Territorial Dynamics and Historical Trajectory of Community Forest Management in San Pedro el Alto, Oaxaca

Abstract

The transformation of forest landscapes is driven by complex socioecological dynamics. This research analyzes territorial transitions in the Zapotec indigenous community of San Pedro el Alto, Oaxaca, Mexico, from 1997 to 2021, linking vegetation cover changes with the consolidation of its community forest enterprise. Through a mixed methods design, we integrated a multitemporal geospatial analysis of cartographic series with systematic archival research and qualitative triangulation based on semi-structured interviews with key community stakeholders. Our results reveal a strong temporal correspondence, indicating that forest canopy alterations align with institutional milestones and silvicultural cycles rather than representing arbitrary degradation. The evidence indicates that intense forest disturbance and anthropic transitions, such as agricultural expansion, correspond with industrial operational crises, functioning as temporary, community-regulated social buffering mechanisms to secure livelihoods. Under the theoretical principles of the commons and New Institutional Economics, the forest functions as a highly resilient socioecological system where local governance and landscape modifications respond adaptively to sustain collective wellbeing. These findings highlight the value of combining spatial data with qualitative verification, proving that recognizing collective self-governance can inform contemporary territorial planning models to support biocultural heritage conservation.