How has deforestation changed the forests of the Sierra Madre mountains?

The once-ubiquitous forests of the Sierra Madre have been significantly curtailed by centuries of human activity. This degradation is primarily attributed to the clearing of land for farming and the historical use of wood to produce charcoal for metal smelting.1

In the Sierra Madre Occidental, long periods of human occupation have decimated much of the natural vegetation. While extensive coniferous forests remain at higher elevations, the region continues to face pressure from logging, mining, and the cultivation of illicit drug crops. Efforts to combat this destruction have been complicated by the involvement of drug traffickers, who have coerced indigenous communities into growing crops like marijuana and opium poppies. Furthermore, the use of herbicides to eradicate these illicit crops has damaged local plant life and water supplies.23

Although the Mexican government has claimed to have slowed deforestation rates in the early 21st century, these statistics have been contested by environmentalists. Today, the vast majority of these forests remain under local control, where poverty and overcrowding in communities continue to contribute to ongoing deforestation.2