México's Vast Biodiversity

Biodiversity in Mexico:

When people think of Mexico, they generally think of an arid country with lots of sand a cacti. Most people may think Mexico has little to no biodiversity in comparison with other tropical countries close to the equator.

These assumptions could not be further from the truth. While up in northern Mexico is indeed Arid, many of the areas in the south of Mexico receive over 2,000 mm (or 80 inches) of annual precipitation. This is almost entirely caused by the rainfall. One of the rainiest places in Mexico is Tanango, Oaxaca. They receive over 5,000 mm (16.4 feet) of rain annually.

Thanks to the heterogeneity of its terrain and the fact that it's between the tropics, Mexico has a great variety of ecosystems. These range from high mountain cloud forests to sea bottoms abundant in coral reefs, deserts, and coastal lagoons. The territory has about 50,000 square kilometers of humid forests – equal to all of Costa Rica.

Mexico is also the world leader in terms of climate and ecosystem diversity.  It is one of the only countries on earth with arid deserts, dry scrublands, temperate forests, high-altitude alpine areas, subtropical forests, tropical rainforests, and extensive coral reefs. The multitude of ecosystems in Mexico supports a very wide range of biodiversity.

The terrain is also full of mountains. People also rarely associate Mexico with mountains. The eastern Sierra Madre is considered to be on par with the mountain range of the Rockies from Canada to the United States. The Sierra Madre extends over 1,250 km from Sonora to Nayarit. Paralleling that is the eastern Sierra Madre range which spans 1,300 km from Texas to Oaxaca. The Southern Sierra Madre reaches from Jalisco to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca. Finally, the jagged sierras of Chiapas and Baja California rise up through those states as well.

And if you are a cyclist, Mexico has some of the best mountain clubs in the world. Along with lush and beautiful scenery to view and admire. Check out Bici Bucerias for more info!

Of course, we can’t forget about the beaches! Mexico has miles and miles of virgin beaches to explore. Over 11,000 kilometers of coastline along the Atlantic and the Pacific, and a fun fact, Mexico is one of the few countries in the world that has more coastline than land borders

Species diversity:

Not only is Mexico extremely diverse in its ecosystem, but it is also very diverse when with comes to the species that inhabit this country. With over 200,000 different species, Mexico is home to 10-12& of the world’s biodiversity. Mexico ranks 1st in biodiversity in reptiles with 707 known species, 2nd in mammals with 438 species, 4th in amphibians with 290 species, and 4th in flora, with 26,000 different species. Mexico is also considered the 2nd country in the world in ecosystems and 4th in overall species. Approximately 2,500 species are protected by Mexican legislations and the Mexican government created the National System of Information about Biodiversity, in order to study and promote the sustainable use of ecosystems.

There are also 170,000 square kilometers in Mexico that ios protected natural areas. Included in this area are 34 reserve biospheres (unaltered ecosystems), 64 national parks, 4 natural monuments (protected in perpetuity for their aesthetic, scientific, or historical value), 26 areas of protected flora and fauna, 4 areas for natural resource protection (conservation of soil, hydrological basins, and forests) and 17 sanctuaries (zones rich in diverse species).

Food diversity:

Mexico is also home to a very diverse food culture and heritage. Some highlight ingredients are Corn, Cacao, Queltes (green herbs and vegetables), Vanilla, Mezcal, Pumpkin, Jicama, Chipotles en adobo, chayote, epazote, camote, jícama, nopal, tejocote, huitlacoche, sapote, mamey sapote, and many varieties of beans. Most of these names remain in indigenous languages like Nahuatl.