Recreational activities and conservation in Natural Protected Areas in central Mexico: an approach from socio-ecosystems

Abstract

González-Romero, N.I., Galicia, L., Arteaga-Reyes, T.T., Thomé-Ortíz, H., Héritier, S. 2018. Recreational activities and conservation in Natural Protected Areas in central Mexico: an approach from socio-ecosystems. Ecosistemas 27(1): 116-126. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.1407

The Protected Area of Flora and Fauna Nevado de Toluca (APFFNT) does not consider the double mandate to reduce conflicts between use and protection of Natural Protected Areas (NPAs), which requires integrating the socio-ecosystems approach. The objective of the present study was to analyze the recreational activity in three socio-ecological units within the socio-ecosystem APFFNT, in order to understand the interaction and compatibility between recreation and conservation in NPAs. From a literature review, direct observation, field trips and semi-structured interviews, it was observed that within the management of the three socio-ecological units, conservation actions and recreational activities coexist that are developed in social and ecologically fragile and complex contexts; however, these activities have not been carried out in a formal way, due to the limited synergies between actors and to failures in the application and enforcement of existing regulation. The socio-ecosystem approach allows to analyze recreational activities and the visualization of dynamics, temporality and complexity of the interactions of socio-ecosystem components to implement management and governance alternatives that contribute to preventing and reducing conservation-management-environmental degradation conflicts.