Abstract

CALDERON CISNEROS, Araceli; SOTO PINTO, Lorena  and  HUERTA SILVA, Margarita H.. Agro-forest landscapes in the peri-urban area of a medium-sized city: an opportunity to preserve or deteriorate forests?. Rev. pueblos front. digit. [online]. 2015, vol.10, n.20, pp.115-146. ISSN 1870-4115.  https://doi.org/10.22201/cimsur.18704115e.2015.20.35.

In recent decades, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, a medium-sized city in Chiapas State, has shown rapid and chaotic growth. For studying the landscape structure in a peri-urban area of this city (Huitepec Hill) and its relationship with rural and urban social appropriation processes of the territory, a geographic analysis of land use was integrated into a qualitative social analysis through interviews and questionnaires. A heterogeneous and diversified landscape can be observed in this peri-urban area where the remaining forests are important, but show internal variations that depend on forms of use and the social stakeholders who are present. This landscape plays relevant roles in the conservation of natural resources and the provision of environmental services for the benefit of the local and urban population. However, its future condition is highly uncertain.

Keywords : social appropriation of land; land use; forest conservation.

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