Impacts of a Diversified Livestock Model upon Conservation Management of Mexican WhiteTailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus mexicanus) at the Mixteca Poblana

Abstract

A nine-year research was carried out at the Mixteca poblana in Mexico to determine the performance of a productive model for diversifying livestock using Mexican White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus mexicanus) as a wildlife resource. The studied area is located at 18º 19’ 44'' N and 97º 49' 22'' W with an altitude ranging from 1 298 m snm to 2 080 m snm. Dominant ecosystems are lowland caducifolia forests and xerophile thickets on a wild, rocky, and eroded-patches topography. Although agricultural productivity is low, shrub, tree, and cactus genera biodiversity is high. The possible effect of this productive model implementation and its profitability were evaluated in times of deer rational utilization. Based on that and using the pressure-state-response matrix as a tool, a sustainability analysis with an endogenous and participatory approach including those benefitting from the project and researchers was performed. Fauna resource regional distribution showed that Mexican White-Tailed Deer extended across 52 % of the whole area, i.e., around 547 550 ha indicating the model implementation potentiality. The model financial assessment proved its validity and sustainability, corroborated by developing the pressure-state-response matrix at the initial and final stage of the research.