Historical trajectories of livelihoods and social-ecological change in the Periurban forests of Mexico City’s Conservation Land

Abstract The peri-urban forests of Conservation Land of Mexico City provide essential ecosystem services but have long been subject to pressures driven mainly by urbanization. This article analyzes the historical trajectories of livelihoods of the three communities in the area. Its aim is to explain how a range of contextual factors—agrarian policies, urban expansion, environmental governance, and others—have shaped those trajectories from the sixteenth century to the present, and how, in turn, this relationship reshapes the dynamics of the social-ecological system (SES). The research combines group interviews, literature review, and secondary-data analysis within an SES framework. The results reveal a shift from livelihoods rooted solely in primary activities toward diversified strategies linked to the secondary and tertiary sectors. In addition, although approximately US$ 35.3 million were invested between 2003 and 2023 in forest-conservation efforts, such funding has produced limited outcomes and has not curbed illegal logging; instead, it has sparked conflicts over resource distribution. The historical lens employed demonstrates its usefulness for understanding how livelihood trajectories influence the social-ecological system, underscoring its applicability to peri-urban forests and similar settings, particularly in the Global South.