Servicios ambientales culturales en el Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Nevado de Toluca

Abstract

Cultural environmental services (CES) are perceived as non-material benefits that societies obtain from ecosystems; benefits that are considered as an important attribute within the conceptual framework of environmental services (ES). However, they are the least addressed by academia and decision making, regarding care and conservation of natural resources since the biophysical part is generally addressed, leaving aside the social aspect. This research is embedded into ES framework and it focuses on the analysis of the spatial representation of CES; it assumes that identification and documentation of social perspectives, through CES, is important to generate integral information based on relevant values associated with ecosystems. The objective was to analyse SAC that are provided by natural spaces of San Francisco Oxtotilpan to its inhabitants, within the context of the Flora and Fauna Protected Area Nevado de Toluca, Mexico, an area of ecological and cultural relevance at state and national levels. Semi-structured interviews and social cartography were applied for the identification of CES, natural spaces and the practices to which they are related to, as well as threats and conservation actions in such spaces. Six CES were identified: spiritual and religious, recreational, aesthetic, sense of identity and belonging to a place, cultural heritage, and sensory sense of subjective well-being. It is concluded that CES are associated with natural spaces and practices of daily life, that cause the receipt of such benefits by inhabitants. There is a multiple provision and receipt of CES that shows the relationship between natural space, practices and benefits. This research seeks that the documentation of knowledge contributes to the scientific enrichment around ES, specifically of CES, so it enables its consideration into decision making, firstly, at local level.