Current status and socioeconomic importance of capulín (Prunus serotina Ehrh) in the Sierra Nevada of Puebla, Mexico

Resumen

Objective: To determine the distribution, survival conditions, and socioeconomic and environmental importance of black cherry or capulín populations in the Sierra Nevada of Puebla, Mexico.

Methodology: Ethnographic and qualitative methods were used to estimate and describe capulín populations in transects, backyards, and orchards. Twenty-six informal interviews were conducted across 10 circuits covering 32 sites in the Sierra Nevada region.

Results: In three circuits, more than 3,600 trees were found to be well-managed. In the remaining circuits, there were between 16 and 74 neglected adult specimens.

Study limitations/implications: The cultivators’ assessments of capulín populations differ from technical methods.

Findings/Conclusions: Capulín populations are concentrated in three circuits where they hold notable socioeconomic and environmental importance.