Sierra Gorda - Mexico

WLT partner Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda (GESG) has been undertaking its own carbon sequestration programme in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve since 2005, based on providing small-holders with incentives to reforest over-grazed and eroding plots with conifers. At first glance this looks like a standard forestry approach but closer examination reveals extremely interesting concepts.

 

• The Sierra Madre is a centre of diversity for oaks and conifers. While the conifers used in the project are widespread plantation species – Pinus patula, Pinus gregii and Pinus montezumae – they are native to this region.
• There is a very strong social element involved in giving incentives, and useful subsidiary income for environmental services provided is important to isolated and disadvantaged communities. This gives the entire approach social credibility, facilitating other conservation work.
• The areas reforested help conserve watersheds. This is not due to the planting alone – the reforestation work runs alongside work designed to rehabilitate local water supplies.

The key element in this project is that the carbon sequestration work is just one part of an entire network of mutually reinforcing environmental programmes, held together by GESG and its sister organisations. Supporting one aspect automatically supports all, including the issue closest to the WLT mission – protection of the best remaining examples of the special cloud forest habitats of this area.

There are two elements to the carbon sequestration work in Sierra Gorda:

• GESG has already planted its trees in Sierra Gorda at its own cost and has offsets it can allocate to others. WLT therefore places a proportion of its Carbon Balanced offsets with GESG, which then re-invests the funding in more conservation work. It acts as a form of revolving fund, helping sustain the institution and the entire conservation programme for the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.
• The climatic conditions for cloud forest are also very suitable for settlement, meaning that almost all of this forest type has been cleared. It does regenerate well however, often through a pioneer Sweetgum Liquidambar phase. The second aspect, now under development, is to assist the regeneration and so restore and extend this habitat type while buffering residual stands. The project is experimental, designed to test and to demonstrate natural regeneration as a reforestation technique in this environment.

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