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Home | Save Land | Travel | Totals | Resources | Get Involved | About | October 4, 7:31 pm CT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Project: Endangered Mexican Wildlife
Protect the Pozas Azules and the Cuatro Cienegas Basin This area in central Coahuila in The Pozas Azules ("blue wells") comprise an extensive series of cenotes formed in gypsum deposits where ground water rises to within 3 - 6 ft. of the surface. The color of the pools varies with the depth (up to 40 ft.), bottom type, and water chemistry. Ones with a high percentage of organic material appear black, shallow springs with light bottoms are a transparent white, and deep ones with large amounts of dissolved solids are milky-blue from carbonates precipitated within their water column, (giving the area its name). Carbonate precipitation by algal communities in a number of cenotes forms stromatolites that may exceed 5 ft. "Their presence, living and abundant in the freshwaters of Pozas Azules is exceptional, immeasurably increasing the area's value for science, education, or tourism."-W.L. Minkley, Arizona State University 3/2000 Gypsum which has evaporated from the marshes and lagoons in the valley over thousands of years has blown into dunes that used to exceed 50 ft. in height, (now 20 ft. as a result of mining). There are only 2 other gypsum dunes in North America. Another result of a constant water supply over many thousands of years is the remarkable bio-diversity, including endemic species related to distant cousins in the tropics or Southern US and several relic populations of northern species that have survived here because of a stable source of water. "The antiquity of aquatic animals of a diversity of groups indicates considerable system age" - W. L. Minkley. Threats to the valley include gypsum mining in non-protected areas, livestock grazing, and irrigation for agriculture. Several fresh water fish species have become extinct because some lagoons have dried.
Protect Endangered Parrots Less than 2% of the original forest in the Sierra Madre Occidental remains relatively undisturbed. Unfortunately, the Mexican Thick-billed parrot which lives in that forest, only nests above 7600 ft., which coincides with the most valuable timber species of the forest. This site, Cebadillas de Yaguirachic, was identified as the most important nesting area of the species and negotiations with Ejido Tutuaca, a rural forest cooperative, took two years. The Ejido leased the land in exchange for 1/2 of the income they would have received by logging it and assistance with developing other sustainable income streams including eco-tourism and sustainable forestry certification. This agreement should ensure that retaining the pristine forest has more value to the community than logging it at the end of the lease period. Preserving this land will preserve the species, because conservationists are increasing the fledgling rate of wild nests in Cebadillas and transplanting parrots to other areas of Mexico where the low density of parrots is leading to a decline in reproductive success. It is hoped that parrots from Cebadillas will be used to reintroduce the Mexican Thick-billed parrot into its former range in the Sky Islands of Arizona and New Mexico. Pronatura - 8.25 sq. ft. per sponsor. To contribute to the Cuatro Cienegas campaign directly through the Nature Conservancy, visit their web site. For more information:
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