Resumo

FERNANDEZ MORENO, Yara. Why Study Environmental Perceptions?: A revision of Mexican Literature with Emphasis on Protected Natural Areas. Espiral (Guadalaj.) [online]. 2008, vol.15, n.43, pp.179-202. ISSN 1665-0565.

Environmental perceptions are understood as the way in which every individual appreciates and values their environment and influences in an important way on man's decision making concerning the environment that surrounds them. The present paper is a brief review of the Mexican literature on environmental perceptions; analyzing how they influence the decision making concerning environmental management, with an emphasis on Protected Natural Areas (PNA). The paper ends underlining the importance of writing more papers that contribute information about the environmental perceptions of the local populations and the different social actors in PNA, both in rural and urban contexts, in order to make the implementation of the Mexican environmental policies more efficient.

Palavras-chave : percepciones ambientales; geografía; conservación; áreas naturales protegidas; México.