Política ambiental y territorios indígenas de Sonora

La política ambiental en México ya es parte de la agenda de seguridad nacional, sin embargo, uno de sus instrumentos de planeación clave es el OET (Ordenamiento Ecológico del Territorio), el cual no ha logrado el impacto previsto. Se propone a los pueblos y territorios indígenas de Sonora como sector estratégico para la implementación de los OET, para lo cual se considera necesario profundizar en su problemática actual. Por ello, se realiza un análisis socioambiental de los complejos bioculturales de Sonora, a partir del marco de reflexión de la ecología política y la perspectiva biocultural. Esto se logra a partir de un análisis interdisciplinario donde se conjugan epistemologías y metodologías de los campos de las ciencias sociales y de la ecología. El análisis socioambiental se organiza a partir de dos grandes temas: la territorialidad y la comunidad indígena contemporánea. Se concluye que el formato actual de los OET es poco operativo, por lo que se dan recomendaciones para eficientar su implementación. Por último, se resalta la importancia de la atención de los complejos bioculturales, en primera instancia como un tema de justicia ambiental, así como por su capacidad para incidir a favor de los temas globales ambientales, como el cambio climático y la disponibilidad y calidad del agua

Biodiversidad y síntomas depresivos en adultos mexicanos: exploración de los efectos benéficos del ambiente

Introduction: Depression is a highly prevalent illness among adults, and it is the second most frequently reported mental disorder in urban settings in México. Exposure to natural environments and its components may improve the mental health of the population.Objective: To evaluate the association between biodiversity indicators and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among the adult population (20 to 65 years of age) in México.Materials and methods: Information from the Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2006 (ENSANUT 2006) and the Compendio de Estadísticas Ambientales 2008 was analyzed. A biodiversity index was constructed based on the species richness and ecoregions in each state. A multilevel logistic regression model was built with random intercepts and a multiple logistic regression was generated with clustering by state.Results: The factors associated with depressive symptoms were being female, self-perceived as indigenous, lower education level, not living with a partner, lack of steady paid work, having a chronic illness and drinking alcohol. The biodiversity index was found to be inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms when defined as a continuous variable, and the results from the regression were grouped by state (OR=0.71; 95% CI = 0.59-0.87).Conclusions: Although the design was cross-sectional, this study adds to the evidence of the potential benefits to mental health from contact with nature and its components.Introducción. La depresión es una enfermedad muy prevalente entre adultos, y es el segundo trastorno mental más frecuente en los centros urbanos de México. Es posible que la exposición a los ambientes naturales y a sus componentes mejore la salud mental de la población.Objetivo. Evaluar la asociación entre indicadores de biodiversidad y la prevalencia de síntomas depresivos en la población adulta (20 a 65 años de edad) de México.Materiales y métodos. Se analizó la información de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2006 (ENSANUT 2006), así como el Compendio de Estadísticas Ambientales del 2008. Además, se elaboró un índice de biodiversidad, teniendo en cuenta la abundancia de especies y las ecorregiones en cada entidad federativa, y un modelo de regresión logística multinivel con interceptos aleatorios, y otro de regresión logística múltiple con agrupación por estados.Resultados. Los factores asociados con los síntomas depresivos fueron: ser mujer, considerarse indígena, tener menor escolaridad, vivir sin pareja, carecer de trabajo remunerado de forma regular, padecer una enfermedad crónica y beber alcohol. Se encontró una asociación inversa entre el índice de biodiversidad y la prevalencia de los síntomas depresivos cuando se definió de manera continua y los resultados de la regresión se agruparon por estados (OR=0,71; IC95% 0,59-0,87).Conclusión. A pesar de su diseño transversal, el estudio contribuye a aumentar la ‘evidencia’ científica en torno a los beneficios potenciales que el contacto con la naturaleza y sus componentes tiene para la salud mental

Ecosystem services of tropical dry forests : insights from longterm ecological and social research on the Pacific coast of Mexico

In the search for an integrated understanding of the relationships among productive activities, human well-being, and ecosystem functioning, we evaluated the services delivered by a tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystem in the Chamela Region, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. We synthesized information gathered for the past two decades as part of a long-term ecosystem research study and included social data collected in the past four years using the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) conceptual framework as a guide. Here we identify the four nested spatial scales at which information has been obtained and emphasize one of them through a basin conceptual model. We then articulate the biophysical and socio-economic constraints and drivers determining the delivery of ecosystem services in the Region. We describe the nine most important services, the stakeholders who benefit from those services, and their degree of awareness of such services. We characterize spatial and temporal patterns of the services&rsquo; delivery as well as trade-offs among services and stakeholders. Finally, we contrast three alternative future scenarios on the delivery of ecosystem services and human well-being. Biophysical and socioeconomic features of the study site strongly influence human&minus;ecosystem interactions, the ecosystem services delivered, the possible future trajectories of the ecosystem, and the effect on human well-being. We discuss future research approaches that will set the basis for an integrated understanding of human&minus;ecosystem interactions and for constructing sustainable management strategies for the TDF.<br /

A Tale of Two Species: Speculation on the Introduction of Pachycereus pringlei in the Sierra Libre, Sonora, Mexico by Homo sapiens

Desert Plants is published by The University of Arizona for the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum. For more information about this unique botanical journal, please email the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Publications Office at [email protected]

Ten years (2006-2016) of annual growth rates for 13 of saguaro populations in the Sonoran Desert

Premise of the study: The saguaro cactus is an iconic species of the Sonoran Desert. Its individual growth rates have been investigated for over one hundred years. Its growth dynamics have been studied using phenomenological models intended to estimate growth, but not to understand the underlying biological processes. Most studies have suggested summer rainfall as the sole factor determining saguaro growth overlooking the influence of other factors related to the process of growth. Methods: We analyzed the annual growth rates for 13 saguaro populations in the Sonoran Desert using non-linear models which are better suited to analyze growth since they consider the fact that maximum growth rates diminish just before the onset of reproduction and related model parameters to the local climate. Key results: We found that the most parsimonious model was the Ricker function that described growth considering its decline with age. We also found that the variance in temperature, rather than precipitation, was more closely related to growth. Higher variance in temperature at the beginning of the warm season was detrimental to saguaro growth. Conclusions: Simple non-linear equations model growth rate with biologically interpretable parameters related to climate factors. As the temperature is projected to increase in both mean and variance by climate change, the population dynamics of this iconic cactus are likely to be affected

Difference in Germination Traits between Congeneric Native and Exotic Species May Affect Invasion

Germination traits are components of invasion potential, and comparing seed traits in sympatric native and invasive species can offer insights into the invasion process. We characterized seed germination traits and how they influenced the success of Eragrostis mexicana, a native species, and Eragrostis tenuifolia, an exotic species (Poaceae) in Mexico, in the context of their potential for biological invasion. Seeds from both species were collected from four sites in a natural protected area in Mexico City, and the germination of seeds of different ages was conducted in experiments at different temperatures. E. tenuifolia exhibited higher germination percentages than the native E. mexicana across all treatments. Seed age had differential effects, with older seeds of the native E. mexicana germinating better, while E. tenuifolia performed better with younger seeds. Temperature positively impacted germination for both species, although E. mexicana was limited at lower temperatures. Exotic E. tenuifolia can germinate over a wider temperature range with earlier germination rates, and generate a seed bank lasting several years, which may contribute to naturalization. The importance of germination traits in the context of invasive species establishment underscores the potential role of seed banks in facilitating biological invasions