The tropical montane cloud forests are recognized as one of the most biodiverse ecosystems. In spite of this, they are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. This study integrates three ecological approaches generally studied separately: climate change scenery, ecological niche and population dynamics of Oreomunnea mexicana (an endangered and relict species), to understand how environmental change affects the population structure in the cloud forest that will allow its conservation. Potential distribution under future climatic scenarios of the species at national and regional levels was generated from the Maxent algorithm. Also, the current abundance, distribution and the ecological niche of the species were analyzed at the regional level. Changes in potential distribution under two climatic models suggest a habitat reduction from 36% to 55% nationally, and 2% to 9% at a regional level, for 2050 and 2070, respectively. The current distribution of the species is fragmented and consists of subpopulations that have spatial structures of aggregated populations and a size structure in reversed “J” form. The ecological niche of the species is highly specialized and sensitive to environmental changes. O. mexicana is a flagship species of biological and cultural importance to the region’s inhabitants and could be fundamental to the conservation of tropical montane cloud forests.

Higher Education Institutions (HEI) play a fundamental role in the transition towards Environmental Education for Sustainability (EES). As a consequence, one of the most critical challenges is the need to know their level of incorporation into the environmental agenda. Therefore, an instrument was made and validated to determine the level of incorporation of Environmental Education for Sustainability into the environmental agenda of HEIs. For its construction, the dimensions of Institutional Identity, Teaching, Research, Extension/dissemination, and Linkage were considered, relying on a total of 17 items. Its validation was carried out through an expert review and expert judgment, and a pilot test was carried out to adapt it to the target population. The main result was an instrument that integrates the substantive and procedural functions of HEIs. Following the expert review, the instrument was improved according to their suggestions. The expert judgment showed an adequate content validity (Aiken’s V > 0.80; LL > 0.60). The pilot test also suggested that the understanding of instructions and items was adequate with an optimal value of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.862). An instrument that determines the level of incorporation of the EES in the substantive and procedural functions of HEIs is presented, valid in content, and with adequate levels of clarity and understanding of the target population.

Quercus mulleri es un encino microendémico de la Sierra Sur de Oaxaca y se encuentra dentro de la Lista Roja de Especies amenazadas de la UICN como “en peligro crítico”, sin embargo, debido a la falta de información actual sobre la especie, no se conoce el estado de conservación de sus poblaciones y, por lo tanto, no se ha podido asignar una categoría adecuada de riesgo. El estudio se realizó con el objetivo de analizar abundancia, distribución y diversidad genética de la especie, para proponer estrategias de conservación adecuadas. Los individuos localizados fueron georreferenciados, se les midió la altura y el diámetro a la altura del pecho para clasificarlos en cinco clases de tamaños; la diversidad genética se analizó empleando cinco regiones de microsatélites de la serie quru-GA. Se relocalizó la especie, encontrando que está restringida a una pequeña región de la Sierra Sur, donde se encuentra de manera fragmentada y aislada geográficamente. Sus poblaciones mostraron baja frecuencia de individuos por clase de tamaño (6.13 ± 5.6). Los valores de diversidad alélica, empleando cinco regiones de microsatélites de la serie quru-GA, fueron bajos (AT=22 y Ao=4.4) y los de diversidad genética fueron moderados (Ho=0.54), lo que sugiere que la población atravesó por un cuello de botella. Este trabajo representa el primer reporte de Q. mulleri después de más de 60 años de su última clasificación taxonómica, y los resultados indican que Q. mulleri es una especie vulnerable, dado que en su zona de distribución existe un proceso de pérdida de hábitat que, junto con la fragmentación de su población, ponen en riesgo la permanencia de la especie, por lo que se recomienda incluirla en la Norma Oficial Mexicana 059 como “Especie en Peligro de Extinción”.

Cliff-dwelling plant species are highly specialized and adapted to a vulnerable, fragmented, and are mostly endemic, narrowly-distributed and threatened. As a contribution to the conservation efforts of endemic cliff-dwelling species, this study provides an overview of the effects of habitat loss on the abundance and distribution of Pachyphytum caesium (Crassulaceae) due to human disturbances. To achieve this objective, we first conducted a retrospective analysis from 2003–2013 to assess the effects of land use change on the abundance of P. caesium. Secondly, we estimate the abundance and distribution of P. caesium throughout the study area, as well as analyze the effect of rock-climbing activities on the density and population structure of P. caesium. The results suggest differences in population abundance among sites is due to the adverse effects of habitat loss. P. caesium presents a very restricted distribution with small and fragmented populations. In addition, guava agriculture has a significant impact on the chemical soil properties of the hillsides, causing a significant effect on the occurrence of P. caesium, while sport activities remove both the soil and the plants from the cliffs. According to the results, P. caesium is classified as a plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP), and it is highly vulnerable to habitat disturbance. Its conservation is thus a priority to ensure its permanence.