Protected Area of Flora and Fauna Santa Elena Canyon
The Protected Area of Flora and Fauna Santa Elena Canyon is a protected area for plants and wildlife in the Mexican municipalities of Manuel Benavides and Ojinaga, in the state of Chihuahua. It was founded on November 7, 1994 and has an area of 277,209 hectares.
The purpose of the reserve is to protect the Chihuahuan Desert, home to many species of plants and wildlife. Among the first scrub stands microphyll desert, the desert scrub rosetophilous, the pasture, the oak forest and riparian vegetation, including various species abound. In the second highlights the birds and mammals that have adapted to aridity, such as wildcat and some deers, as well as birds of prey.
History
The arrowheads, mortars and paintings found at the site indicate the following human occupation periods: Paleo-Indian, Archaic, early Postclassic, and late Postclassic. These populations were dispersed with seasonal movements, allowing the use of resources. They engaged in fishing, the collection, hunting, and agriculture. Among the groups transiting this area were the Conchos, the Jumano, the Chisos and Apaches, the Chiricahua, the Mezcaleros and Lipanenes.The Spanish and Comanche arrived at the same time, and ended with the Mescalero and Lipan. The colonial government established the Rio Grande as a line of defense, where he built small fortifications, which were guarded by a garrison of soldiers. These were San Carlos, in Chihuahua, and the Board of Rivers, San Vicente, Santa Rosa and San Juan Bautista, in Coahuila. Until 1890 the region remained virtually uninhabited due to attacks by Apaches and Comanche tribes.
From 1784, the fort of San Carlos was abandoned and was only used by travelers, who were protected from attack by Apaches and bandits. The first council of municipality of Ojinaga was built in 1824, and was annexed in 1831, as a section of San Carlos, which bears the name of Manuel Benavides.
Geography
The protected area is within the area known as the Chihuahuan desert ecosystem, which highlights a number of mountain ranges separated by valleys and undulating plains. It has great diversity of vegetation types because of the large differences in altitude, from 700–2400 meters above sea level.Location
Santa Elena Canyon is to the northeast of Chihuahua, bounded to the north by Rio Grande and east by Coahuila. 80% of the reserve is located in the municipalities of Manuel Benavides and Ojinaga. It covers a strip of 30 km wide by 100 km long. It has a height above sea level ranging from 700 m to 2400 m, on the highest part.Geology
The area has a base of Cretaceous limestone on which developed volcanic in mid-Tertiary. Volcanism caused folds between the plates, because the fragment into blocks of lifts formed and depressions. In areas are metamorphic rocks Palaeozoic granitic and igneous intrusions.The area of Santa Elena Canyon includes the mountain ranges of El Ranchito, Sierra Rica and El Mulatto, among which are the valleys of Alamo, Chapó, El Mulato, and Rancho Blanco. Also they highlight the low hills of Manuel Benavides, Paso Lajitas and San Antonio. The area has two canyons: La Gaviota, 656 meters deep, and Santa Elena, with a depth of 467 meters. Much of the area is flat, with slopes less than 8% and bigoted hills and formations.
Climate
The area has an extremely dry and hot climate. The climatic conditions are very extreme, with temperatures up to 50 °C in summer. In addition, there is a contrast between the desert and cold temperate ecosystems. The climate is arid, with little rain in summer.Demographics
The main villages of the area are Manuel Benavides, which is the county seat, Loma de Juárez, El Mulato, Area Montoya, Paso Lajitas, New Lajitas, Santa Elena, Altares, Paso de San Antonio, San Antonio Alamos, Providence, Jars of Wizards and Alamos Marquez. In addition, the towns of Ojinaga, La Mula, Mahijoma and Morita is located in the area of influence. It is estimated that 2578 inhabitants live in the protected area.Within the protected area there are 125 properties, which occupy 34.8% of the area, 13 ejido s, which occupy 59.4%, and foundations and centers of population and public lands occupy 5.8 Remaining%. The soils of the area and the area of influence are used for agriculture, the livestock and mining.
Flora and fauna
In the area, there are several species, of which 79 are protected. Thirteen of these are species of plants, mostly cacti, while the rest are 66 species of wildlife, among which include the black bear, the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon and beaver.The area has a great diversity of vegetation, highlighting the scrub desert microphyll, scrub desert rosetophilous, the pasture, the oak forest and vegetation riparian, and also scrub Guamis, mariola, cenixo and guayacán in addition to mesquite, feline and huizaches. In the region with a resetófila vegetation, which is made up of lechuguilla, sotol and various species of cactus develops. Moreover, there is riparian vegetation consisting of poplars and willows.
In the desert scrub microphyll, you can find species such as Guamis, hojasén, mariola, mesquite, ocotillo and reed, among others. In the desert scrub rosetophilous, you can find species such as palm, lechuguilla, maguey, among others. In the grasslands, there are species such as penknives or the Chinese grass, among others. This table groups vegetation protection area are based on its altitude and its botanical composition.
| Group of vegetation | Altitude | Appearance ranges | Area | Area |
| Larrea tridentata Jatropha dioica Prosopis glandulosa | 600–900 | 300 | 96,311.7 | 34.6 |
| Jatropha dioica Porlieria angustifolia Larrea tridentata | 900–1000 | 100 | 52,611.8 | 18.9 |
| Jatropha dioica constricta acacia Larrea tridentata | 1000–1200 | 200 | 53,670.4 | 19.2 |
| Jatropha dioica Acacia constricta Parthenium incanum | 1200–1300 | 100 | 14,084.1 | 5.1 |
| Acacia constricta Viguiera stenoloba Mimosa wherryana | 1300–1600 | 300 | 48,266.05 | 17.3 |
| Heteropogon contortus Bouteloua curtipendula Dasylirion leiophyllum | 1600–1800 | 200 | 9,969.8 | 3.6 |
| Bouteloua gracilis Pinus cembroides Juniperus monosperma | 1800–2100 | 300 | 2,622.3 | 0.9 |
| Bouteloua gracilis Pinus cembroides Quercus grisea | 2100–2300 | 200 | 731.6 | 0.3 |
| Muhlenbergia monticola Pinus cembroides Quercus grisea Bouteloua gracilis | 2300–2400 | 100 | 65.1 | 0.02 |
The fauna of the region is composed by birds and mammals that have adapted to aridity. Among the species that inhabit the area are the black-tailed jackrabbit, the bobcat, the whitetail deer, the mule deer, the collared peccary, mourning doves, some ducks and coyotes. There are also birds of prey like peregrine falcon, the kestrel and the golden eagle. In addition, the presence of songbirds and ornamental birds stands out, and several species of fish.
Creating the protected area
In 1990, at the request of the Government of the State of Chihuahua, the process for creating a Biosphere Reserve in Northwest state of Chihuahua was initiated, bordering with the Big Bend National Park in United States. After some meetings with villagers and local authorities, the region was declared a Protected Area of Flora and Fauna in 1994. This protected area was included within the area of the Forest Protected Area, and declared in 1934, with the aim of conserving irrigation watersheds, protecting the flow of the Presa La Amistad in Coahuila.The Federal government of the United States had pushed, since 1934, for the creation of a protected area in Mexico to be the counterpart of Big Bend National Park. These initiatives were not considered for various reasons until 1994, except for the creation of the Department of Forest Protection enacted in 1934.
, as it emerges from the Santa Elena Canyon. The left wall of the canyon is in Mexico and the right is in the US.