La Malinche Scientific Station. Preserving High Mountain Forests in Mexico

La Malinche is a protected natural area that holds the only scientific station in the high mountain forests of Mexico. Two researchers based in the park where they carry out intense research work —Margarita Martínez, from UNAM, and Arturo Estrada-Torres, from the Autonomous University of Tlaxcala (UATx, Spanish initials)—tell us about the project’s history and future. 


How was La Malinche Scientific Station created?
It was initially the idea of UNAM and UATx researchers, who wished to establish a research station in La Malinche National Park (PNLM, Spanish initials) to study the biology and reproductive behavior of the European rabbit and to compare it with the Mexican wild rabbit. The task required an isolated situation in order to develop in situ observations. Then, it was thought that by building the infrastructure for this project and having the right conditions, further studies could be developed. This is why it was planned that La Malinche Scientific Station (ECLM, Spanish initials) would have minimum accommodation and working facilities. The station has received researchers from different countries, mainly from France and Spain but also from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, United States, Hungary and Portugal, among others.

The ECLM was established in the Central Fracture of the eastern slope of La Malinche volcano. The oyamel (Abies religiosa) forest of this region is one of the best preserved and the wild rabbits of the species Sylvilagus cunicularius, the first object of study, is commonly found there.

The station came into existence through the agreement between the Government of Tlaxcala state, the municipality and ejido of Ixtenco, UATx and UNAM; both academic institutions are responsible for the station’s management.


How well preserved are Mexican high mountain forests?
High-mountain forests in Mexico are mainly made of conifers like pine, oyamels, and firs in lesser numbers. There are encino forests (varieties of American oak trees) as well and we can frequently find areas with both, pine and encino trees. Known as temperate forests, they are situated in altitudes ranging from 2 000 to 3 400 m above sea level as they expand mostly over the large mountain ranges of the country such as the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Trans-Mexican Neo-Volcanic Belt, the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca and the Altos de Chiapas. Some of these forests are also scattered throughout the north of Baja California, in the mountains of Sierra de Juárez and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, and in the south tip of Baja California Sur. Therefore, these forests are distributed over almost every Mexican state, with the exception of Tabasco, Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo.

According to data from the National Commission on Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO, Spanish initials), it is estimated that temperate forests originally covered an area of 439,557 square kilometers, but in 2014 they had already been reduced to 324,183 square kilometers, so there is a decrease of approximately 26.25%. Out of the covered area, 61.13% (198,176 km2) remains relatively well preserved, while the other 38.87% (126,006 km2) has been disturbed.

The larger and best-preserved high mountain forests are located in the Sierra Madre Oriental; in the states of Chihuahua and Durango, they contain most of the original vegetation. On the contrary, in Veracruz and Tlaxcala, forests have undergone huge fragmentation and the small fraction of remaining natural forests is under severe degradation conditions. Though naturally expanded over a smaller territory, temperate forests of Mexico and Morelos states and of Mexico City have experienced quite a significant reduction of distribution areas.


PNLM covers approximately 45 thousand hectares, but only 17 thousand are protected. Does the station aim at expanding this area for conservation purposes? And does conservation have positive implications in terms of mitigating the effects of climate change?
Land use changes are the main cause of forests decrease at the PNLM. Wood areas are destined for agriculture and smaller extensions are becoming urbanized. However, there are many other reasons why the quality and expanse of the park’s forests are deteriorating. Some of them are the illegal logging, which is a severe problem affecting several sections at La Malinche; fires, often intentionally provoked; ocoteo, the cutting of wood chunks from standing trees in order to induce resin production and collect resin-impregnated wood that is used as fuel; soil compacting due to people and livestock pressure; damage to newly emerged seedlings planted from the very seeds due to tourists or domestic animals rambling and the introduction of exotic species during reforestation programs, mostly done in the past.

In recent years, trees have also been weakening due to the increase in temperature and the lack of rainfall resulting from climate change. This situation has favored the invasion of debarking beetles causing the loss of hundreds of forest hectares in the protected area.

ECLM is not directly engaged on the reforestation activities in the PNLM; this is the task of federal, state and municipal entities such as the Natural resources and Environment Secretary (SEMARNAT, Spanish initials), the National Forestry Commission (CONAFORE), the Tlaxcala state Environment Secretary and the PNLM’s management board. UATx has joined the efforts made by inviting students as volunteers to support reforestation campaigns.

The ECLM is active in two other aspects of conservation in La Malinche forests. In first place, we generate basic information used to update and improve mountain-forests management plans, for example, by making recommendations on tree regeneration sites discovered while monitoring the region. Studies have also been developed on ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with forest tree species aming to select those that have the greatest potential to induce tree growth. In a different study, we did a regionalized analysis of carbon stocks in the PNLM soil obtaining information on sections with the highest levels of sequestered carbon for priority conservation purposes. Those sections are usually covered by the best-preserved forests.
In addition, we have assessed La Malinche ecological flows and calculated the volume of water emanating from springs to make recommendations on how much water should be kept for the local flora and fauna supply.

The other aspect of our work is communicating our results to the communities that live in the mountain slopes. Our purpose is to emphasize the importance of protecting the forest and its resources not only in favor of the communities’ economy, but also due to the forests’ benefits on human health. With the participation of researchers and students, we make exhibitions on the different taxa studied as well as on water and climate change, using educational materials for children and youngsters. Guided tours in La Malinche area are also offered at schools’ requests.


The area has been described as having great biological and sociocultural value, what does it mean? Are biological and sociocultural contexts related?
From the biological point of view, La Malinche forests are highly valuable because they are home to a wide variety of species of plants, animals and microorganisms; many of them are endemic of the Trans-Mexican Neo-Volcanic Belt, the mountain range that crosses Mexico from the Gulf to the Pacific coasts where La Malinche is located. These species, therefore, are not found anywhere else in the world since they originated precisely in this area over millions and millions of years. Their disappearance means losing irreplaceable genetic resources that could offer potential solutions for health problems, food production, environmental pollution, among other advantages.

Plants and animals do not live in isolation, they are always interacting. These interactions keep the forest functioning. PNLM woods are highly appreciated landscapes because of their beauty. The biological diversity that populates the mountain is environmentally vital for the survival of human communities in the region, so the well-being of these communities depends on biodiversity conservation in the long-term.

La Malinche is an isolated mountain that dominates the Puebla-Taxcala valley, so it was, no doubt, an astronomical reference point for local cultures. Thus, it is considered a horizon-determined calendrical marker. Also called Matlacuéyetl since pre-Hispanic times, it has been regarded as a sacred mountain related to water and fertility deities. It’s the site’s ritual role was recorded in the writings of Colonial cronistas Fray Juan de Torquemada, Fray Toribio de Benavente and Francisco Xavier Clavijero.
La Malinche is still a central figure in the worldview of the neighboring Tlaxcala populations that practice rituals to ask deities for rain or organize processions and ceremonies to thank for timely rains for the crops. It also provides resources to the local dwellers that demonstrate the interrelation of biological and sociocultural values. Some of these are: construction wood, charcoal and firewood for fuel, ocoshal (needle-shaped leaves of certain pine species used in handicraft work), medicinal and edible wild plants, sand, mosses, wild animals and mushrooms for human consumption. One example are the mushroom pickers from the mountain villages who have a deep knowledge on fungal biology and they are familiar with more than one hundred edible species. They know how to differentiate toxic and inedible species from an early age mastering their morphology and the place and time they grow. Like biologists, they classify mushroom species according to similarities and differences and collect them by cutting the base and covering the remains and mycelium, so they can grow again in following years. The activities linked to the collection of mushrooms keep the family together, provide food resources of high nutritional value and generate additional economic resources.


How diverse are La Malinche ecosystems?
In La Malinche, there are five natural worlds: the pine, the oyamel and the encino forests, the high pine woods and the high moorland. The pine forest is a plant community dominated by two or three conifer species of the Pinus genus. This is the most widely distributed vegetation in PNLM, generally located above 3,000 meters. The oyamel forest, mostly Abies religiosa, is found in most humid ravines of the mountain, while the encino realm, dominated by the Quercus genus, occupies the lowest areas, under 3,000 meters, and it is extremely fragmented in small spots. The high-altitude pine community is mainly populated by Pinus hartwegii trees. This species develops in the altitudinal limits of tree vegetation, even above 4,800 meters, in climate conditions where other species are unable to develop. In the highlands of La Malinche, the moor is mostly covered by grass and herbaceous species, in particular pastures of the Festuca, Enneapogon and Calamagrostis genera.

Despite the great pressure humans put on La Malinche ecosystems, the natural forest mass is largely well preserved. Therefore, it continues to play the essential role of keeping the processes of water harvesting, oxygen release and soil conservation running. These functions could be severely affected if deforestation and forest deterioration advance.

As a part of the Trans-Mexican Neo-Volcanic Belt, La Malinche may be a passage for fauna from other regions like the Sierra de Tlaxco, in the north of Tlaxcala, the Popo-Izta National Park, to the west, or the Cofre de Perote and Pico de Orizaba national parks, to the east. Furthermore, it can be an important connection point of species populations from all these areas, even by air dispersion of pollen and spores of plants and fungi. Thus, it serves to maintain functional connectivity among the aforementioned areas. There is also evidence that La Malinche forests are a resting place for migratory birds.


Are there endemic species from La Malinche?
So far, no endemic species have been found specific to La Malinche area but there is a great variety of them mostly coming from the Trans-Mexican Neo-Volcanic Belt and some, from the Mexican region. Some examples of endemic plants from the Trans-Mexican Neo-Volcanic Belt are the cedrillo enano or dwarf cedar (Juniperus montícola), the garañona de alta montaña, a type of castilleja (Castilleja tolucensis), jara or goldenrod senecio (Senecio cinerarioides) and siempreviva de zacatonal a certain type of evergreen (Draba nivicola). There are macroscopic fungi like the hongo de jara (Flammulina mexicana) and the escobeta anaranjada (Ramaria bonii). Among the amphibians, there are the slug (Aquiloeurycea cephalica), the flat-footed salamander (Chiropterotriton orculus), the tlaconete de Gadow (Pseudoeurycea gadovii) and the ranita plegada, a sort of frog (Dryophytes plicatus) and reptiles like the cascabel enana de montaña or mountain dwarf rattlesnake (Crotalus triseriatus). Regarding mammals, the ratón de los volcanes a type of mouse (Neotomodon alstoni) and subspecies of other rodents such as the ratón cosechero de volcán (Reithrodontomys chrysopsis chrysopsis) and the ratón piñonero (Peromyscus gratus gratus).

Some examples of endemic species distributed all over Mexico are the Neo-volcanic oyamel (Abies religiosa), the ocote (Pinus teocote), the golden tlaconete (Peudoeurycea leprosa), the ranita de montaña, a kind of frog (Dryophytes eximius), the tapachín or llorasangre (Phrynosoma orbiculare), the Trans-volcanic scorpion (Barisia imbricata), the scaly lizard (Sceloporus scalaris), the stepped thrush (Catharus occidentalis), the red chipe (Cardellina rubra), the grated thrush (Oriturus superciliosus), the wild rabbit (Sylvilagus cunicularius) and the escuinapae subspecies of the red lynx (Linx rufus).

Additionally, more than three thousand species of bacteria have been described in several metagenomic soil studies conducted at the PNLM area. There are also 1,285 species of macroscopic organisms that include numerous types of lichen fungi, vascular plants, flatworms, nematodes, fleas, diurnal butterflies, wasps, ants, beetles, dragonflies, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Plant groups have the greatest diversity, 442 species that represent 34.40% of La Malinche biota. Macroscopic fungi, myxomycetes and birds in the PNLM have been also extensively studied. It is important to mention that the park is one of the most diversified sites of myxomycete species on the planet, so it can be considered a hot spot of this group of organisms. 


What are the environmental services that La Malinche provides?
Environmental services are the benefits that human societies receive from nature in terms of supply and regulation or from a cultural and support point of view. For instance, La Malinche volcano ecosystems are a source of water provision for human consumption. Collected in springs, water is supplied by pipelines to the populations living on the mountain slopes. There is also to be mentioned that people collect firewood from the forests for cooking at home or producing heat when temperatures come down during the year. Harvesting mushrooms and wild fruits as well as hunting wild animals like rabbits are examples of this type of services.

Regulation services refer to ecological processes that increase the quality of life of human populations or allow them to exist. Some of them are the release of oxygen, the infiltration of water into freatic levels, climate regulation through capturing large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG), soil erosion control by plants and microorganisms like fungi and bacteria that help in the formation of soil aggregates through their parts, roots and fungal hyphae, and the exudations they release into the environment; the maintenance of soil fertility through the participation of various bacterial groups in biogeochemical cycles and organic waste recycling through degradation processes of organic matter mediated by fungi and bacteria.
Cultural services are meant to enhance non-material values of personal or spiritual enrichment. At La Malinche, these kinds of activities involve water-related rituals or collecting mushrooms, as well as trekking and hiking practiced by many people just for the pleasure of being close to nature, contemplating and photographing the landscapes and the flora and fauna. Additionally, educational processes carried out in situ can be included in this category as students from different education levels that are made aware about caring and preserving nature.

Support services come from the ecological processes that are the basis of the previously described three types of services. Some of these processes are photosynthesis (concerned with oxygen release and GHG uptake), soil formation (relevant for sustaining agricultural and forestry production), primary production (involving food products from plants which are the basis of trophic chains that enable activities like ranching, fishing, and others), hydrological cycle (the source of drinking water supply) and nutrient cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur production, vital to maintain soil fertility by incorporating organic matter back into the environment and making carbon and the other elements available to plants). All these ecological processes are regulated by the park’s biota.


UNAM-UATx collaboration is targeting three aspects: knowledge of biodiversity, application of specific conservation tools and awareness actions to promote PNLM biological diversity. Could you explain them?
Regarding knowledge of biodiversity, ECLM collaborators are working on two strategies. One of them is to make inventories of certain biological groups. We have started several studies to explore the genetic diversity of the most relevant tree species in the park. So far, we have extensively described the ecosystems and species groups diversity in plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, fleas and myxomycetes and made significant progress in groups of macroscopic fungi and diurnal butterflies. Nevertheless, we have advanced very little on characterizing the third level of biodiversity that refers to the genetic variety of the populations inhabiting the park.

The second strategy focuses on constantly monitoring key groups such as medium-size mammals and rodents at different spots of the mountain. The aim is to assess what causes are affecting or limiting species distribution, daily life patterns and interactions, among other aspects.

Concerning the application of specific conservation tools, we have provided solutions in dealing with two problems that affect the flora and fauna of the park. The first issue are the pipelines that bring mountain springs’ water for human consumption and limit wild animals’ access to water resources. Villagers have installed maintenance registers at several points of the supply lines to the towns in the foothills. These are the only sites where animals can drink water. Many birds used to get caught in these registers and died without chance of escaping. So, we came out with the idea of establishing artificial ponds. In agreement with the local users, we deviate part of the water circulating through the pipes and make it available to animals in nine ponds. By installing -camera-traps, we monitored the species of birds and mammals coming to drink water and found that the groups visiting the ponds increased in diversity and number. Many animals like raccoons came in quite frequently.

The other problem to be worked out was the lack of tree hollows in the PNLM used by some species of birds for building their nests. Particularly in areas populated by young trees, it is difficult to find them. So, species strongly compete for them and many breeding pairs are left without chances of building their nests. As a solution, we placed nest boxes in some areas and checked if animals were using them. We discovered that species such as the blue-throated tile (Sialia mexicana) did frequently use them successfully in raising their offspring.

Some of the station’s main objectives are to create social bonds and contribute to expand environmental education. The agreements signed with the Ixtenco municipality established the commitment of making the ECLM-generated information available for community use. ECLM researchers participate in some of the towns’ fairs held in La Malinche area, offer talks and workshops and organize contexts for students at all levels of education and for the general public. In addition, Los tesoros de La Malinche (Treasures of La Malinche) workshops program aims at highlighting the importance and need of preservation of the park natural resources such as water and biodiversity as well as their importance for human health. These workshops are developed in primary and secondary schools of the surrounding municipalities. Some groups also visit ECLM facilities to learn biodiversity at work in its environment. We organize activities like identifying wild fungi, bird-watching, printing mammals footprints and capturing and handling wild rodents or reptiles. In these activities, students come into direct contact with wild flora and fauna.

In our relationship with the mountain dwellers, we develop infographics, flyers and guide materials addressing particular issues or concerning certain species of biological groups. We use a simple language to make them easily comprehensible, and sometimes we have produced them at the request of the population. All technical information resulting from ECLM work is handed over to relevant government officials at all levels.


Are there projects putting together science and traditional knowledge of local communities?
There are Otomi and Nahua communities in the PNLM area of influence. San Juan Ixtenco municipality, in the east, is the only Otomi community in Tlaxcala state and is also where the ECLM is based. The main Nahua communities are located in the municipalities of Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, San Francisco Tetlanohcan, San Luis Teolocholco and San Pablo del Monte, in the western side of the mountain.

Traditional knowledge of the original people of the volcano region has played a major role in the design of conservation strategies of natural resources. In the Nahua areas, the metepantle system is broadly expanded. This method consists of planting maguey rows to separate agricultural lands of different owners but also to help control soil erosion and water collection. These plants serve as a refuge for several kinds of organisms, their leaves can function as fuel, instead of firewood, and they provide planters with resources like mead, edible worms and natural fibers like ixtle. Metepantles are frequently found in polycultures of legumes like beans, ayocote or fava beans, as well as corn, squash and quelites. These crops are destined to self-consumption or sale but they help increase soil fertility by favoring the process of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, which is performed by symbiotic bacteria that are sheltered in small nodules formed in legume roots.

Researchers and community members exchange knowledge in two ways, favoring information feedback among them. In first place, there is the ethnobiological area where traditional knowledge on medicinal plants and edible wild mushrooms or the views on the mountain and its resources is described. This dialogue complements scientific knowledge with local views on environment and contributes to end misconceptions or myths that may affect populations of organisms such as some reptile species that are considered poisonous or toxic wild fungi. Another way to carry out the exchange of knowledge is precisely through the workshops and fairs of the local populations, where researchers present the results of their work and community members express their visions and opinions regarding the information received.


What are the station’s main projects in the near future?
There is a lot of conservation work to be done in La Malinche. For instance, it is important to start making inventories of group species insufficiently studied or not yet addressed such as bees, wasps, flies and nocturnal butterflies. It is also necessary to continue monitoring the key species populations like the wildcat, the coyote and dayand night raptors, among other communities. There is also a need to make impact assessments of temperature and rainfall changes on fragile ecosystems, for instance, in the high-altitude moorland and local populations of flora and fauna as well as on the interactions among organisms. The goal is to look for strategies that guarantee the endurance of the park’s biota and the safeguarding of all ecosystems’ functions.

In relation to social bonding, we should come up with more inclusive strategies specifically tailored for groups of local people, the elderly and people with different abilities, to produce written materials in Otomi and Nahuatl or design workshops appropriate for each particular group. We are also thinking about creating materials that explain how climate change affects different biological groups and human health. 

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