role of agroforestry systems in biodiversity conservation was investigated in the semiarid Tehuacán Valley, Central México. Richness and diversity of native plant species were compared between agroforestry systems (6 sampling sites) and the following forests (6 sampling sites) dominated by columnar cacti: (i) ''chichipera'' dominated by Polaskia chichipe; (ii) ''jiotillal'' dominated by Escontria chiotilla; and (iii) ''garambullal'' dominated by Myrtillocactus schenckii. Our information on genetic variation of dominant arboreal species in the study sites was reviewed and included in the analysis. Factors influencing household's decisions to maintain vegetation cover were compiled through a survey and interviews and analyzed. All the samples of the agroforestry systems studied maintained on average nearly 59% plant species and 94% genetic variation of dominant cacti occurring in the forests, although their ability to preserve endemic rare species is limited. Social factors favoring maintenance of perennial species in agricultural plots include collective rules, households traditions, use of the plants maintained in the systems, and the environmental information gathered from NGOs, the local Biosphere Reserve, and researchers. However, agroforestry systems are losing their capability to maintain vegetation cover, mainly because of (i) decreasing amount of land managed by households, determined by a progressive fragmentation of the land area given to new families, (ii) adoption of technologies to intensify agriculture, and (iii) governmental programs penalizing the presence of vegetation patches within agricultural lands since they are considered ''useless'' areas. Necessary policies to stop degradation of the agroforestry systems and to improve their conservation capacity are discussed.Keywords Mesoamerican agriculture Á Traditional ecological knowledge Á Traditional agriculture Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

<p><strong>Background:</strong> The genus <em>Agave</em> L. is recognized for its wide distribution in Mexican ecosystems. Species have been described as multipurpose as part of agroforestry systems (AFS). There has not been a systematized, detailed analysis about its richness in AFS nor their ecological, economic and cultural relevance.</p><p><strong>Questions</strong>: What is the <em>Agave</em> richness in Mexican AFS? What is their ecological, agronomical, economic and cultural relevance? What are the risks and perspectives for strengthening their role in AFS?</p><p><strong>Species studied</strong>: 31 <em>Agave</em> species in Mexican AFS.</p><p><strong>Study site and dates</strong>: AFS throughout Mexican territory. January to august 2018.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: Systematization of published information, scientific reports, repositories, and our fieldwork, was performed. The data base “The genus <em>Agave</em> in AFS of Mexico” was created, containing information about <em>Agave</em> richness in AFS, ecological, economic and cultural relevance, as well as the current and future perspectives of the AFS they are included in.</p><p><strong>Results</strong>: We recorded 31 species with 22 uses that were part of AFS practices (hedgerows, boundaries and live fences), in homegardens, terraces and agroforests in temperate, semiarid and sub-humid regions, managed by 12 cultural groups. The main benefits of agaves are soil retention, infiltration of water and satisfaction of socio-economic and cultural needs. The decrease of multipurpose species and functions was observed in relation with the commercialization of mezcal.</p><strong>Conclusions</strong>: There has been ample recognition of AFS as settings for conservation and use of <em>Agave,</em> as well as the importance of the knowledge and management practices associated to agave species in AFS.