Participatory action-research for the restoration of biocultural heritage: case studies from two indigenous communities in Mexico

This document describes a theoretical-practical proposal that entails the transformation of an environmentally fragmented, overexploited, and underutilized agricultural matrix. It can also serve to modify non-harmonic landscapes with similar structures and functions observed in natural ecosystems with features such as resilience, strength, elasticity, and fragility. Through a multidisciplinary approach and using mainly productive ecological restoration tools, the theoretical-practical framework, an action plan, and an example of real-life implementation of the restoration of degraded and fragmented biocultural landscapes in two indigenous communities in Mexico that dominate the tropical regions of Latin America are discussed here as top results. Thus, we defined the basis for establishing complementary and retributive agroforestry landscapes with biocultural values and biological and social resilience, to provide economic benefits for local inhabitants and the population in general. It is concluded that biocultural resources and their sustainability may be approached in social terms and dynamic equilibrium, which integrates the essential elements of territoriality.