Conditions for multilevel governance, co-management and sustainability in two forest communities in central Mexico

Abstract

Multilevel governance (MLG) and co-management are indispensable to sustainable forest management (SFM) and the maintenance of ecosystem services (ES). Through interviews with key external and community actors and workshops in two ejidos in central Mexico, we qualitatively analyzed information on the historical and current uses of forests and the ways the ejidos evolved toward SFM by implementing MLG regulatory frameworks that enabled forest co-management. By studying the perceptions of local stakeholders and the relevance of their interactions to effective local forest management, we found that the history of forest use in the region has favored the local appropriation of socioecosystems through co-management. However, these principles have not simply led to harmonized development and conservation. Although such technical interventions favor forest productivity in local communities, the stakeholders also recognize that certain adjustments could improve and maintain the local ES. Thus, while the conditions of community forest management in Mexico exemplify how local decision-making processes can be both relatively democratic and ecologically beneficial for local communities, it is also necessary to move from a traditional management model to shared governance in community contexts.