Knowing the Clouds through the Land: Perceptions of Changes in Climate through Agricultural Practices in Two Nahua Indigenous Communities
Por:
Martinez-Herrera, Gonzalo, Trejo, Irma, Moreno-Calles, I, Ana, Fernanda de Alba-Navarro, Maria, Martinez-Balleste, Andrea
Publicada:
1 oct 2021
Resumen:
Changes in climate are important for agriculture and the livelihoods it
sustains. To improve the understanding of how climate vulnerability is
expressed in agricultural environments, it is necessary to address how
people perceive and interact with their surroundings. This study
analyzes farmers' perceptions of a set of climate change indicators and
their influence on agricultural practices in two Indigenous communities
located at different altitudes in Mexico. Farmers' observations were
explored using semi-structured interviews and contextualized within the
local instrumental climate record. The influence of these farmers'
perceptions on their agricultural practices was further analyzed using a
logistic regression model. Changes in rain intensity and seasonality, as
well as in wind intensity, were mentioned most frequently. Farmers'
experiences suggest a reduction in rain and wind intensity and shorter
rainy seasons. Memories of past anomalous years coincide with
precipitation anomalies found in the instrumental records. However,
temperature changes and biotic indicators were seldom perceived. Our
results show that the perception of these indicators is mediated by
agricultural practices, and we found evidence indicating that these
perceptions during the first stage of the seasonal calendar induce
readjustments in sowing dates. Moreover, farmers resort to
out-migration, integration of cash crops, and use of commercial
fertilizers to cope with or reduce crop loss due to climate impacts.
Filiaciones:
Martinez-Herrera, Gonzalo:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Jardin Bot, Inst Biol, Circuito Exterior S-N,Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
CUNY, Earth & Environm Sci, New York, NY 10021 USA
Trejo, Irma:
UNAM, Inst Geog, Copilco, Mexico
Fernanda de Alba-Navarro, Maria:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Jardin Bot, Inst Biol, Circuito Exterior S-N,Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Martinez-Balleste, Andrea:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Jardin Bot, Inst Biol, Circuito Exterior S-N,Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
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