Background: The genus Agave L. is recognized for its wide distribution in Mexican ecosystems. Species have been described as multipurpose as part of agroforestry systems (AFS). There has not been a systematized, detailed analysis about its richness in AFS nor their ecological, economic, and cultural relevance. Questions: What is the Agave richness in Mexican AFS? What is their ecological, agronomical, economic, and cultural relevance? What are the risks and perspectives for strengthening their role in AFS? Species studied: 31 Agave species in Mexican AFS. Study site and dates: AFS throughout the Mexican territory. January to August 2018. Methods: Systematization of published information, scientific reports, repositories, and our fieldwork, was performed. The database “The genus Agave in AFS of Mexico” was created, containing information about Agave richness in AFS, ecological, economic, and cultural relevance, as well as the current and future perspectives of the AFS they are included in. Results: We recorded 31 species with 22 uses that were part of AFS practices (hedgerows, boundaries and live fences), in home gardens, terraces, and agroforests in temperate, semiarid, and sub-humid regions, managed by 12 cultural groups. The main benefits of agaves are soil retention, infiltration of water, and satisfaction of socio-economic and cultural needs. The decrease of multipurpose species and functions was observed in relation with the commercialization of mezcal. Conclusions: There has been ample recognition of AFS as settings for conservation and use of Agave, as well as the importance of the knowledge and management practices associated to agave species in AFS.

Traditional agroforestry systems (TAFS), which integrate crops with wildlife, are important reservoirs of human culture and technical experiences with a high capacity for biodiversity conservation. Our study aimed to evaluate the capacity of TAFS to conserve the floristic diversity of tropical dry forests (TDF) in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico. We compared TAFS and TDF by measuring their forest cover, floristic composition, and structure, in addition to documenting the motivations of people to maintain native vegetation in their agricultural fields. We conducted a restricted randomized sampling of perennial plant species, including nine sites of TAFS and nine of TDF to determine the alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. Furthermore, we conducted semi-structured interviews with peasants who managed the agricultural plots we studied. We also performed workshops with people of the communities where surveys were performed. Our findings show that TAFS can maintain, on average, 68% of the species (95% of them native to the region) and 53% of the abundance of individuals occurring in the adjacent TDF. TAFS harbour 30% (39 species) of plants endemic to Mexico. Total species richness of TDF and TAFS were similar, as well as the effective number of species or communities estimated for the alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, but differed in the abundance of individuals. The high species turnover recorded in TDF (72%) and TAFS (74%) has profound implications for conservation, suggesting that it would be necessary to maintain several sites in order to conserve the regional diversity of native vegetation. Material, non-material, and regulatory contributions were reported to be the reason that peasants take into account maintaining natural vegetation. TAFS associated with TDF in the region (also called “Apancles”) contain an important richness, diversity, and endemism of components of natural ecosystems, as well as provide multiple socio-ecological contributions. These systems could represent a viable alternative to reconcile biological conservation with social well-being.

Se describe la composición, estructura y diversidad de los árboles del bosque tropical caducifolio enTziritzícuaro, municipio de La Huacana, en la Depresión del Balsas, Michoacán. Se censaron todos los árbolesenraizados dentro de 36 parcelas de 100 m2 (0.36 ha) con un diámetro a la altura del pecho (DAP) ≥ 1 cm. Seregistraron 78 especies, incluidas en 50 géneros y 24 familias. La familia Fabaceae fue la más importante respecto asu número de especies (24), géneros (14) e individuos (274). En total se registraron 1 013 individuos y 2 313 tallos.Los valores promedio del área basal, cobertura y altura fueron de 0.18 m2, 310 m2 y 5 m, respectivamente. El númeropromedio de especies por parcela fue 10, mientras que el valor medio del índice α de Fisher= 8. El bosque tropicalcaducifolio estudiado comparte características similares a comunidades análogas situadas en otras partes de Méxicoy del neotrópico, lo que permite ratificar patrones previamente detectados en la composición, estructura y diversidadde este tipo de vegetación.

Through an exhaustive literature review, field exploration and revision of herbaria, the presence of 861 native species of lianas in Mexico is documented, pertaining to 250 genera and 59 families. A total of 25.9 % (n = 224) of the species and three genera are endemic to Mexico. The 15 most diverse families account for 80.1 % of the species and 85.7 % of endemics. The 18 richest genera comprise 38.1 % (n = 328) of the species and approximately 50 % of the endemic. Chiapas is the state with the greatest diversity because it includes 65.4 % of the total species, whereas Oaxaca is the richest state in terms of endemism (49.6 %). Regardless of their area, the most diverse states are also notable for their endemism. The lianas found in only one state encompassed 16.5 and 26 % of the total number of species and endemics, respectively. Among the five recognized biomes in Mexico, the tropical humid forest and the tropical seasonally dry forest stand out for their number of species (n = 692, 80.3 %) and number of endemics (n = 134, 59.8 %), respectively. At the level of vegetation type, the tropical deciduous forest ranks first in both attributes. The number of lianas species decreased significantly with altitude. Our results demonstrate the importance of the contribution of lianas to the richness and endemism of Mexican flora and justify the development of initiatives to ensure their long-term conservation.

The ways traditional rural communities conduct activities to meet their livelihoods commonly contribute to conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Traditional agroforestry systems (TAFS) are expressions of management that deliberately retain wild vegetation coexisting with crops to obtain multiple socio-ecological contributions. However, processes enhancing productive intensification endanger their permanence. This study aimed to 1) identify the peasants’ motivations to maintain the vegetation of tropical dry forest within their agricultural fields, 2) analyze the capacity of TAFS to provide contributions to people’s well-being, and 3) identify factors and processes limiting conservation capacities and possible alternatives. The study was conducted in three communities of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico. We performed a qualitative analysis with information from two workshops with local people, 10 semi-structured interviews with managers of TAFS, participant observation, complementary informal talks, and fieldwork notes. For analyzing the data, we: 1) generated a list of central themes based on the data collected, 2) established preliminary categories of such themes, 3) coded all information through the Atlas. ti software, 4) adjusted the classification of categories and codes to the data, 5) grouped codes and analyzed their relationships. We found that the peasants’ motivations to maintain the wild vegetation are the provision of multiple beneficial contributions: material (edible fruit, medicinal plants, fodder, firewood), regulating (shade, soil fertility, humidity keeping, rain attraction), and nonmaterial (regional flavors, ornamental, ritual), among others, which meet some of their fundamental needs (primarily subsistence, identity, and protection). The main reasons for keeping the wild vegetation were material contributions (62%). Also, we observed that TAFS safeguarding a higher forest cover and species diversity provide a broader range of socio-ecological contributions and potential to satisfy human needs than those with lower cover. Peasant agriculture may allow maintaining biodiversity while satisfying fundamental human needs. However, it needs to be revitalized, made more efficient, profitable, and dignified. The agroecological management implemented by peasants in TAFS is crucial for ensuring the continuity of essential environmental functions and people’s well-being.

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are ecosystems of high biocultural value, in which agroforestry systems (AFSs) have been essential in their management and conservation. We aimed to characterize agroforestry practices and analyze their capacity to conserve perennial plant diversity. In addition, we sought to evaluate how the management of TDFs as AFSs, together with their regeneration, influences species diversity and vegetation structure in a landscape with AFSs and TDFs in different conservation states. We compared the species diversity and basal area (BA) of plants in active and fallow AFSs at different regeneration stages in Zacualpan, Colima, Mexico. We found that AFSs harbored 71% of species richness (⁰D), forming a mosaic that contributed to the gamma diversity (124 species) of TDFs in the area. AFSs supported 23 endemic and 12 protected species. TDFs, active and advanced regeneration AFSs, had the highest number of useful species and diversity. Species richness (⁰D) in management categories increased as succession progressed, but not the BA, possibly due to frequent browsing and wood and firewood extraction. However, BA may be related to the management of useful trees maintained through agroforestry practices. We suggest increasing the matrix quality through a mosaic of active and fallow AFSs to promote ecological connectivity and biodiversity conservation.