Ethnoagroforestry management and soil fertility in the semiarid Tehuacan Valley, Mexico
Por:
Bernardo Garcia-Licona, Jose, Maldonado-Torres, Ranferi, Isabel Moreno-Calles, Ana, Edna Alvarez-Sanchez, Maria, Garcia-Chavez, Juan, Casas, Alejandro
Publicada:
26 jun 2017
Resumen:
Ethnoagroforestry practices and their relationship with soil fertility
were studied in the semiarid Tehuacan Valley. Such practices involve
management of manure, vegetation patches, wild and cultivated plants,
soil, and water. This study aimed to: i) describe agroforestry
management practices that influence soil fertility in maize
multicultural system (milpa) -cacti forest (chichipera) AFS; ii) analyze
the status of soil fertility in cultivated areas of these AFS; and iii)
analyze the influence of agroforestry practices on soil nutrimental
parameters of cultivated areas. In depth interviews were conducted,
along with participatory tours with peasants and soil sampling in the
agroforestry plots. Ethnoagroforestry practices favor adequate levels of
macronutrients and organic matter in the milpa-chichipera AFS, despite
Fe, Cu, and Zn deficiencies. The supply of organic matter is fundamental
because it preserves soil fertility and moisture in all the plots
studied. Smallholders (43%) use manure, but in irregular and
insufficient way. Only 27% of interviewed people leave the land fallow
for 1-2 after periods of 24 years of use, which does not allow the soil
to reestablish fertility. Smallholders practice wild vegetation
management, enabling 90% of plots to reach a high level of vegetation
cover (> 25%), furthermore 33% of agroforestry plots depend
exclusively on this management to reestablish soil fertility. Labor
force, economic conditions and plots characteristics influence
agroforestry management. The amount of manure and the interaction
between the agroforestry practices (vegetation cover, type of
agroforestry practices, amount of manure, and fallow years) are related
to the presence of N, K, Cu and B in the soil. To maintain and improve
soil fertility in the milpa-chichipera AFS is important to consider
local practices, biophysical conditions, and socio-economic factors.
Filiaciones:
Bernardo Garcia-Licona, Jose:
Ctr Estudios Super Indigenas Kgoyom, Puebla 73470, Mexico
Maldonado-Torres, Ranferi:
Univ Autonoma Chapingo, Dept Suelos, Kilometro 38-5 Carretera Mexico, Texcoco 56230, Estado De Mexic, Mexico
Isabel Moreno-Calles, Ana:
UNAM, Escuela Nacl Estudios Super Unidad Morelia, Campus Morelia,Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 87, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico
Edna Alvarez-Sanchez, Maria:
UNAM, Escuela Nacl Estudios Super Unidad Morelia, Campus Morelia,Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 87, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico
Garcia-Chavez, Juan:
Benemerita Univ Autonoma Puebla, Escuela Biol, Edficio 112A,Ciudad Univ,Ave San Claudio & 18 Sur, Puebla 72570, Puebla, Mexico
Casas, Alejandro:
UNAM, Inst Invest Ecosistemas & Sustentabilidad, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico
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