Agricultural landscapes diversity in the Global Geopark UNESCO Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexico

The Mixteca Alta is a natural and cultural region of global importance. Agriculture in this region identifies serious environmental limitations, such as: low and scatter rainfall, short growth season, and small area with good soils in terms of depth, fertility and slope. Mixtecs have created several agricultural landscapes, such as terraces and lamabordos. The aim of this study was to identify and propose an agricultural landscape classification for an area within the Mixteca Alta through the interpretation of satellite imagery, interviews to peasants and filed check. At local level, agricultural systems are different because of landforms, variation of relief and water availability. We identify six agricultural landscapes: rain feed valley, irrigated valley, secondary valleys, rain feed hills, irrigated hills, and lamabordos. Each one is distinguished by the crops; maize dominant in all of them, except in the irrigated hills, has a specific management in each agricultural landscape. These landscapes are the result of the interaction between communities and geodiversity, they are part of the identity of Mixtec communities. Their diversity has a high cultural and historical value, based on a traditional knowledge involved in their transformations.