Decision Support Systems For Forest Management In Mexico

In the last 25 years there have been several efforts to create Decision Support Systems (DSS) for management of the forests in Mexico. Few references exists that document these experiences and that can assist in understanding their genesis, evolution, successes, shortcomings, or failures, as well as the factors that have led to these outcomes. This chapter fills this gap by presenting an overview of the DSS that have been created since the mid 1980’s. The characteristics of the Mexican forest ecosystems and the complex web of interactions and co-evolution of the contexts that frame the forestry activities in Mexico have influenced the characteristics, evolution, and current state of the art of the DSS for the management of the forest in the country. Similar characteristics and contexts are commonly found in developing countries around the world. Hence, the experiences, lessons, and recommendations for future developments presented in this chapter can be of value beyond the specific conditions of the Mexican forestry sector.