Integrating social network analysis and cartography: the case of fire management in a Mexican biosphere reserve

Over the last two decades, researchers from different fields have placed increasing attention on the relationship between social networks and space. Despite this growth, these studies mostly failed to consider one of the core elements of spatial analysis: cartographic visualization and interpretation. This study shows how integrating cartographic representation can deepen the understanding of the structure of spatial social networks. It focuses on the case of fire management activities in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Southern Mexico based on data obtained from diverse local, municipal, state and federal level authorities. First, the paper analyses the connections between actors and their relation to spatial distance through structural social network analysis. Second, a geographic information system integrates the network in maps to revise the relation between its structure and the study area's geography. It outlines the relevance of considering geographic features, particularly from physical geography, in analyzing social structures.