The structure and productivity of relict stands of Pitaya (Stenocereus queretaroensis; cactaceae), Jalisco, Mexico

Pitaya fruit commercialized in southern Jalisco comes primarily from anthropogenic populations. These populations are associated with archaeological sites dating between 300 B.C. and A.D. 1200. Stand structure and productivity of five anthropogenic stands contrast sharply with that of natural and cultivated stands. Individuals from a natural stand have smaller-diameter trunks and canopies and produce less fruit than anthropogenic stands. Structure and productivity of one stand may correlate with the associated archaeological occupation. Individual productivity is highly correlated with diameter of the canopy. Both men and women participate in the harvest and sale of pitaya fruit earning the same or as much as three times that paid as wage laborers. Conservation of these stands and the associated archaeological sites would require land purchase and protection but the sale of pitaya fruits could sustain the efforts necessary to protect mid manage these populations over the long term.