Uses of Native Plant Species of a Communal Rangeland within ‘Sierra de Huautla’ Protected Area, México

Uses of Native Plant Species of a Communal Rangeland within ‘Sierra de Huautla’ Protected Area, México

Sustainability of communal rangelands has become a major concern at national and international levels because land use conflicts and associated social conflicts allows for over-utilization of selected species making a high pressure on them and given away their places to species with no use at all becoming lands degraded and unproductive. The objective of the study was to determine floristic composition and native plant uses by local peasants. The range surface is of 4262 ha, belongs to the communal land ‘El Limon’, in Tepalcingo, Morelos, Mexico, and it is within the Natural Reserve Area “Sierra de Huautla”. Native vegetation is mainly of deciduous shrubs, high temperatures year round and a rainy season of 4 months. Local peasants were surveyed on uses of the collected and previously identified plants. Number of species was 456, distributed in 266 and 76 botanical genders and families, respectively. Of the species identified 66, 22 and 12% had one, two or more than two uses according to local peasants. Among uses: 59% of the species were used as forage, 8% eatable, 7% firewood or ornamental, 6% medical herb, lumber or other use 4 %, construction material 3 % and for resin or handcraft 1%. The range showed a very high plant biodiversity, this feature allows for a high resiliency toward human activities.