WOOD HARVESTING IN NEVADO DE TOLUCA NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

The extraction of timber and firewood by rural localities within the area of influence of the Nevado de Toluca National Park shows a marked increase, of which the actual amounts of extraction are unknown. As a result, there is a need to know which forest species have a higher degree of extraction, identify percentages and determine forms of use. The methodology was carried out through a stratified random sampling in pine (Pinus hartwegii), fir (Abies religiosa), alder (Alnus jorullensis) and oak (Quercus laurina) forests; 30 sampling sites of 20 x 50 meters (1000 m2) pine (10), fir (10), alder (5) and oak (5), were placed in the field, and variables such as tree diameter and height were measured in the case of individuals with a normal diameter (ND) greater than 2.5 cm, and so was the basal diameter (BD) of those with cutting evidence. In addition, a survey was carried out in which variables such as the following were considered: type of forest cover, use of materials, diameters for each use, extraction time, extraction volume and weight in kg of the loads of firewood or wood species from five locations (Agua Blanca, Calimaya, Raíces, San Miguel Oxtotilpan and Santiago Tlacotepec). The results indicate that most of the harvest trees in all tree species are concentrated in less than 30 cm ND, used as firewood, in the following quality order: oak, fir, pine and alder. However, extraction of adult tree is more common in the oak (31%) and pine (29%), the first used for coal and the second for furniture.