La Primavera Biosphere Reserve, also known as La Primavera Flora and Fauna Protection Area, is a protected natural area in western

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

. It is located in the state of

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal ...

, immediately west of the city of

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalaj ...

Geography

La Primavera has an area of 305 km². The terrain is rugged, ranging from 1400 to 2200 meters elevation. the reserve includes the Sierra la Primavera, an inactive volcanic region. The Sierra is relatively geologically recent, forming in a series of eruptions between 120,000 and 20,000 years ago.

There are numerous springs and 20 permanent streams. Some drain north or east into the

Río Grande de Santiago The Río Grande de Santiago, or Santiago River, is a river in western Mexico. It flows westwards from Lake Chapala via Ocotlán through the states of Jalisco and Nayarit to empty into the Pacific Ocean. It one of the longest rivers in Mexico ...

, which lies to the north, and flow westwards to form the headwaters of the

Ameca River The Ameca River ( es, Río Ameca) is a river of some in length in western Mexico. It rises in the Bosque de la Primavera in Jalisco, 23 km to the west of state capital Guadalajara; flows through the city of Ameca; and then forms the bo ...

. The climate is tropical, warm, and subhumid, with an annual mean temperature of 21º C. Mean annual rainfall is 980 mm.

Flora and fauna

The natural vegetation is pine–oak forest. More than 772 plant species have been recorded in the reserve, including 80% of the orchid species reported in Jalisco. Stream valleys in the western portion of the reserve, which form the headwaters of the

, are home are patches of relict

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

. Typical trees include ''Clethra rosei,

Ficus insipida ''Ficus insipida'' is a common tropical tree in the fig genus of the family Moraceae growing in forest habitats along rivers. It ranges from Mexico to northern South America. Taxonomy The tree was described in 1806 under the scientific name ' ...

, Ilex dugesii,

Morella cerifera ''Myrica cerifera'' is a small evergreen tree or large shrub native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. Its common names include southern wax myrtle, southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub. It sees uses both i ...

, Persea hintonii, Prunus serotina'' subsp. ''capuli, Quercus magnoliifolia,

Quercus gentryi ''Quercus gentryi'' is a species of oak. It is native to western and north-western Mexico, from Sonora south to Michoacán and east as far as Guanajuato. Description ''Quercus gentryi'' is a short evergreen tree up to tall with a trunk as much ...

'', and ''

Salix taxifolia ''Salix taxifolia'', the yewleaf or yew-leaf willow, is a species of willow native to all of southern Mexico, also Pacific Coast regions, north to Sinaloa, and in the south Pacific Coast of Mexico into central Guatemala. Scattered populations are ...

''. An endemic species of poplar, '' Populus primaveralepensis'', was recently discovered growing in these stream valleys. 205 resident and migratory bird species have been recorded in the reserve."La Primavera Biosphere Reserve, Mexico". UNESCO, December 2018. Accessed 8 September 2021

/ref> Native birds include the

lesser roadrunner The lesser roadrunner (''Geococcyx velox'') is a large, long-legged member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from Mesoamerica. The Latin name means "swift earth-cuckoo". Along with the greater roadrunner, it is one of two species in the genus ''G ...

(''Geococcyx velox''),

berylline hummingbird The berylline hummingbird (''Saucerottia beryllina'') is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States. Taxonomy and system ...

(''Saucerottia beryllina''),

russet-crowned motmot The russet-crowned motmot (''Momotus mexicanus'') is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala. It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned mot ...

(''Momotus mexicanus''), black-throated magpie-jay (''Calocitta colliei''),

spotted wren The spotted wren (''Campylorhynchus gularis'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The spotted wren has sometimes been considered conspecific with Boucard's wren (''Campylorhyn ...

(''Campylorhynchus gularis''),

brown-backed solitaire The brown-backed solitaire (''Myadestes occidentalis'') is considered a thrush and is placed in the family Turdidae. It is a medium-sized bird about 21 centimeters (8 inches) long. It is a mostly grayish bird with brown flight feathers (hence t ...

(''Myadestes occidentalis''),

blue mockingbird The blue mockingbird (''Melanotis caerulescens'') is a species of bird in the family Mimidae. It is endemic to Mexico, but has occurred as a vagrant in the southern United States. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, sub ...

(''Melanotis caerulescens''), collared towhee (''Pipilo ocai''),

blue bunting The blue bunting (''Cyanocompsa parellina'') is a species of passerine in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics Fr ...

(''Cyanocompsa parellina''),

black-vented oriole The black-vented oriole (''Icterus wagleri'') is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, ...

(''Icterus wagleri''), and

rusty-crowned ground sparrow The rusty-crowned ground sparrow (''Melozone kieneri'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae that is endemic to western and southwestern Mexico. The species occurs both in the Sierra Madre Occidental range, and the Cordillera Neovol ...

(''Melozone kieneri''). 73 native mammal species have been recorded in the reserve, as have 49 species of reptiles and amphibians.

Conservation

La Primavera was designated a forest protection area and wildlife refuge in 1980 by presidential decree. It was redesignated a flora and fauna protection area by the Mexican government in 2000. In 2006 it was designated a

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

. Guadalajara is Mexico's third-largest metropolitan area, and it extends to the reserve. The reserve is one of residents' favorite recreational areas. There are 12 trails in the reserve, and 8 educational camps. 1560 ha of the reserve is dedicated to public use and recreational activities. The reserve's forests help moderate Guadalajara's climate, improve air quality, and absorb

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is t ...

and other airborne pollutants. The forests also improve water quality in the region's rivers, recharge groundwater basins, and reduce flooding risk in communities downstream.

References

{{commons cat Biosphere reserves of Mexico Protected areas of Jalisco Protected areas of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Flora and fauna protection areas of Mexico Bajío dry forests