ASSESSMENT OF CANDELILLA (Euphorbia antisiphylitica Zucc.) TO THE SAN LORENZO AND LA REFORMA EJIDOS AT THE REGION OF CUATRO

CIÉNAGAS, STATE OF COAHULIA, NORTHEASTERN MEXICO

By: Ph.D. María Teresa Pulido Silva - mtpulido@yahoo.comProfessor researcher at Autonomous University of Hidalgo State UAEH

Analyze candelilla's population structure and densities.

Make an initial estimation of the maximum harvest rate.

Propose recommendations for biologically sustainable

management of candelilla.

INTRODUCTION• Candelilla is one of the main non-wood forest products in Mexico, in terms of commercialized volumes.

• It is harvested only in natural desert ecosystems• It has many industrial uses for cosmetics, polishes, food

industry, etc.

• It was listed in Appendix II of CITES in 1975 under

Euphorbia spp. At CoP 15 (Doha, 2010) candelilla’s finished

products packaged and ready for retail trade, were

exempted.

Figure 3. Sampling unit (SU) used to

evaluate density and population

structure. The method of the

National Forest and Soil Inventory

prepared by CONAFOR-Conabio was

adapted. In each ejido were sampled

20 SU.

Figure 1. Participatory workshops

were held in La Reforma. From this,

the sample was defined in two

strata: plateaus and canyons.

Figure 2. Biomass production was

measured in 2013 to assess the

maximum harvest rate (because new

shoots are green and distinguishable

from older tissues). This data was

compared with authorized volumes of

harvest.

� La Reforma

� 16958 ha total

� 4500 ha with candelilla

� 4 collectors *

� People live there.

� They raise cattle.

� Populations were

exhausted, but

nowadays are

recovering.

� 4 t/year are used from

35 allowed

� San Lorenzo� 23760 ha total

� 12036 ha with

candelilla.

� 14 collectors.

� People live in Cuatro

Ciénegas.

� 56 t/year are used

from up to 67

allowed

RESULTS

Table 1. Comparison of general characteristics

of the ejidos.

0.0

5000000.0

10000000.0

15000000.0

20000000.0

25000000.0

30000000.0

35000000.0

40000000.0

45000000.0

50000000.0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

La Reforma

San Lorenzo

Vo

lum

e (

cm3)

Sampling unit (descendent order)

Volume = π * (Larger diameter *

smaller diameter /4) * height

Table 3. Probability of mortality and number of recruitments

of candelilla individuals in the Ejido San Lorenzo. Note: From September 2007 to June 2013.

Table 2. Candelilla abundance and density per sampling

unit of 400 m2.

RECOMMENDATIONS•Study the optimal wax extraction method.

•Assess sustainability in both ejidos and small

properties.

•Promote reforestations with candelilla.

•Improve the conditions of social and job security

of the collectors.

•Adjust the authorized volumes to actual

harvesting volumes.

•Improve technology of wax extraction cauldrons.

•Encourage economically to ejidos that have

harvest permits.

•Analyze the distribution of earnings in order to

increase economic equity.

•Promote development of micro-enterprises for

value-added products and local refineries.

CONCLUSIONS• Harvesting seems to be biologically sustainable in

rainy years, but not in extremely dry years.

However, the economic and social dimensions are

the real challenge to achieve sustainability of

candelilla.

• It is estimated that on average one hectare can

produce 0.2 kg to 8.6 kg of wax sustainably.

• San Lorenzo has greater potential for wax

production in terms of density, volume and

collectors.

• Years of very low rainfall are major bottlenecks for

populations of candelilla.

• Any type of wax can be improved in quality by

refining.

Acknowledgements:

To collectors and technical

advisors from La Reforma

and San Lorenzo ejidos.

The group of students and

teachers of UAEH.

Conabio staff, UNCTAD,

CONANP PROFAUNA,

CONAFOR, NRSC, UAdeC,

PROFEPA and wax processing

companies. The financing

was handled by UNCTAD.

San Lorenzo

La Reforma

Candelilla shrub is

abundant in

rosette-like scrubs

(cream-coloured)

Figure 5. Traditional extraction method of

candelilla wax. Collectors do not have any

protection for handling sulfuric acid, which has

caused accidents.

Figure 4. Vegetation types in the study area. Red polygons represent the

ejidos studied: San Lorenzo in the west and La Reforma in the east.

Informal interviews with collectors and

processing enterprises workers were

conducted. The aim was both to know their

perspective on how to improve their work, and

to identify if they recognize different qualities.

Fre

qu

en

cy (

Log

10)

Height class (cm)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1 a 10 11 a 20 21 a 30 31 a 40 41 a 50 51 a 60 61 a 70 71 a 80 81 a 90 91 a 100 > 101

La Reforma

S Lorenzo

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1 a 20 21 a

40

41 a

60

61 a

80

81 a

100

101 a

120

121 a

140

141 a

160

161 a

180

181 a

200

201 a

220

220 a

240

241 a

260

261 a

280

281 a

300

301 a

320

Fre

qu

en

cy (

Log

10)

Larger diameter class (cm)

Figure 6. Population structure by height,

larger diameter and volume.

La Reforma San Lorenzo Comparison

n 5449 8531 Total 13980

Total average abundance per SU

(No. ± 1 e.e)272.5 ± 40.9 426.6 ± 66.3 LR/SL = 0.63

Rank 0 to 586 86 to 1186

Abundance of dried plants per SU

(No. ± 1 e.e.)46.4 ± 10.7 133.2 ± 41.4 LR/SL = 0.35

Total average density per SU

(ind/m2)0.681 1.066 LR/SL = 0.63

Average density of live plants per

SU (ind/m2)0.565 0.733 LR/SL = 0.77

Average density of dead plants per

SU (ind/m2)0.116 0.333 LR/SL = 0.34

Site

Time since the last

harvest regarding

September 2007

nProbability

of mortality

Probability

of survival

Recruitment

(# ind)

Proportion of

individuals

harvested

La

Capilla5 years 169 0.710 0.290 5 0.101

Fora 1weeks 174 0.609 0.391 0 0

Fora 8 months 177 0.921 0.079 0 0

Fora 2 years 170 0.806 0.194 0 0

La Mina 3 years 240 0.771 0.229 5 0.017

All sites 930 0.765 0.235 10 0.023