Las palmas de México: presente y futuro

The distribution and the habitat of Mexican palms are described. It is pointed out that the populations of some species have declined while others have increased. Palms have been empirically used by local people for a variety of purposes and sometimes this has led to the depletion of the natural populations. Several proposals for the recovering and the sustainable management of wild populations are made. The importance of the agrosilvicultural management of palms is stressed . It is necessary to conduct detailed research on underutilized palm species that have a promising economic value.