Mexican Biospheres

I have written a number of times about the photographic exhibits that are posted outdoors on the fence of Chapultepec Park along the Paseo de la Reforma.  In August I showed you some of the photos of Mexican songwriters that were on display.  Before my stay in Mexico was over, there was another exhibit along the fence.

Fifty years ago UNESCO began the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.  These areas are selected for their scientific, biological and cultural importance.  The program encourages human inhabitants in and around the reserves to use resources in a sustainable manner.  Today there are over 600 UNESCO Biospheres.  On display were photographs of some of the reserves in Mexico and other countries around the world.  Here are a few pictures of some of the biospheres in Mexico...

 The Altar Desert in the state of Sonora

These sand dunes were deposited by the delta of the Colorado River around 120,000 years ago.  The delta has since shifted westward due to the sliding of tectonic plates along the San Andreas fault.

Sierra de Pinacate in Sonora

This dramatic landscape was created by volcanic eruptions more than four million years ago.

El Viscaino in Baja California

This region contains various ecosystems, including desert, mesquite forests, oak forests and mangroves.

Sierra de Manantlán in Jalisco

This reserve is a sanctuary for the endangered green macaw.

The Monarch Butterfly Reserves in the states of Michoacán and Estado de México

The mountain pine forests are the winter home of the monarch butterflies.

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Reserve in Puebla

One of the outstanding ecological features of this region is the cacti forest, one of the highest concentrations of columnar cacti in the world.  (I visited this site a few years ago, and wrote about it here.)

La Encrucijada in Chiapas

This cloud forest is home to 12% of Mexico's plant species in just 1% of its national territory.

Montes Azules and Calakmul Reserves in Chiapas and Campeche

These two reserves are home to an estimated population of 800 jaguars.