Los árboles que esconden al bosque: Miguel à ngel de Quevedo y los orígenes de la ciencia forestal en México

This article describes the role of civil engineer Miguel à ngel de Quevedo (1862-1946) in the origins of forestry in Mexico. The guiding issue is to determine whether the critiques of some of his contemporaries regarding his project, which prioritised attention to the tree rather than the forest, were well-founded. Particular emphasis will be placed on the first encounters between the state and forestry, the development of ideas that guided the growth of forestry and the training of forestry workers. The principal sources are the texts published by Quevedo himself. The author concludes that Quevedo’s project favoured the tree over the forest, especially after Mexican revolution. However, despite his conceptual shortcomings, his scant scientific legacy in silvicultural matters, his insistence on forest hydrology and his strong conservationist inclinations, Quevedo was undeniably responsible for introducing forestry science to Mexico and making it a state concern. Given the endemic deforestation and the socio-political weight of agriculture in Mexico, this cannot be considered a minor contribution.