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In México, at least 37 Agave species are extracted from wild populations for producing distilled spirits. This activity involves harvesting mature agaves just before producing their inflorescences, which cancels sexual reproduction of plants used. The increasing demand of agaves spirits in national and international markets is determining a strong pressure on wild populations, most of them lacking adequate management. In addition, the dynamics of agave populations may be affected by natural phenomena like oscillation of rainfall regimes, which affects the recruitment of agave seedlings, or the scarcity of pollinators that may affect seed production and general population dynamics. We studied the demography of wild populations of Agave inaequidens to analyze critical conditions for populations recovery, modelling the effects of rainfall trends on the demographic performance of this species, and exploring response of populations to hypothetical extraction regimes and reforestation efforts. Our study was performed in four well-conserved wild populations in Central Western Mexico, each population was sampled in a plot of about one hectare composed by 10 subplots 50 x 5 m (2500 m2). Populations were monitored yearly between 2011 and 2013, measuring plant size, reproductive individuals, and fecundity. Data were analyzed through integral projection models by using the IPMpack for R, to perform prospective analyses. We in addition constructed stochastic models to explore the possible influence of rainfall variation on species demography, using data for the drier and wetter years of the study period. Population growth varied from λ=1.003 to λ=0.899 among populations and years, and exceptionally λ=0.559 after a fire event. Low rainfall decreases λ values, indicating especial limitations to harvesting agaves during dry years whose frequency most probably will increase. In general, extraction rates from 10% to 30% of mature individuals are viable to maintain λ above 1, and these rates may be higher if new plants are introduced in populations. Depending on levels of extraction, our models suggest that it is necessary to carry out actions of reforestation, and in situ management according to the trends found in each site. This is one indispensable condition to maintain λ close to or greater than 1. Sustainable extraction of wild agaves is possible, some communities are already carrying out a repertoire of goods practices in this direction, but together with ecological criteria and good management techniques, strict regulations and social organization are needed to achieve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is of utmost importance for biodiversity conservation; however, a number of studies document the loss of LEK regarding native bees. Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are important pollinators that have been managed by humans in all tropical areas of the world. Our work documents the decline of Meliponini and associated LEK in the state of Michoacán, western Mexico, as well as local historical management and perceptions of the diversity and abundance of bees. Through ecological sampling, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, we established the presence of 13 species of Meliponini and recognition of 23 local names. Although stingless bees' pot-honey is harvested directly through extraction of wild nests, local knowledge about bee diversity, behavior, and use can contribute to their conservation. Because of recent access to manufactured products and the scarcity of wild nests, LEK and pot-honey harvest are being abandoned and forgotten in some areas. Maintaining LEK is important in designing sustainable use strategies to prevent the extinction of wild nests and allow conservation of bees as well as the cultural legacy associated with them, essential in the context of a global decline of pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the process of land composition in the late 17th and 18th early centuries, and how this form of juridical legitimation and geographical organization had political and territorial impacts on Indian villages (pueblos de indios), specifically among the Mazahuas of San Mateo in the alcaldía mayor of Zitácuaro in central New Spain. To elucidate this situation we analyzed documentary sources, identified important elements of the landscape, followed the paths of the inspections (vista de ojos) effectuated by officials called 'composition judges', and retraced their cartographic georeferencing. The study reveals how their actions established historical guidelines for subsequent territorialization processes, discusses the Indians' ability to participate in and utilize the juridical system of New Spain, and examines the vitality of the documents they generated, which still exist in the archives of extant agrarian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Como consecuencia del aumento de las concentraciones de carbono en la atmósfera y su repercusión en el cambio climático global ha surgido la necesidad de determinar la cantidad de carbono almacenado en los ecosistemas, de los cuales los bosques templados representan un gran potencial de captura del mismo en sus diferentes depósitos (biomasa aérea o forestal, suelo y mantillo); la biomasa aérea comprende el fuste, las hojas y las ramas. Este estudio se llevó a cabo en el ejido de San Pedro Jacuaro, en el estado de Michoacán, porque sus bosques tienen un buen estado de conservación y están bajo manejo. Se realizaron dos estimaciones, conservadora y real, del contenido de carbono en dicha biomasa. La primera varió entre 67 y 177 Mg C ha-1, con promedio ponderado de 103.1 Mg C ha-1. La segunda registró valores de 71 a 198 Mg C ha-1, con un promedio ponderado de 129.1 Mg C ha-1; respecto a la captura potencial de carbono se estimó que el bosque fija 1.54 Mg C ha-1año-1, que corresponde a 5.65 Mg CO e ha-1año-1 en las 1 842 ha, lo que hace posible estimar que, potencialmente, puede hacerlo con un total de 2 837 Mg C año-1, que equivalen a 10 401.16 Mg CO e año-1. Estos resultados sugieren que el área de estudio sea atractiva para proyectos de captura de carbono como REDD+.

En los últimos años, los mercados agroalimentarios internacionales han mostrado una creciente tendencia hacia el consumo de alimentos de mayor calidad y, preferiblemente, libres de agroquímicos. Este es el caso del aguacate, cuyo comercio mundial ha tenido un comportamiento muy dinámico, cosechando a nivel mundial en torno a los 4,5 millones de toneladas, de las cuales sobre el 30% se comercializa internacionalmente. El valor del comercio internacional del aguacate supera los 2.000 millones de dólares, siendo Estados Unidos el principal importador, frente a países exportadores como México, Chile o Perú (Freshplaza). En el caso concreto de México, nos encontramos ante el líder en la producción mundial. En 2012 representaba el 27% del total de la superficie cosechada, con un rendimiento de 10,1 toneladas por hectárea, un consumo per cápita de 7 kilos y siendo, además, el principal país exportador (FAOSTAT). En este sentido, hablar del aguacate mexicano es hablar del Estado de Michoacán, el cual se configura como el principal protagonista en lo que a producción y exportación de aguacate se refiere, lo que no significa que no pueda presentar ciertas amenazas futuras en cuanto a la introducción de nuevos competidores y la apertura de mercados, por lo que sería interesante plantear un desarrollo a corto o medio plazo de sus estructuras productivas y comercializadoras. Para abordar esta posible problemática presentamos como alternativa las denominadas redes de empresas, las cuales consisten en un grupo de organizaciones que colaboran entre sí coordinando sus actividades productivas y/o comercializadoras (Bidault, 1993). Esta misma idea es la base fundamental del principio cooperativo de Intercooperación (Agirre, A., 2001), por lo que consideramos que la agrupación de sociedades cooperativas puede configurar un tipo específico de red empresarial con notables ventajas. De esta forma en el presente trabajo, tras una introducción sobre la situación mundial del aguacate, se establece una propuesta de comercialización del aguacate michoacano basado en redes de empresas y agrupación de actividades, donde la estructura y configuración cooperativas van a resultar fundamentales para el desarrollo y mejora de la competitividad de dicha área.

El presente artículo pretende analizar la actividad fiscal y administrativa del diezmo en Michoacán, a partir de la cesión del derecho de recaudación y usufructo de dicho impuesto por parte de la federación a las nuevas entidades. Asimismo, busca exponer la incursión de la autoridad civil del estado de Michoacán, cuyo propósito fue hacer eficiente la recolección del mencionado gravamen, por medio de la instauración de la oficina denominada Contaduría de Diezmos, encargada de administrar los recursos provenientes de rentas eclesiásticas durante los primeros años de la Primera República Federal. El trabajo corrobora la importancia del diezmo, impuesto de antiguo régimen vinculado directamente con las autoridades eclesiásticas, el cual también fue rentable para el gobierno michoacano en comparación con otros impuestos de carácter civil.

La heterogeneidad del paisaje varía en el espacio dependiendo de la proporción entre polígonos y unidades tipológicas. La alta variabilidad del espacio geográfico que posee el estado de Michoacán le confiere una elevada connotación ecológica, lo cual sugiere valores importantes de geodiversidad. Para conocer la heterogeneidad de cada geocomplejo se computó el número de polígonos, así como el número de parajes simples que contenía cada uno de estos y se aplicaron indicadores de complejidad tipológica, corológica, diversidad máxima y de McIntosh, así como riqueza de paisajes. Se calculó un valor único para cada unidad de paisajes con el propósito de elaborar un mapa unificado del potencial natural para la conservación de la geodiversidad. Para ello se calculó un valor promedio entre todos los indicadores por unidades de paisajes y se distinguieron cinco categorías para la conservación de la geodiversidad. Los resultados principales muestran que en la Meseta Purépecha se encuentran potenciales valiosos para la conservación de la geodiversidad.

Se presenta una revisión del libro de Orlando Aragón Andrade, De la “vieja” a la “nueva” justicia indígena. Transformaciones y continuidades en las justicias indígenas en Michoacán, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Iztapalapa/Ediciones del Lirio, México, 2016, 508 pp. Repasa los abordajes teóricos y metodológicos, señalando la estructura y aportaciones del texto. El análisis subraya los aspectos novedosos que ofrece el libro para la antropología y sociología jurídica en México.

Reporting breeding sites for the Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) is important, because of its threatened status in Mexico and its vulnerability to habitat modification. C. nivosus has extensive distribution in Mexico; however, only 35 breeding sites have been reported, of which nine are in the interior. It has been previously recorded in Michoacán, but no breeding has been reported. We present 110 reproductive records (chicks and juveniles) of at least 28 different individuals in Lake Cuitzeo, Michoacán (years 2013 and 2017). These are the first breeding records for the lake and the State. According to this data, Lake Cuitzeo is a relevant site for the conservation of the species in the interior of Mexico. We plan to extend surveys along the lakeshore to determine breeding success and to plan actions to reduce destruction of nesting habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico's avocado industry has experienced strong growth, but this has developed parallel to an intensification of organized crime activity in the country's principle producing region. In this context, the present article analyzes the strategic response of the avocado industry to a situation of intense criminal activity by examining how it developed competitive sui generis strategies in order to survive and expand in a context dominated by the presence of organized crime groups. The analysis develops the concept of social capital as an expression of competitive capacity to demonstrate how the avocado industry devised unique strategies to achieve growth in a setting of high insecurity. It also demonstrates this industry's great capacity to adapt to its context by utilizing certain intangible assets, especially its knowledge of local political structures and the dynamics of criminal groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Espanola de Antropologia Americana is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid 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.)

Copyright of Ibero-Americana - Nordic Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Studies is the property of Ubiquity Press 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.)

Copyright of Studies in Oral Folk Literature / Estudis de Literatura Oral Popular is the property of Universitat Rovira I Virgili 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.)

Copyright of Amauta 'Todo lo Humano es Nuestro' is the property of Universidad del Atlantico 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.)

Among the factors that limit mango production, mites are one of the most important due to the association they have with pathogens that damage the crop. The objectives of this work were to identify the mites and pathogens associated with the floral malformation of the mango, as well as the mites in foliage in an orchard of Gabriel Zamora, Michoacán. Samples of foliage and malformations of mango inflorescence were taken in an orchard in the municipality of Gabriel Zamora from November 2015 to January 2016, which were taken to the laboratory to dissect the plant matter and assemble the mite species collected; in the same way, the mites associated with the malformation were sown in PDA medium and the fungal colonies that germinated in the medium were separated, to finally identify them with taxonomic keys. Aceria mangiferae and Fusarium mexicanum were identified as the mite and fungus associated with the malformation of mango inflorescence, as well as Oligonychus mangiferus as the species of mite associated with foliage in Gabriel Zamora, Michoacán. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historiography recalls the five-year period, 1810-1815, as the time when the priest Miguel Hidalgo's insurgent movement began. While this historical phenomenon has captured the attention of many historical studies, they have omitted the terrible epidemic that ravaged New Spain around the same time; that is, the outbreak of fevers or typhus in 1812-1814. The objective of this study is to develop a demographic analysis of this epidemic based on cases from three parishes in the eastern area of the bishopric of Michoacán. The actions of war and this epidemic are two factors that must be considered if we are to fully understand this historical moment, since more and more people fell ill as the actions of war spread the disease through the constant movement of soldiers and populations fleeing from battle zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious and curable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex; it affects both men and women at any age. Objective: To characterize cases of TB presented at the Michoacan Local Office of IMSS (Mexican Institute of Social Security), from 2015 to 2018. Material and methods: Cross-sectional, observational and analytical study. Cases with a clinical file with complete information and registered in the Epidemiological Surveillance Information System, from 2015 to 2018, at the Michoacán Local Office were included. Descriptive statistics, frequency and association measures were obtained by using XMH and chi-squared. Results: 328 cases of TB were found, 56% were male; the most affected age group was the one of 65 years and above with 20%; 28% were housewives; 32% had primary education; 30% were from Lazaro Cardenas jurisdiction; 70% presented pulmonary TB; 88% got cured; 25% were associated with diabetes. The association of pulmonary TB with some risk factors was 1.24 times greater in retired: XMH = 2.02, OR = 2.74, chi-squared: p = 0.03 (95% CI, 1.03-7.30); 1.15 times greater in males: XMH = 1.97, OR = 1.61, chi-squared: p = 0.04 (95% CI, 1.00-2.60), and 1.21 times greater in the age group of 65 years and above: XMH = 2.34, OR = 2. 21, chi-squared: p = 0.01 (95% CI: 1.12-4.35). Conclusion: The results of this study are a starting point to prevent, diagnose, control and follow up TB cases at the local office level at IMSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three‐dimensional ground‐penetrating radar survey was performed on the altar wall, which faced the risk of collapse, of a 16th‐century church in Michoacán, Mexico. The ground‐penetrating radar survey with high‐frequency antennas aimed to locate structural cracks and texture arrangements, the latter through the interpretation of the patterns in the electromagnetic data. The results indicate that the superficially visible cracks or fractures, except for the lateral ones at each end of the wall, disappear at a depth of between 15 and 25 cm. The lower part of the wall below a height of 3.97 m presents an area with multiple diffractions, which suggests that the masonry is made of 'stone and mud' and the tilt appears precisely where the adobe wall starts. Using 1500 and 900 MHz antennas, the identified texture of the wall shows at least three leaves or layers with diverse materials and a wooden beam embedded in the wall. Additionally, the survey near the church with a 200 MHz antenna supports the hypotheses that local construction materials were used here. The results inspire us to continue applying ground‐penetrating radar, a non‐destructive method, to diagnose the walls and structures of historical monuments before any intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Quaestio Iuris (QI) is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) 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.)

The so-called self-defense forces in Mexico must be seen as a form of vigilantism generated by an incipient process of democratization that has not produced the institutional quality necessary to contain the activity of organized crime groups driven, essentially, by the high demand for drugs in the United States. Our qualitative analysis of Mexico’s Tierra Caliente (‘Hotlands’) revealed profound processes of institutional deterioration in politics and the economy that have created conditions ripe for vigilantism. In the absence of substantial improvements in the quality of Mexico’s democracy, especially at the levels of state and municipal government, the emergence of other forms of vigilantism and ongoing violence are foreseeable.

En Comachuén, una comunidad indígena de la Sierra Purépecha, Michoacán, occidente de México, los productores agrícolas tienen un amplio conocimiento sobre sus paisajes y tierras los cuales clasifican con diversos criterios y en diferentes niveles. Los paisajes son unidades territoriales de gran significancia en la vida cotidiana de la comunidad. El concepto de tierra que utilizan es de carácter sistémico e integrador. Las tierras agrícolas son clasificadas con base en diversos criterios como: ubicación, clima, propiedades organolépticas y calidad/fertilidad. La interpretación del conocimiento etnogeográfico de esta comunidad muestra una gran complejidad en sus conceptos y en algunos casos con equivalencias con los del conocimiento científico. En la literatura científica se evidencia la gran riqueza de cono- cimientos sobre el paisaje en diversas partes del mundo, particularmente en grupos indígenas o comunidades tradi- cionales A pesar de esta riqueza cultural, estos conocimientos no están suficientemente documentados y corren el riesgo de perderse conforme los grupos culturales tradicionales tienden a ser desarticulados. El objetivo de este trabajo es documentar y analizar el conocimiento etnogeográfico de una comunidad indígena y resaltar su importancia para eventuales planes de uso/conservación de recursos naturales y culturales al nivel local y regional.

l estado de Michoacán alberga una yuxtaposición de riquezas culturales y naturales destacable que se entrelazan entre condiciones geológicas, geográficas y ecológicas. Este patrimonio natural y cultural está hoy día amenazado, por ende, los tomadores de decisiones buscan información de línea base para restaurar y reorientar las acciones de desarrollo. El objetivo de este artículo, por tanto, fue predecir los patrones de cubierta vegetal oriunda a través de un método replicable. La predicción se basó en atributos climáticos, geológicos, geomorfológicos y ecoló- gicos, jerárquicamente yuxtapuestos a través de un sistema de información geográfica (SIG). Las reglas de decisión se basaron en lógica booleana dando énfasis a la zonificación bioclimatológica. La predicción de la cubierta vegetal oriunda mostró que los bosques estacionales tropicales cubren la mayor superficie, mientras que la vegetación acuática es la menos representada. Para concluir, los atributos que delimitan el paisaje, jerárquicamente organizados, probaron ser un método robusto y replicable para reconstruir los patrones de la cubierta vegetal oriunda, actualmente en áreas de cobertura antropogénica. Este resultado, expresado en un mapa, servirá como línea base para predecir los escenarios futuros a la luz de los cambios climáticos previstos.

En el presente documento se presenta un acercamiento cualitativo, exploratorio, sobre la interacción que se está generando entre padres, migrantes laborales temporales, originarios de poblaciones rurales en el estado de Michoacán, y sus hijos; tanto durante su estancia en el extranjero, como a su regreso al lugar de origen. El acercamiento se da desde la visión de los propios actores sociales que hablan de su búsqueda de satisfactores a sus necesidades materiales de subsistencia, de sus comportamientos, y de los sentimientos y emociones que se recrean en las interacciones familiares, cuando se está presente en el hogar, o de aquellas que se dan en su ausencia. Los datos etnográficos se obtuvieron en entrevistas realizadas a trabajadores agrícolas que son contratados para trabajar temporalmente en Estados Unidos (con las visas H2-A) o en Canadá (en el PTAT).

This paper analyses how international remittances help households to alleviate their poverty. In this aim, two indigenous communities in Oaxaca and one urban in Michoacan are taken as reference, in each one, depth interviews to heads of households were done to inquire about migration, remittances, livelihoods and the income they generate in their daily activities. The income is compared with the costs of baskets of the food and well-being, to establish which goods and services can acquire the households and how this help them to improve when they having remittances. The results show that remittances are a substantial complement so that more households can buy food, and more of them can buy the welfare basket. With the first one, they get better lives, in some cases it is only while they have remittances, in the second one accumulates assets and long-term capabilities. [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.)

Mexico and Latin America need to develop a tropical marine fish farm with its native species as a strategy to diversify sustainable production options and boost food security, regional development and conservation of fishery resources. Considering the aquaculture attributes of snooks (Centropomidae) and its highest price in the national market, the objective of this work was to analyze the acclimatization of C. nigrescens, the largest species of American snooks, in freshwater and brackish water, as a first contribution in Mexico to provide the basis of its cultivation. It is a species that shows high aquaculture attributes: fast growth in fresh water, resistance to handling and a high degree of adaptability to sudden changes of salinity, in contrast to other marine fish species, which opens wide expectations for its sustainable use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to contribute to the existing measurements on extortions by organized crime and assess the impact of this predatory activity on economic growth. Extortions should be evaluated beyond the number of reported crimes to understand how much money is drained away from the legal economy. To set the stage I first analyze the illegal activities carried out by organized crime groups in the Mexican state of Michoacán during 2001‐14. Within this context this article presents a case study of extortions in the avocado legal export market. Specifically, this article shows how the criminal organization, the Knights Templar (KT), extracted rents from this legal market, what was the estimated magnitude of that rent, how tangential was this source of revenue to organized crime, and what was the adverse impact of these extortions of the KT on the economy of Michoacán by looking at the performance of the main macroeconomic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]