CHARACTERISTICS AND RISK FACTORS OF BIODIVERSITY IN MEXICO - ENVIRONMENT - 2024

The biodiversity of Mexico has a wide series of characteristics that make it a unique flora and fauna ecosystem, but which unfortunately also includes many risk factors that are being solved.

According to the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), despite the fact that the Mexican territory covers only 1% of the earth's surface, Mexico has more than 10% of the species registered on the planet.

Mexico has a great variety of endemic species; that is, autochthonous species that make life in a specific ecosystem of the Mexican territory. Among them are: the Guadalupe palm, the Jalisco pine, the pygmy rattlesnake and the desert tortoise.

Characteristics of the megabiodiversity of Mexico

The geological and biological records of the Mexican territory favor certain natural conditions that, in turn, forged the variety of ecosystems and endemic species of the region.

Among the main appreciable ecosystems in Mexico are: tropical rainforests, temperate forests, caves, caves, bushes, grasslands, swamps, springs, lakes, streams, underground rivers, rocky coasts, mangroves, beaches and dunes, open sea, seabed and coral reefs.

According to the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change - INECC (2007), the most biodiverse Mexican state is the state of Oaxaca. Chiapas, Veracruz, Guerrero and Michoacán follow.

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What are the risk factors for Mexican biodiversity?

The factors that most threaten the survival of animal and plant species in Mexico are:

- Deterioration of natural habitats: human intervention is one of the most important risk factors.

Man constantly transforms virgin ecosystems into areas of agricultural, industrial, urban or tourist exploitation, which becomes the main cause of loss of biodiversity.

The imbalance of ecosystems

The introduction of exotic species in alien ecosystems fosters environmental imbalance.

Exotic species that are violated, taken from their natural habitat, and included in a different ecosystem, tend to become pests of the new ecosystem, altering the environmental balance of the area in which they have been introduced.

Over-exploitation of ecosystems

If the extraction of animals from an ecosystem exceeds the reproduction rate of that species, the net population of the place decreases, promoting the extinction of the species due to over-exploitation.

One of the main causes of over-exploitation of species is indiscriminate hunting.

Unsustainable tourism

Some marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves or wetlands are often modified or destroyed for the development of tourism activities.

Environmental pollution

The use of industrial fertilizers or insecticides, as well as aerosols that pollute the ozone layer, promote the pollution of water, air and soil.

Pollution, in turn, affects the presence of climatic changes, such as the increase in temperature due to the greenhouse effect, for example.

This type of modification in the ecosystem considerably damages the living conditions of the species.

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References

1. Biodiversity in Mexico (2015). Mexico DF, Mexico. Recovered from: southernportal.com
2. Causes of Megadiversity in Mexico (2003). Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Recovered from: vivanatura.org
3. Mexican Biodiversity (2016). Cancun, Mexico. Recovered from: cop13.mx
4. Why is Biodiversity lost? Mexico DF, Mexico. Recovered from: biodiversity.gob.mx
5. The Importance of Biodiversity for Mexico (2014). Geneva, Switzerland. Recovered from: teebweb.org