Research on Mexican Oak Forests Subject to Public Policy Instruments for Conservation and Use

Abstract

Introduction. The degradation of forest ecosystems has driven the adoption of mechanisms for their conservation and sustainable use. Objective: To identify the state of knowledge regarding oak forests in Mexico associated with public policy mechanisms for conservation and use: Natural protected Areas (NPA), Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), and Community Forest Management (CFM). Materials and methods: The methodological framework of search, evaluation, synthesis, and analysis was used. Information was obtained from Scopus, Scielo, and Redalyc platforms. The found documents were subjected to an inclusion and exclusion process based on criteria of temporality and primary sources. Results and discussion: A total of 662 studies were identified, of which 37 published between 2000 and 2022 were analyzed. Of these, 17 are related to Community Forest Management (CFM), examining characteristics of forest communities and socio-ecological effects; 13 addressed topics related to NPA, focusing on the conservation biology of flora and fauna; and two contributions centered on PES, highlighting analyses and evaluations of socio-environmental effects. Lastly, five studies involved two or three of the mentioned instruments. Conclusions: The analysis of oak forests concerning public policies for conservation and sustainable use has significantly increased. The studies indicate that such policies contribute to reducing the risk of adverse changes in these forests. Due to the ecological, social, and economic importance of oak forests, it is recommended to understand them through socio-ecological systems and transdisciplinary approaches.