Mapimí Biosphere Reserve
The Mapimí Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in the state of Durango in northern Mexico. It is one of three biosphere reserves representing the Chihuahuan Desert. The reserve is situated between the Neotropical and Neartic biogeographical regions, in the Bolsón de Mapimí above sea level. It contains three core areas in the Sierra de la Campana, the Laguna de las Palomas, a salt lagoon, and a desert habitat called Dunas de la Soledad. It comprises fragile warm desert and semi-desert ecosystems and rich, highly adapted but vulnerable plant systems, mainly xerophytic matorral scrub, and animal species such as the puma, mule deer, sandhill crane and the kit fox or zorrita del desiert along with scrub and desert grasslands.
The site is administered by the municipalities of Tlahualillo and Mapimí in Durango, Jiménez in Chihuahua and Sierra Mojada in Coahuila.Ecological characteristics
This biosphere reserve includes the desert ecosystems of the central part of the Chihuahua Desert, where there is a predomination of xerophytic scrubland and chaparral with various compositions forming mosaics of halophyte vegetation in the lower parts.
Biologically rich, it includes 403 plant species. Noteworthy are the 39 cactus species and 200 species of birds, 5 species of amphibians, 36 species of reptiles and 28 species of mammals. Endemic species identified are nine for the family Cactaceae, one for the family Cochlospermaceae and one for the family Fouqueriaceae. Particularly charismatic are the Bolson tortoise, the kit fox, the Mexican fringe-toed lizard, the mule deer, the American badger, the puma ; and birds such as the golden eagle.Human activities
, 72,600 inhabitants live in the reserve, mainly engaged in extensive cattle raising, salt exploitation and in agriculture.
