The Pine-Oak Forest of the Rio Conchos Basin, Mexico: Key to Rain Production and Soil Erosion Control

Abstract

Under the current climate crisis, the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems is key to increasing resilience and the sustainability of water and soil resources. Most forests around the world have experienced deforestation and degradation in the past few decades; however, the rate at which these occur varies depending on many factors, including the type of trees, management, and climate. We conducted a review of the deforestation, degradation, and soil erosion of the pine-oak forest within the Rio Conchos basin in northern Mexico. Preference was given to recent studies (last 10 years) conducted within this basin. Out of 27 recent publications on oak forests in Mexico, 19 focused on this forest and half of them were in Spanish. The results show that pine trees are more affected than oak trees, also that the deforestation rate has increased with time and is greater at higher elevations, making this area vulnerable to loss of topsoil during extreme hydrological events. Studies report an annual change in cover rate between 1985 and 2016 of −1.2% for pine, oak and mix vegetation. More recently, between 2000 and 2018, the change in pine cover was calculated as −2.8% concurrent with a +3.4% increase in cover of oak and other secondary vegetation. Proposed conservation strategies vary from runoff control to increased collaboration between landowners, government agencies, and stakeholders.

Structure and Carbon Capture of a Temperate Mixed Forest across Altitudinal Gradients in Northern Mexico

“…However, this topic has received little attention in the published literature. Most reports consist of dispersed case studies that cannot be applied to other areas [92] as social aspects of management vary widely from region to region and are infused by cultural values that are unique to each locality [1,93,94] The forest studied here supplies critical water for drinking and agriculture to about one million people downstream and helps prevent soil erosion and flooding during high intensity precipitation events that are common to the area [6]. Therefore, the stakeholders are not confined to nearby residents but include communities and productive sectors (farmers) directly downstream.…”

“…Therefore, the stakeholders are not confined to nearby residents but include communities and productive sectors (farmers) directly downstream. Participatory policies, e.g., bottom-up forest management, land ownership (Mexican ejidos), illegal logging, illegal removal of firewood, and lack of environmental education programs have all been identified as social factors whose impact to the forest may be of consequence [6]; however, none have been either quantified or formally reported for this region [94].…”

“…Forest ecosystems are one of the most effective means to sequester carbon (C) from the atmosphere [1][2][3] besides providing timber and important environmental services [3,4]. Among the environmental services, forests produce rain, stabilize soils, and provide habitat to wildlife [4][5][6]. Management of forests historically used for timber production requires the implementation of strategies that will increase their adaptability to the foreseen impacts of climate change [1,5,7,8].…”