La Michilía Biosphere Reserve
La Michilía Biosphere Reserve is a protected area in northwestern Mexico. It is located in the Sierra Madre Occidental range in the south of the state of Durango.
Geography
The reserve covers an area of 350 km2. The reserve spans two ranges, the Sierra Michis and the Sierra Urica, which are part of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Between the two sierras is a landscape of hills and plateaus, threaded through by valleys and canyons. The valley of the San Pedro Mezquital River lies west of the reserve, and the Mexican Plateau to the north and east. The reserve adjoins the Cuenca Alimentadora del Distrito Nacional de Riego 043 Estado de Nayarit on the northwest and southwest.Ecology
There reserve is in the Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests ecoregion. It is home to several distinct plant communities. Conifer forests prevail at higher elevation, with species of pine, Mexican Douglas-fir, cypress, and juniper, along with pine–oak forests. Oak forests and woodlands are found at middle elevations. Other plant communities include grasslands, dry shrubland, and wetlands. The reserve is home to 770 species of vascular plants.Large mammals include the Coues white-tailed deer, puma, and coyote. The Mexican gray wolf and American black bear had been extirpated from the reserve, but have been successfully reintroduced. There is a captive breeding facility for Mexican wolves and white tailed deer.
Native birds include the golden eagle, wild turkey, and thick-billed parrot. The imperial woodpecker once inhabited the area but is now thought to be extinct.