José Mariano Mociño y Lozada a Novohispano Naturalist of The Enlightenment Century

El siglo XVIII fue clave para el desarrollo de la ciencia y el conocimiento de la naturaleza en el continente americano, en particular en la Nueva España. La historia natural y la botánica jugaron papeles prominentes entre las nuevas disciplinas científicas debido al gran interés y la intensa actividad de los intelectuales de la Nueva España, al vasto conocimiento de los pueblos indígenas mesoamericanos sobre sus plantas y paisajes y a la llegada de la Real Expedición Botánica a Nueva España. José Mariano Mociño y Lozada fue un científico y naturalista mexicano destacado que vivió entre finales del siglo XVIII y principios del XIX. Fue un ferviente reivindicador del conocimiento indígena, y del valor de la ciencia europea de la época. Explorador infatigable, colector y riguroso botánico, Mociño identificó y describió más de 4000 especies de plantas utilizando la nomenclatura de Linneo. Contribuyó al estudio de la historia natural de las regiones templadas y tropicales, convencido que la ciencia debería tener en cuenta el gran conocimiento que las culturas mesoamericanas tenían sobre la naturaleza. Preconizó la importancia de la investigación experimental para hacer un uso racional de los recursos naturales.The 18th century was key to the development of the science and the knowledge of the natural world in New Spain. Natural history and botany played prominent roles among the new scientific disciplines owing to the great interest and intense activity of the intellectuals of New Spain, the vast knowledge that Mesoamerican indigenous people had of their plants and landscapes, and the Royal Botanical Expedition to New Spain. José Mariano Mociño y Lozada is one of the most outstanding Mexican scientists and naturalists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His personality reflects the influence of those who vindicate indigenous knowledge, as well as the influence of the boom of science in Europe of that time. Indefatigable collector, Mociño identified a large number of plant species using the method of Linnaeus. He made headway in the natural history of temperate and tropical regions, and paid special attention to the relationship between indigenous cultures and their environments. Mociño was convinced that Mexican science should take into account the knowledge Mesoamericans had about nature and rigorously apply the scientific method to it. He always defended experimental research as basic to the rational use of natural resources

NOMBRAMIENTOS DE INVESTIGADOR EMERITO DEL INSTITUTO DE ECOLOGIA, A.C.

Este es un gran día para el Instituto de Ecología, para el sistema Secretaría de Educación Pública-Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (SEP/CONACYT), y para la ciencia y la tecnología mexicanas. Hoy el Instituto otorga por primera vez en su historia el nombramiento de Investigador Emérito a cinco destacados académicos de nuestra casa. El Instituto de Ecología reconoce con este nombramiento su dedicación y sus logros en la investigación científica y tecnológica, y en la formación de recursos humanos

A look at seed dispersal via mammal droppings

Terrestrial mammals are good dispersers of the fruits and seeds of seasonal rainforest in the Gulf of Mexico. Their importance lies in the huge quantity of fruit and seeds they consume, and their daily and seasonal movement through natural and secondary vegetation and agricultural fields. Their importance is even more noteworthy in the face of increasing deforestation and forest fragmentation, which limits the dispersal of propagules across the landscape and affects, among other things, the potential for forest regeneration. To evaluate fruit and seed consumption and dispersal over 12 months, the droppings of rainforest mammals were analyzed for the rainforest and an abandoned pasture (8,400 m2 respectively) on the coast of central Veracruz, Mexico. In the rainforest 158 droppings were collected and 47 in the pasture from a total of eight mammal species, six of which are known dispersers. The droppings contained 150 seeds belonging to 36 species and 19 families. The deposition of different species and quantities of seeds in the forest and pasture indicates that mammals disperse more rainforest species to the pasture than vice versa

Use of trees in Jamapa, traditions in a deforested area

Los árboles han jugado un papel fundamental en el desarrollo de las civilizaciones, tanto como recursos de aprovisionamiento como por otros servicios ecosistémicos. Sin embargo hay una fuerte perturbación de los bosques tropicales que ha disminuido la cantidad y diversidad de los árboles. Una de las causas principales de esta situación es el cambio de uso del suelo, sobre todo para actividades ganaderas, que en el estado de Veracruz, México, ocupan alrededor de 3.7 millones de hectáreas (50.6% de su territorio). El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar el conocimiento que los ganaderos tienen sobre las especies arbóreas, sus usos, su importancia cultural y los cambios que han sucedido a lo largo del tiempo. Se mencionaron 68 especies de árboles y se hizo una clasificación de 22 tipos de usos. Se calculó el índice de importancia cultural de cada especie y se describieron los cambios más importantes en el estilo de vida de las comunidades de estudio. Se encontró que hay un conocimiento amplio sobre los árboles pero se está perdiendo rápidamente. Los árboles se usan no solo para obtener beneficios en la ganadería sino para satisfacer otras necesidades de la vida cotidiana. La cantidad y la diversidad de especies arbóreas refleja el estilo de vida de las comunidades junto con sus influencias y cambios en el tiempo. Las decisiones de los ganaderos configuran el paisaje y por lo tanto se recomienda aumentar la cantidad de árboles en los potreros, su conservación y su uso para mantener los servicios ecosistémicos que proveen.Trees have played an important role in the development of civilizations, both for provisioning of resources and for other environmental services. However, there is a strong decrease in the quantity and diversity of tropical forests trees due to land use changes. One of the main causes of this situation is the livestock activity, which in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, occupies a surface of about 3.7 million hectares (representing 50.6% of its territory). The objective of this study was to research into cattle ranchers’ knowledge of arboreal species, their uses, their cultural importance and the changes that have taken place over time. Sixty eight species of trees were mentioned and their uses were classified in 22 types of uses. The cultural importance index was calculated for each species and the most important changes in the communities’ lifestyle were described. The results showed that ranchers have a wide knowledge about trees but it is rapidly disappearing. Trees are used not only to get benefits for the livestock activity but also to satisfy other needs of daily life. The quantity and diversity of arboreal species reflect the lifestyle, influences and changes over time within the communities. The decisions of ranchers configure the landscape, and therefore the recommendation is to increase the amount of trees, their conservation and uses to maintain the environmental services they provide.Esta investigación fue realizada con fondos de OIMT del proyecto RED-PD 045/11 Rev.2 (M) y la beca doctoral otorgada por Conacyt a la primera autora (no. 208529)

Conexões Ecológicas no Paleoterritório do Café

The production of coffee in Brazil during the XIX century was one of the main economic forces. The lands of the Paraíba do Sul River Valley were lavish producers for an intense but short period of time. This historic period, with its biotic and abiotic processes, left visible marks in the landscape up to now. The objective of this research is to analyse the coffee paleoterritory landscape focusing on its ecological dynamics. Literature revision, circularity index and interviews to local inhabitants were conducted. Some conclusions are: a) it is necessary to use more trees in pastures, and live fences; b) there is a rapid loss of ethnoecological knowledge that needs to be documented and renewed; c) it is important to learn environmental history lessons from the Paraíba do Sul Valley, thinking on the areas used for coffee plantations under the sun in Brazil and in other tropical countries.A produção de café no Brasil durante o século XIX foi uma das maiores alavancas para a economia da época. As terras do Vale do Rio Paraíba do Sul foram pródigas produtoras por um intenso, mas breve período de tempo. Essa etapa histórica, com seus processos bióticos e abióticos, deixou marcas na paisagem até hoje. O objetivo desse trabalho é analisar o paleoterritório do café sob a ótica da dinâmica ecológica. Utilizou-se a revisão literária, o índice de circularidade e entrevistas a habitantes locais. Algumas conclusões são que a) é necessário arborizar as pastagens e as cercas vivas para aumentar a conetividade ecológica; b) há uma rápida perda de conhecimento etnoecológico que precisa ser documentado e reavivado; c) é importante aprender as lições da história ambiental do Vale do Paraíba, pensando naquelas áreas que estão sendo utilizadas para plantio do café sob sol no Brasil e em outros países tropicais

La Conferencia Iberoamericana de Reservas de Biosfera 2010: todas las manos, todas las voces

The Network of MaB National Committees and Biosphere Reserves of Iberoamerica and the Caribbean -IberoMAB, conducted the “Conferencia de Reservas de Biosfera de Iberoamérica” which took place in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico in November 2010. This event brought together for the first time the managers of 102 biosphere reserves, and the representatives of 21 countries. The aim was to develop an Action Plan for IberoMAB to guide actions for the next 20 years. A position document was produced called “Declaración de Puerto Morelos” which was read in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 16). In this way the biosphere reserves of the region are preparing to deal with climate change, as well as the economic, social and environmental threat to the biological and cultural diversity and sustainable development