Community Brigades for the Conservation and Management of Forest Resources in San Miguel Topilejo, Tlalpan, Mexico City

Abstract

The study aims to determine the importance of community brigades in the conservation and management processes of forest resources in San Miguel Topilejo, Mexico City (CDMX). We applied a survey to members of the brigades, complemented with direct observation. The results indicate that factors such as urbanization, illegal logging, pests, and forest fires have affected the state of the forest. The brigades' labor regarding the conservation and protection of forest resources face limiting social, economic, and technical conditions. The value of the study is that it compiles the vision of the brigades’ members, who are the social vanguard for the management of forests in CDMX. In conclusion, the brigades’ members consider that the conditions of the forests have improved due to the reforestation, maintenance, and surveillance work they carry out. However, forest conservation does not only depend on the efficient operation of the brigades but also on factors such as adequate working conditions, community organizing capacity, planning to carry out conservation activities, financial and technical support, networks of collaboration, as well as internal and external factors around the governance of the territory.