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Mosquitoes are closely associated with wetlands, as stagnant water in these ecosystems provides an ideal environment for the development of their immature stages. Human activities, such as artificial drainage for mosquito control, impact the ecological integrity of these ecosystems. Therefore, the objective was to compare the species composition of mosquitoes in two types of wetlands (swamp and herbaceous wetland) and a nearby human settlement, and determine the degree of risk, advocating for the conservation of these ecosystems. Collection of mosquito immature stages was conducted throughout on year in the municipality of Jamapa, in Veracruz state, Mexico. The richness and abundance of the collected species were determined, and the species composition of each site was compared through cluster and beta diversity analysis and analysis of similarity. The richness was higher in the two wetlands, and the abundance in human settlements. The species composition was different in all three sites. Mosquito species posing higher health risks were found in human settlements, and those posing lower risks in the swamp. As a result, it was possible to determine a disturbance gradient, with human settlements at the negative end of the gradient, the herbaceous wetland in the middle, and the swamp at the positive end, demonstrating that ecosystems preserving their original flora and fauna do not represent a significant risk for the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1997 Mexico implemented the Management Units for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wildlife (UMA by its initials in Spanish) scheme. However, socio-environmental problems and the lack of a multidisciplinary approach prevented it from offering sustainable solutions. Taxonomic and functional diversity in UMAs and their interactions are essential for the preservation of biodiversity and the processes that maintain their ecosystemic integrity. Ecological benefits are insufficient without a multidisciplinary vision. This article addresses a proposal for the management of UMAs and other conservation schemes with three objectives: (1) to include the "socio-ecological system" approach; (2) the recognition of their complexity; and (3) the epistemological transition from ecosystem integrity to antifragility. UMAs constitute integral socio-ecological systems that manage wildlife and habitat as a complex adaptive system precursor to ecosystem antifragility. En 1997 México implementó el esquema de Unidades de Manejo para la Conservación y Aprovechamiento Sustentable de la Vida Silvestre (UMA). Empero, problemáticas socioambientales y la falta de un enfoque multidisciplinario impidieron ofrecer soluciones sustentables. La diversidad taxonómica y funcional en UMA y sus interacciones son imprescindibles en la preservación de la biodiversidad y los procesos que mantienen su integridad ecosistémica. Los beneficios ecológicos resultan insuficientes sin una visión multidisciplinaria. Este artículo aborda una propuesta de gestión de UMA y otros esquemas de conservación en tres objetivos: (1) enfoque de "sistema socioecológico", (2) reconocimiento de su complejidad, (3) transición epistemológica de integridad a antifragilidad ecosistémica. Las UMA constituyen sistemas socioecológicos integrales que manejan la vida silvestre y el hábitat como un sistema adaptativo complejo precursor de antifragilidad ecosistémica. En 1997, le Mexique a mis en œuvre un schéma d'Unités de Gestion pour la Conservation et Usage Durable de la Vie Sauvage (UMA en espagnol). Cependant, des problématiques socio-environnementales et le manque de perspective pluridisciplinaire ont empêché d'offrir des solutions durables. La diversité taxonomique et fonctionnelle des UMA et leurs interactions sont essentielles à la préservation de la biodiversité et des processus qui maintiennent l'intégrité de leurs écosystèmes. Les bénéfices écologiques qui en résultent sont insuffisants en l'absence une vision pluridisciplinaire. Ce travail aborde une proposition de gestion d'UMA et d'autres schémas de conservation à travers trois objectifs : 1) une perspective de « système socio-écologique » ; 2) la reconnaissance de leur complexité ; 3) une transition épistémologique de l'intégrité à l'anti fragilité écosystémique. Les UMA constituent des systèmes socio-écologiques intégraux qui gèrent la vie sauvage et l'habitat en tant que système adaptatif complexe précurseur d'une anti fragilité systémique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the current climate crisis, the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems is key to increasing resilience and the sustainability of water and soil resources. Most forests around the world have experienced deforestation and degradation in the past few decades; however, the rate at which these occur varies depending on many factors, including the type of trees, management, and climate. We conducted a review of the deforestation, degradation, and soil erosion of the pine-oak forest within the Rio Conchos basin in northern Mexico. Preference was given to recent studies (last 10 years) conducted within this basin. Out of 27 recent publications on oak forests in Mexico, 19 focused on this forest and half of them were in Spanish. The results show that pine trees are more affected than oak trees, also that the deforestation rate has increased with time and is greater at higher elevations, making this area vulnerable to loss of topsoil during extreme hydrological events. Studies report an annual change in cover rate between 1985 and 2016 of −1.2% for pine, oak and mix vegetation. More recently, between 2000 and 2018, the change in pine cover was calculated as −2.8% concurrent with a +3.4% increase in cover of oak and other secondary vegetation. Proposed conservation strategies vary from runoff control to increased collaboration between landowners, government agencies, and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Therya is the property of Asociacion Mexicana de Mastozoologia, A. C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Species-specific conservation is important for maintaining the integrity of ecological communities but is dependent on sufficiently understanding multiple aspects of a species' ecology. Species-specific data are commonly lacking for species in geographic areas with little research and species perceived to have insufficient charisma or economic importance. Despite their widespread distribution across central and North America and status as a furbearing mammal, little is known about the ecology of Grey Foxes Urocyon cinereoargenteus compared to other species of furbearing mammals. To understand what is known about this species, especially factors affecting population dynamics, we performed a systematic review of the scientific literature. We found 234 studies about Grey Foxes, with studies increasing substantially over time but with geographic gaps in the Great Plains and most of Mexico and central America. Most studies we reviewed examined relative abundance or occupancy (n= 35), habitat associations (n= 30), primarily as part of larger mammalian community studies, or spatiotemporal effects of other mammalian carnivores (n= 19), predominately Coyote Canis latrans. Grey Foxes were primarily forest-associated although associations with specific forest communities or anthropogenically disturbed habitats varied among studies. Multiple studies across ecoregions reported this fox as among both the most- and least-abundant mammalian carnivore. The inter-specific effects of Coyote were often, but not exclusively, negative and were likely mediated by landscape composition and human development. Importantly, very few studies examined population-effects of coyotes on Grey Foxes. Studies of population trends, demographics, and space use of Grey Foxes were comparatively rare and small inter- and intra-study sample sizes limited our ability to infer broader patterns. We suggest multiple avenues for future research to better understand the population status of this species throughout their range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Functional connectivity of semiaquatic species is poorly studied despite that freshwater ecosystems are amongst the most threatened worldwide due to habitat deterioration. The Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis, is a threatened species that represents a good model to evaluate the effect of landscape-riverscape features on genetic structure and gene flow of freshwater species. Objectives: We aimed to assess the spatial genetic structure of L. longicaudis and to evaluate the landscape-riverscape attributes that shape its genetic structure and gene flow at local sites (habitat patches) and between sites (landscape matrix). Methods: We conducted the study in three basins located in Veracruz, Mexico, which have a high degree of ecosystem deterioration. We used a non-invasive genetic sampling and a landscape genetics individual-based approach to test the effect stream hierarchical structure, isolation-by-distance, and isolation-by-resistance on genetic structure and gene flow. Results: We found genetic structure that corresponded to the latitudinal and altitudinal heterogeneity of the landscape and riverscape, as well as to the hierarchical structure of the streams. Open areas and steep slopes were the variables affecting genetic structure at local sites, whereas areas with suitable habitat conditions, higher ecosystem integrity and larger streams enhanced gene flow between sites. Conclusions: The landscape-riverscape characteristics that maintain functional connectivity of L. longicaudis differed between the upper, middle, and lower basins. Our results have important implications for the conservation of the species, including the maintenance of larger suitable areas in Actopan and the necessity to improve connectivity in Jamapa, through the establishment of biological corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lacandon Maya is an indigenous group who live in Chiapas, Mexico. Their traditional lifeways involve swidden, sequential agroforestry management that mimics ecological disturbance and modifies succession. Lacandon farmers use fire to clear small plots for polyculture milpa agroforests, which they subsequently fallow. They actively manage all stages of their agroforests to provide ecosystem services and facilitate site recovery. However, it is unclear whether or how quickly the ecosystem structure of Lacandon agroforests matches that of a mature forest. Therefore, this study quantified canopy cover, basal area, ground cover, and litter layers and depth to empirically evaluate successional trends in vegetation and litter structure. Our results show that the Lacandon agroforest structure typically recovers to mature forest levels, but the speed and nature of this recovery vary by metric. They also indicate Lacandon traditional agroforestry is predicated on nuanced understanding of tropical forest successional dynamics, as illustrated by Lacandon farmers' recognition of successional stages that correspond to patterns in vegetation and leaf litter structure. As such, Lacandon ecological knowledge has the potential to facilitate the restoration of degraded tropical forests in Chiapas, Mexico. However, our findings also demonstrate that shortening fallow periods will undermine the ecological integrity of this traditional agricultural system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, the ecological integrity hierarchy framework (EIHF) and the natural capital index framework (NCI) are integrated as decision-making tools for evaluating the natural capital of Mexico. Two hierarchy-levels of ecological integrity indicators are used to estimate the quality and quantity of the natural capital, the amount of ecological degradation and ecological sustainability. After human transformation, the extent still considered as "natural" in the country is ∼67%; while the amount of human transformed areas is ∼33%, which gives a total estimate of NCI = 0.334; i.e., only ∼33.4% of the national capital remains available, while ∼33% is ecologically degraded. Furthermore, the critical natural capital; i.e., the legacy for future generations that remains in the country is only ∼12%. The total estimated value of the current natural capital in Mexico is ∼$457.1 billion/yr, which is ∼435 times greater than the national GDP ($1.051 billion in 2010). The cost of maintaining the degradation of the natural capital is ∼$144.6 billion/yr (∼138 times greater than national GDP in 2010). The potential value of the natural capital after restoration would be ∼$602 billion/yr. Valuing the natural capital can be helpful for strategic environmental evaluations and useful for spatial decision support systems that evaluate natural capital as a decision-making tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• -Extraction and root burning was the most effective technique for saltcedar control. • -The cutting and shading control technique was highly effective but logistically costly. • -After Tamarix control, natural recovery of vegetation cover was significant. • -After the removal of Tamarix , revegetation is necessary for richness recovery. Biological invasions are considered one of the most serious drivers of global biodiversity degradation in the face of ecological restoration. Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) is an aggressive invader in arid environments of the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Argentina, causing profound alteration of riparian habitats, the composition and structure of natural communities, and ecosystem functioning. Given the severity of the reported invasion processes, and considering that Tamarix 's responses to the wide range of existing control techniques are still poorly explored, the objectives of this investigation were to assess the implementation of different control techniques based on active adaptive management and to define indicators to measure the effectiveness of both the techniques and the recovery of the system, as a first action in ecological restoration projects of invaded sites. The experiment was carried out in the Llancanelo Wetland Provincial Reserve and Ramsar site, where 540 ha of marsh environment were replaced by monospecific saltcedar forests. Thirteen treatments were proposed combining control techniques (mechanical and chemical), saltcedar population situation (forest, shrubland, resprouts), and times of the year. Simultaneously, an assisted revegetation experiment was performed on four of the controlled plots. Finally, the costs associated with each treatment were estimated. The most effective control techniques were mechanical extraction and root burning for areas with mature, low-density forests, and cutting and herbicide application for shrublands and resprouts in late summer-early spring. The cutting and shading technique is recommended in places where the herbicide application can put the ecosystem integrity at risk. Assisted revegetation only provided 2% coverage in the intervened plots, a non-significant value considering that natural recovery presented up to 35% coverage and a low percentage of invasive alien species. In spite of this, the species composition reported in the monitoring suggests adjusting revegetation techniques to assist native species recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the extent to which natural protected areas (NPAs) in Mexico have been effective for preventing land use/land cover change, considered as a major cause of other degradation processes. We developed an effectiveness index including NPA percentage of transformed areas (agriculture, induced vegetation, forestry plantations, and human settlements) in 2002, the rate and absolute extent of change in these areas (1993--2002), the comparison between rates of change observed inside the NPA and in an equivalent surrounding area, and between the NPA and the state(s) in which it is located. We chose 69 terrestrial federal NPAs, decreed before 1997, that were larger than 1,000 ha, not urban/ reforested with non-native vegetation, not islands and not coastal strips, and estimated the extent of transformed areas using 1993 and 2002 land use/land cover maps. Over 54% of NPAs were effective, and were heterogeneously distributed by management categories: 65% of Biosphere Reserves, 53% of Flora and Fauna Protection Areas, and 45% of National Parks. 23%of NPAs were regarded as weakly effective, and the remaining 23%as non-effective. We recognize the importance of NPAs as a relevant conservation instrument, as half of NPAs analyzed (particularly biosphere reserves) prevented natural vegetation loss compared with their geographic context. Our results suggest that conservation based on NPAs in Mexico still faces significant challenges. Our approach can be expanded for evaluating the effectiveness of NPA in other regions, as land use/land cover maps are now available almost worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. The current lack of a working resource management plan in Magdalena Bay (southern Baja California, Mexico) has weakened attempts to set priorities among resource users and has contributed to: reduced fish stocks, land and marine contamination, and declines in the ecological integrity of the bay of 170 000 ha and its vast mangrove lagoon systems. The government agencies responsible for maintaining ecological integrity and managing marine resource use have not been successful in addressing these problems due to jurisdictional ambiguities, lack of community support, and lack of man-power for monitoring and enforcing policies. A framework was designed by the authors to work toward an approach for balancing between community development and conserving ecological integrity at the local level in the peripheral and central zones of the Magdalena Bay system. The goal of this framework was to suggest a basis for setting management priorities that included the perceptions and preferences of stakeholder groups with regard to direct threats to the environmental health of the study areas. To achieve this goal a cross-disciplinary study of the central and peripheral zones was used to examine factors that influence current resource use and the environmental state in these two regions of the bay system. Insights into the preferences and perceptions of stakeholder groups with regard to management priorities were acquired using the key informant technique. The results revealed potential conflicts with regard to preferred management priorities between stakeholder groups, as well as polarities within stakeholder groups themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Socio-environmental analysis of conservation dynamics in a peri-urban micro-basin. • Conservation challenge in megacities, social priorities and environmental blindness. • Environmental and social consequences of the expansion of informal human settlements. Years of population growth and urban expansion have affected ecologically forested areas outlying Mexico City. To control the growth and the negative impact on natural areas, the Conservation Land act of 1987s declared protection of non-populated forest areas. However, this initiative has been overshadowed by the growing demand of affordable housing. The expansion of housing in protected areas has been coupled with unclear guidelines from local authorities in restricting domestic growth. This study focuses on the Magdalena River micro-basin, which is key to freshwater provisioning to Mexico City. The objective of this research is to show the socio-ecological effects of urbanization and the lack/misguidance of local governance on the Magdalena River. Ecological quality was assessed through identifying hydro-morphological quality and bioindicators such as macroinvertebrates and macroalgae. This information was paired with social data collected through an archival study of historical literature, and interviews with residents who are both lawfully and unlawfully living within protected areas. The results show that the ecological quality of the Magdalena River is undergoing significant changes because of an influx of nutrients and external alterations made to the riparian zone. Pollution from housing, restaurants, and trout farms are the factors most directly related to the changes. Additionally, we encountered little to no federal/local policy aimed at controlling inputs and altercations to the river. Our study has shown that urbanization within the micro-basin negatively alters the biological diversity. The growth further facilities the increase of fecal bacteria posing a risk to human health. Social data from interviews and the literature review showed the ecological importance of the area to the local people. In the past there have been two cases of restoration efforts made by the municipal government, but their intentions for restoration ultimately failed. In both efforts were poorly planned and were not communicated with local people nor did they include local participation. As a consequence, the locals have a general distrust of the external stakeholder. Apart from local development misinformation and unwelcome restoration intervention, there is a long history of governmental authorities incurring acts of corruption and bribery. Many unauthorized settlements are unaware or have not been educated about the environmental impact they are having on ecosystems and are often overlooked or excluded when it comes to creating policy. In conclusion, local participation and approval is essential to the creation of a successful management plan, thus it is important governmental officials seek their involvement. Conservation land within the micro-basin is insufficient to protect the ecological integrity of ecosystems as both landowners and local authorities are facilitating unsustainable practices that transit between the vision on paper of a sustainable city and the lack of concrete facts to achieve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We assessed odonata richness, body size and species' response to land use intensification. • Dragonflies indicated current land use while damselflies indicated time-lagged land use. • Large species allowed evaluating recent reduction of original vegetation. • Small species provided information of historic habitat modification. • Individual species did not reflect ecological integrity. • Some species' combinations indicate environmental degradation. There is a growing need to identify efficient biological indicators for assessing accelerated land use intensification, as well for understanding the effects of past environmental changes on species distributions. To address this, we used an extensive opportunistic survey dataset of 254 adult odonate (suborder Anisoptera or dragonflies; suborder Zygoptera or damselflies) species collected in nine Mexican hydrological regions during two time windows (1980–1993 and 1994–2010). We evaluated species richness, body size and individual species' response to land use intensification over time at a national scale using Phylogenetic Bayesian Regression Mixed Models. We found that dragonfly species serve as good indicators of current land use, whereas damselfly species show time-lagged effects of land use intensification. Large species could thus be used as a proxy of recent reduction of original vegetation, whereas small species provide information on historic habitat modification. Odonate body size seems to be a better variable for measuring the integrity of original vegetation than the more commonly used species richness. Finally, the use of individual species as bioindicators at broad spatial and temporal scales is not encouraged, as it does not reflect the degree of ecological integrity, and only the occurrence of some species combinations can indicate environmental degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper presents several spatial indicators developed to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on predator-prey interactions and their relationship with ecological integrity loss in Mexico. Ecological integrity loss is defined as the inability to sustain viable populations, habitat functions, and species interactions of Nearctic and Neotropical apex predators as a result of anthropogenic effects. As direct impacts, the indicators evaluate habitat loss and the number of inhospitable habitats. As indirect impacts, the indicators evaluate the avoidance of human features such as highways, roads, and human locations. The total impact level is described at 1 km2 resolution, and registered within the domain defined by the spatial habitat requirements of apex predators. The impact level is associated with ecological integrity loss, or the ecosystem capacity to reorganize habitat functions and sustain predator-prey interactions as the most visible elements of ecological integrity. Ecological integrity loss is evaluated for different groups of apex predators that are classified with different levels of anthropogenic threat.Results: The framework presented here identifies the spatial information needed for the assessment of cumulative anthropogenic impacts. By characterizing their distribution range, Nearctic predators have significantly larger intact habitats than neotropical predators but with higher ecological degradation, less landscape transformation, and overall less ecological integrity. As observed within their distribution areas, indirect impacts have a generalized effect in the broad range of landscapes in Mexico. Ecological integrity loss is the result of road, highway, and human settlement avoidance; but landscape transformation and human activity control the threshold for which ecological integrity loss becomes critical. On the other hand, there are no significant differences in impact levels among threat conservation categories for apex predators, which indicate that all predator species have the same threat level and should be all included in protection efforts.Conclusions: With the application of this spatial framework, the significance, scale, and baseline conditions can be established for evaluating anthropogenic impacts on ecological integrity. The analysis of the current condition shows the status for apex predator in the country, and identifies the ecological integrity threshold when human activities have severe to highly severe impacts in the landscape, threatening the viability of populations and their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]