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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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CHAMELA-CUIXMALA |
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| General Description |
The biosphere reserve hosts a wide variety of ecosystems that make up one of the most diverse and heterogeneous landscapes on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It is important for the conservation of the wide dry and deciduous tropical forest, considered among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The region Chamela-Cuixmala is located on the coastal plain of the Sierra Madre del Sur in the subprovinces of the Sierras of Jalisco and Colima. It is a predominantly mountainous region where the relief of the coastal plain is dominated by hills, which are interrupted by plains or floodplains of rivers or streams. The climate is tropical with strong seasonality between the rainy (July to October) and dry season (November-June). The climate of the region is hot and humid with average annual temperature of 25 °C, the coldest month exceeds 18 °C. The biosphere reserve is located 170 km from the city of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco and 100 km from the city of Manzanillo, Colima. Rural populations closest to the reserve, having a population between 300 and 1500 people are Pérula, San Mateo, Francisco Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Within the limits of the core area, there are no established populations, only some research facilities and logistical support from the Biological Station and the Ecological Foundation of Cuixmala. In the tranistion zone population is estimated at 5800 people. This area contains both natural ecosystems and ecosystems transformed by human activities that are practiced in the region. In this area numerous agricultural activities are developed, mainly related to livestock and tourism. There is a management tool which is the Ecological Management Plan for the Coast Jalisco Region, developed by the state government and supported by the federal government, which regulates from an environmental point of view, economic activities that can be developed in the region. |
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| Major ecosystem type | The biosphere reserve contributes to the maintenance of a broad environmental heterogeneity resulting from the geomorphological features, topography, soil and microclimate, that sustains various types of vegetation and plant associations, animal species and related ecological processes that are essential to maintain the equilibrium in these ecosystems. The tropical deciduous forest is the dominant ecosystem in the region. | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | The region is dominated by tropical deciduous forest and subcaducifolios tropical forest and wetland vegetation in floodplains where rivers and streams flow into the sea. It also contains coastal and marine ecosystems and islands. | |||
| Location |
Central 19° 30’ 00’’ latitud N 105° 00’ 00’’ longitud W Límite noroeste 19° 40’ 00’’ latitud N 105° 15’ 00’’ longitud W Límite sureste 19° 15’ 00’’ latitud N 104° 50’ 00’’ longitud W |
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| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 63,950 | |||
| Core area(s) | 8,325.35 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 45,351.32 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 10,273.06 | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | ||||
| Year designated | 2006 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Fundación Ecológica de Cuixmala, A.C. Estación de Biología Chamela/Instituto de Biología/Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas | |||
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| Brief description |
Since 1971 when the Biological Station Chamela was established in the region, there has been continuous effort of research and observation. In 1988 these activities are strengthened with the addition of the Ecological Foundation of Cuixmala (FECx) that was founded to provide protection, encourage research and promote the creation of the biosphere reserve. |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Abiotic factors, climate, drought, erosion, geology, geomorphology, global change, habitat, hydrology, indicators, meteorology, nutrients, soil, topography, uv radiation/solar radiation. | |||
| Biodiversity | Amphibians, autoecology/synecology, beach/soft bottom, biodiversity, biogeography, biology, birds, community studies/communities, conservation, degraded areas, ecology, ecosystem assessment, ecosystem functioning/ecosystem structure, ecotone, endemic species, ethology, evapotranspiration, evolutionary studies/palaeoecology/evolution, fauna, fires/fire ecology, fishes, flora, forest systems, freshwater/inland water, fungi, genetic resources, indicators, invertebrates/insects/spiders, island systems/islands, lichens, mammals, mangrove, microorganisms, migrating populations/migration, natural medicinal products, natural resources, perturbations/resilience/vulnerability, pests/diseases, phenology, plankton, plants, pollination, productivity, rare/endangered/threatened species, reptiles, restoration/rehabilitation/redevelopment, species inventorying/inventory, sub-tropical and temperate rainforest/sub-tropical forest, taxonomy, vegetation studies/plant cover, wildlife. | |||
| Socio-economic | Agriculture/Production systems, agroforestry, capacity building, demography, economically important species, forestry, human health, natural hazards, people-nature relations/man/nature, recreation, resource use, social/socio-economic aspects, tourism, traditional practices/ethnology/traditional knowledge. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Biogeochemistry, carrying capacity/sustainability, ecosystem approach, education and public awareness, environmental change, environmental quality, geographic information system/gis, impact and risk studies/environmental impact, indicators, infrastructure, institutional and legal aspects, integrated studies/interdisciplinaty, interdisciplinary studies, land tenure, land use/land cover, landscape inventorying/monitoring, management issues, mapping, monitoring/methodologies, planning and zoning measures/zonation, policy issues, sustainable development/sustainable use, transboundary/transfrontiers. | |||
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| Contact address |
Alvaro Miranda Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas Camino al Ajusco No. 200 3º Piso, Colonia Jardines en la Montaña 14210 Tlalpan, México Mexico |
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| Telephone | (55) 54497000 | |||
| Fax | ||||
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amiranda@dmstecnologias.com.mx |
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| Last updated: 3/8/2011 |
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