LAB TWELVE: What The Drugs! Tree Loss in Mexico

Background-

See Labs Ten and Eleven

Procedure-

As our developments of ‘The Narcocene’ expand, the full outline of our point of research is beginning to reveal itself. In order to better tailor methodology, we first reviewed our framing and focus questions to indubitably portray our intentions for conducting this research. Through the finalization of our ANT map and questions, the nexts steps in determining our methodologies for collecting substantial qualitative and quantitative data. After retrieving data on forest loss / illicit drug trade prevelence, we mapped the two on ArcGIS to find areas of correlation, where we will then follow up with furrther qualitative methodologies to substantiate. Through this process, we also continued to update our annotated bibliography of sources (go to the bottom of The Narcocene to see more) and our current library of sources on Zotero.

Results/Discussion-

In updating our frame of questioning, I revisited my ANTmap to ensure that our current points of research followed a lineage that is cognitively accessible to the public, as well as 'question and answer inducing.'

Figures One and Two: Updated ANT (Actor Network Theory) map of currently researched, significant actor and actions.

Could a reduction in the illicit drug trade reduce the impacts of deforestation?

Focusing In: How do the impacts of

deforestation fluctuate between areas

more or less influenced by the illicit

drug trade?

Methodologies-

First, we did research in order to find areas that are heavily impacted by the drug trade and those that are less impacted. Through secondary data analysis using maps through ArcGIS, we identified hotspots of the drug trade, including near Las Margaritas in the state of Chiapas and Culiacán in the Sinaloa state. Ideally, we would have 3 study areas in heavily drug-impacted areas and 3 in less impacted areas. All 6 sites would have been impacted by deforestation. After narrowing down our specific small areas of study, we would go to those locations and administer an in-person, door-to-door survey. Hopefully, this random selection of respondents would create a representative sample of these communities. This survey would ask qualitative questions about the causes and effects of deforestation seen by the local people, and gather quantitative data surrounding perceived importance of each impact and how concerned the respondents are about the effects of deforestation. We would expect to spend two days surveying in each location, for a total survey time of about 2 weeks. After gathering this data, we would perform a content analysis of the qualitative/open-ended questions, and do an inferential statistical analysis on the questions that provided numerical data. These results would hopefully shed some light on how the effects of deforestation differ in areas with high drug activity and low drug activity. At each location, we would also collect microclimate data using Kestrel drops (see Lab One for more information on Kestrel readings) for different sample areas that have either been recently deforested or contain intact forest. This would provide background empirical data surrounding the climatic effects of deforestation that we could use to bolster our argument.

Figure Three: ArcGIS mapping of drug war related deaths in Mexico, 2010.*

Figure Five: Key- Warmer colors and larger shapes resemble more deaths/activity.

Figure Four: Key- Darker shades resemble more tree cover loss.

Figure Six: ArcGIS mapping of forest loss and drug war related deaths in Mexico, 2010 .*

Figure Seven: ArcGIS mapping of Biodiversity hotspots (areas under threat) and drug war related deaths in Mexico, 2010 .*

Figure Eight: Key- Larger circles resemble more drug war deaths/activity.

Figure Nine: Key- Lighter colors resemble further forest loss and thus, further threat.

Figure Ten: World map of Forest Loss Depletion in each country.*

Over the next few days, we will be gathering and synthesizing our research done thus far. In finalizing our methodologies and results, we hope to have a finalized project this week for you to view in order to better understand our works conducted.

*Data for maps retrieved from the following sources (see annotated bibliography for more information):

Worldwide Forest Loss- http://www.worldbank.org

Drug War Activity/Murders- https://www.gob.mx/presidencia/?DNA=119

Mexico Forest Loss and Biodiversity Hotspots- www.globalforestwatch.org