Community forest management and carbon sequestration: a feasibility study from Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Although forestry and agroforestry are recognized as promising land-use alternatives for reducing the increasing levels of global atmospheric carbon, the viability of carbon sequestration projects at the land-user level has rarely been evaluated. The authors present the results of a feasibility study to: (1) evaluate the interest of local communities in a carbon sequestration project and how they would organize themselves for the proposed forestry project; (2) identify the carbon sequestration potential of the agroforestry/forestry systems that are both ecological viable and preferred by local farmers; (3) determine the social constraints of and potential for, such projects; and (4) assess the economic potential of the carbon offsets estimated for such systems. This project was carried out by an interdisciplinary team of scientists and farmers in two ecological regions: the Tojolabal and Tzeltal zones of Chiapas, Mexico. Five systems with high carbon sequestration potential were considered technically and socially viable for each region. Initially, all participants will plant trees on an individual basis in their coffee plantation, fallow, and pasture lands, or in their maize fields. The estimated amount of carbon sequestered ranged from 46.7 to 236.7 tons of carbon per hectare (tC/ha). Net income benefits due to converting fields from maize cultivation to farm forestry ranged from 500-1000 dollars/ha depending on the value assigned to the sequestered carbon. Forests and farm woodlands that are sustainably managed have substantial economic and carbon sequestration potential. The principal barrier to communal forest management appears to be sociopolitical rather than economic. Because forests management requires longterm investments, good planning is essential and includes community control of projects, selection of appropriate tree species, and management techniques specific to the ecological and social conditions of the area. 19 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.