Fire regime in a Mexican forest under indigenous resource management

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Forestry
• Anthropology

Background:

• The Rarámuri (Tarahumara) people in Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental utilize diverse natural resources for subsistence.
• Pino Gordo, a Rarámuri settlement, harbors a unique, commercially unlogged forest ecosystem.
• Understanding human influence on historical fire regimes is crucial for ecological conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reconstruct the forest fire regime at Pino Gordo using dendrochronology.
• To analyze the structure of the unlogged forest and compare it to logged areas.
• To document the Rarámuri people's traditional fire use practices.

Main Methods:

• Fire history reconstruction using fire-scarred trees (dendrochronology).
• Forest structure assessment, including tree size, density, and snags.
• Community interviews on traditional ecological knowledge and fire use.

Main Results:

• A continuous surface-fire regime was identified from the 19th to the early 21st century, with mean fire intervals of 1.9–7.6 years.
• The unlogged forest at Pino Gordo is characterized by abundant large trees and snags.
• Rarámuri community members actively use fire for various purposes, consistent with indigenous practices.

Conclusions:

• Pino Gordo represents one of the most intact, frequently burned forest ecosystems in North America.
• The Rarámuri people's traditional livelihood and fire management have conserved the forest and maintained its fire regime.
• This study offers valuable insights into the long-term interactions between indigenous communities and fire regimes in pine forests.