From collective to individual ownership of tropical dry forests on the Jalisco coast of Mexico: long history, new tragedy?

SCHROEDER, NATALIA; CASTILLO, ALICIA; SÁNCHEZ-AZOFEIFA, ARTURO

Tempe, Arizona (USA)

Conferencia; Northern American Regional Meeting of the International Society for the Study of the Commons (IASC); 2010

International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC)

After the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917, land was distributed to land-less peasants mainly as Ejidos, a land tenure system that combined collective land tenure with individual rights to resource use. In 1992, the law changed and individuals can now posses their parcels. On the Jalisco coast of Mexico, there is an important cover of tropical dry forest (TDF) which has high ecological value and most land belongs to ejidos. From the seventies governmental policies promoted conversion of TDF mainly into pasturelands for cattle at individual parcels. Ejidos, however, had communal forested areas. This research aimed at understanding how the collective organizational structure of ejidos has changed through time and particularly with recent law changes. A total of 52 interviews were conducted in four ejidos selected along a gradient including agricultural, cattle raising and TDF use. Information on historical and present decision making was gathered. Using remote sensing, we also compared land cover in the four ejidos. Results show that for water (scarce resource) norms were constructed and are still maintained among three ejidos. Collective experiences existed in the past for cattle raising but failed due to corruption among association members. With the new law, communal land in the ejidos have been parceled and allocated to individuals. In one ejido, TDF exploitation was found to be as important as cattle raising and most decisions were and still are collectively taken. Although TDF cover in the ejidos is high its conservation is pendent on maintaining or building collective forms of forest use.