Ecological estoration in mexico: An emerging discipline in a deteriorated country

Abstract

Terrestrial ecosystems are perturbed by human activities, and many of them need to restoration for biodiversity and environmental services recover. However, ecological restoration is incipient in Mexico as a multidisciplinary issue with theory and practices needs. Publications on ecological restoration in Mexico were analyzed to provide an insight into the current state of knowledge on the subject and identify gaps, biases, and progress. We used databases on the web, 20 764 references were obtained from which 402 were selected, which all the requirements had met. All selected references were reviewed and classified considering various criteria. Among these, research questions in ecological restoration: why, what, how, where and when to restore. From the total, 32% were studies of ecological restoration sensu stricto. In only eight states no reference studies were found. Chiapas and Veracruz were the most cited. Most work conducted in tropical (43%) and temperate forests (13%). Only 10% of the references included all restoration research questions. In Mexico, ecological restoration is an emerging discipline, which despite the political, economic and social complications of the country, has received increased attention by different working groups, principally in the last 10 years. It should be noted that studies continue to have a focus on restoration ecology, being necessary to develop strategies to help increase ecological restoration projects to restore degraded ecosystems.