Ecological restoration in urban zones: Barranca Tarango case in Mexico City

 Mexico City’s population has increased 400% during the last 40 years, thus reducing forest, agricultural and cattle raising areas. The Barranca Tarango is a forested area immersed in Mexico City that has been severely deteriorated by urban development. In order to establish guidelines on the restoration of this area, we evaluated the effects of sites (different soil properties) and species (two native species) on growth and survival of three-year old seedlings of Quercus mexicana and Q. rugosa introduced into these areas. Seedling survival and growth (height, basal area, cover and number of shoots) were registered for each individual during one year. Additionally, we included social aspects, which must be considered in an ecological restoration study. High seedling survival was observed for both species in both sites. Stem height and number of shoots showed significant differences between species (P<0.05), but not between sites; basal area was significantly different between species and sites, and cover did not show any difference between species and sites. Although soils are highly disturbed, the high seedling survival observed in this experiment indicates that measures like this should be considered for future restoration programs. A better communication between local residents and governmental authorities is needed in order to solve the environmental complexity caused by the establishment of several illegal communities.