FOREST GRAZING STRATEGIES USED TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS OF SOUTHERN MÉXICO

Abstract

In the states of Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco, in Southern México, important socioeconomic changes have taken place in the last 80 years. The population and economic activities linked to agriculture and livestock production have increased. The latter has impacted the forest areas negatively in the last 35 years, and has contributed to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. In addition, it has increased the vulnerability of the agricultural and livestock production systems, and of the human population devoted to this activity. To mitigate the effects of climate change and improve the sustainability of the livestock systems, agroecological strategies have
been developed, such as forest grazing arrangements linked to producers of scarce economic resources as an option to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, under the premise that tree and shrub species improves the quality of fodder and animal diet and can decrease the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and induce the sustainability of the systems.