RESEARCH PROJECT COMPLETION SUMMARY SHEET
DATE Sheet Completed: 31.10.00
Title of Project: Resistance, resilience, and change in response to fire in tropical moist
ecosystems in the Chimalapas region of Oaxaca, Mexico
DFID Project Reference Number (R No.):
R 7547
NRInternational Contract Number (Z No.):
Z F0130
Research Programme:
Forestry Research Programme (FRP)
Programme Manager (institution):
John Palmer (NRIL)
Sub-Contractor (if relevant):
Research Programme Purpose:
Forestry
Research Production System:
Forest Agriculture Interface
Commodity Base:
Timber and non-timber forest products
Beneficiaries:
Poor Farmers
Partner Institutions:
Technological Institute of Agriculture of Oaxaca (ITAO)
Institute for Development Studies, University of Sussex (IDS)
Dept. of Forestry, Iowa State University (ISU) (formerly: The
Dept. of Forest Sciences, Agricultural University of Norway)
Dept. of Forest Ecology, Agricultural University of Sweden
(SLU)
Geographic Focus:
Start date:
Finish date:
Total cost:
The Chimalapas Region of Oaxaca, Mexico
Planned
January 1, 2000
September 1, 2000
Actual
January 1, 2000
September 30, 2000
£40,810
£40,810
1. Project Purpose:
The primary purpose of this 9-month project planning phase was to plan a collaborative project
between local communities and the external research team addressing post-fire environmental
management and ecosystem research in tropical moist forests in the Chimalapas region, and to
develop a full joint funding proposal. A participatory and interdisciplinary approach based on the
integration of targeted research, testing of pilot productive projects, and facilitation of local
management plans is being utilized to achieve this goal. Specifically, the planning phase focused
on four key activity areas: (1) planning workshops and meetings among project participants, (2)
field visits to assess fire-affected areas and develop the research approach, (3) collection and
synthesis of baseline field data, and (4) joint elaboration of a full project proposal and submission to
relevant funding agencies. Some modifications to the original plans were required due to additional
time required for the planning process (see #3 below); therefore, completion of activities #3 and #4
above is anticipated for early 2001. In the long-term, this project seeks to assess the ecological
and socio-political implications of the fires that occurred in the Chimalapas region in 1998, and to
facilitate the development and implementation of effective natural resource management and
conservation initiatives by local communities.
2. Outputs:
Due to the nature of this project being specifically focused on planning, most of the results and
products are in the form of field reports, workshop proceedings, literature reviews, agreements of
collaboration, letters, and other dissemination materials related to the planning activities. Another
significant result obtained during this planning phase was the development and implementation of
an approach for participatory planning of an applied research project involving interaction between
local communities and a multidisciplinary research team. This process has provided important
opportunities for adjustments and modifications to accommodate local needs and ideas that
previously had not been considered by the research team, and which in the long-term, should
greatly enhance the potential for a successful collaboration.
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Significant results of this planning process include the identification of 4 pilot communities to
participate in the project, and the implementation of a diagnostic field survey conducted by the
research team with the participation of local people in the communities within the municipality of
San Miguel Chimalapa. Agreements of collaboration have been developed through a series of
discussions among different stakeholders, resulting in two separate documents currently in the
process of being signed by participating communities, research institutions, and supporting
institutions. A series of workshop proceedings, field reports, and other dissemination materials
have been published during the project planning phase, which provide information about the
experiences gained, lessons learned, and advances attained. These have been distributed to the
participating communities and other interested stakeholders.
Useful knowledge and experience has been obtained for implementing a project planning approach
integrating applied ecological research with projects that address more immediate needs of
facilitating local management and conservation initiatives and improving quality life in the
communities. This approach has included working in an interdisciplinary team environment,
utilizing a participatory methodology for involving different stakeholders, and maintaining sufficient
flexibility to allow the planning process to incorporate new knowledge and ideas emerging during
the planning process itself.
3. Contribution of Outputs to Project Goal:
The primary aim of this 9-month planning phase was to plan a project with local communities
and other stakeholders, with the goal of develop a joint research proposal for obtaining funding.
Although much progress was made in terms of reaching a consensus among very different
stakeholder groups for collaborating in a joint effort, it was necessary to use more time for the
planning process than initially anticipated. This was due to a variety of factors, including the
complex political situation, initial suspicion and misunderstanding of the project team’s proposal,
the need to explain and negotiate repeatedly among different stakeholders, and adjustments
made in order to respect and accommodate the particular decision-making structures and
traditions of the local communities with which we wanted to collaborate. However, a positive
outcome of the extended planning phase was that understanding and mutual trust was allowed to
evolve, and several proposals emerged from the communities for how to proceed with the planning
process, and to which the project team was able to respond. This participatory planning phase
has enabled the project collaborators to reach gradual agreement amongst key local and
regional stakeholders for the design and implementation of the project, thus providing a solid
foundation on which to jointly develop the full project proposal and initiative the field work and
community projects.
4. Publications:
Asbjornsen, H., L.E. Ness, and E. Torres-Bahena. 1999. Fire in moist tropical forests: A
progenitor or threat to biodiversity? In: European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN)
News, No. 29. “BIODIVERSITY”, Autumn-Winter.
Asbjornsen, H., Z. Garnica Sánchez, L.E. Ness, and A. Malmer. 2000. Assessing the
“intermediateness” of forest management systems from an ecosystem perspective: Applications
to tropical forests in the Chimalapas region, Oaxaca, Mexico”. Presented at the workshop:
“Cultivating (in) tropical forests: The evolution and sustainability of intermediate systems
between extractivism and plantations. Lofoten, Norway: 28 June – 1 July, 2000.
5. Internal Reports:
Report on project planning workshop: Evaluation and Monitoring of the Ecological Impacts of
the Fires of 1998 in 4 Communities in the Chimalapas, Oaxaca. January 2000, Oaxaca, Oax.;
April 12, 2000 (Submitted) (Recent revisions presented on May 29, 2000).
Workshop proceedings:: Relatoría del Taller para Presentar y Discutir la Propuesta para
Planear un Proyecto sobre: “Monitoreo y Evaluación de los Impactos Ecológicos de los
Incendios de 1998 en Los Chimalapas”, El Municipio de San Miguel Chimalapa, 5-6 June, 2000.
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Report on field diagnostic survey: Gallardo-Hernández, C., L.E. Ness, and H. Asbjornsen.
“Informe sobre Los Recorridos Realizados en el Municipio de San Miguel Chimalapa, Oaxaca,
18 de junio al 10 de julio de 2000”. 25 de Agosto de 2000. 40p.
Executive Summary of project: Strategies for the Study on the Ecological Impacts of the Fires of
1998 in the Chimalapas, Oaxaca. September 1, 2000.” 6p (also developed as a PowerPoint
presentation; available in both Spanish and English). Presented as a written document and as
an oral power-point presentation to local institutions and organizations (SEMARNAP, IEEO,
WWF-Oaxaca, SERBO).
Document: Agreement for the Planning and Collaboration of the project “Evaluation and
Monitoring of the Ecological Impacts of the Fires of 1998 in Los Chimalapas, Oaxaca”; to be
signed by participating research institutions and local communities and supporting institutions
and organizations.
Document: Agreement of Collaboration in Research and Education to be signed by participating
academic institutions (Technological Institute of Agriculture of Oaxaca, Iowa State University,
Agricultural University of Sweden, and Institute for Development Studies-University of Sussex).
Literature review and analysis - Socio-political-historical context
Literature review and analysis - Ecology of moist tropical forests and fire dynamics
Concept Paper: Impact Assessment of anthropogenic fire and the development of an integrated
ecosystem management model in the tropical forest regions of “Los Chimalapas”, September
21, 2000 (submitted to GEF/UNDP (Mexico City/New York).
6. Other Dissemination of Results:
Poster: Visual presentation (including photos and accompanying explanatory text) of results
diagnostic field survey conducted in San Miguel Chimalalpa, displayed in the office of Natural
Resources in the municipality of San Miguel Chimalapa.
Correspondence: Letter by research team to the municipality of San Miguel Chimalapa and
participating communities to clarify misinterpretations of the project’s goals and approach, with
the goal of building trust and confidence among local farmers.
Radio program: Participation by research team member in a 1-hour radio program in Oaxaca
City on the experience with fire in Oaxaca, focusing on both technical aspects of preventing and
controlling fire and the ecological implications of the fires in the Chimalapas region.
Report on research results: Naess, L.E. Resumen del Estudio sobre los Impactos de Incendios
en Suelos de Bosques de Montaña en Nuevo San Juan Chimalapa, Oaxaca. September 2000.
Masters thesis: Einar-Naess, L. The effect of fire on soils in tropical moist cloud forest in the
Chimalapas Region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Department of Forest Sciences, Agricultural University
of Norway. 1432 Ås, Norway. (anticipated completion date: Dec. 15, 2000).
7. Follow-up indicated/planned:
A concept paper has been submitted to GEF (see above) requesting a PDF-A grant to complete
the project planning, initiate the field research and productive community projects, and develop the
full proposal. We are currently working to identify other potential funding sources to provide cofunding during this continued planning phase. (GEF has a limit of $25,000 for the PDF-A grant)
In addition, during this interim period between funded projects (October – December 2000), several
members of the project team (Gallardo Hernández, Rodriguez, and Asbjornsen) are actively
maintaining communication and personal contact with the municipality of San Miguel Chimalapa
and the four pilot communities in order to follow up on activities initiated during project planning
process. Partial funding and in-kind assistance for these follow-up activities has been obtained
from the World Wildlife Fund-Oaxaca Program (WWF-Oaxaca), the Secretariat of the
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Environment, Natural Resources, and Fisheries (Semarnap-Oaxaca), and the municipality of San
Miguel Chimalapa. Support is also being provided by the Agricultural University of Sweden for
research collaborators from Sweden and the U.S. to conduct a follow-up meeting in December
2000 in Ames, Iowa.
8. Name and signature of author of this report.
Heidi Asbjornsen
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