The Cañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection Area (Spanish: ''Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Cañón de Santa Elena'') is a protected area for plants and wildlife in the Mexican municipalities of Manuel Benavides and

Ojinaga Ojinaga (Manuel Ojinaga) is a town and seat of the Ojinaga (municipality), municipality of Ojinaga, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. As of 2015, the town had a total population of 28,040. It is a rural border town ...

, in the state of Chihuahua. It was founded on November 7, 1994 and has an area of 277,209

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

s. The purpose of the reserve is to protect the Chihuahuan Desert, home to many species of plants and wildlife. Diverse species of the former category are found among scrub stands, microphyll desert, rosetophylous scrub,

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

oak forest An oak forest is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak forests contain the most closed canopy, compared to oak savannas and oak woodlands. Setting Oak forests are categoriz ...

and riparian zones. Birds and mammals that have adapted to aridity, such as

wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

and some

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

, as well as

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

, highlight the latter category.

History

The

arrowhead An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, or sometimes for special purposes such as signaling. ...

mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...

and paintings found at the site indicate the following human occupation periods:

Paleo-Indian Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in ...

(15,000–6,500 BC), Archaic (6500 BC – 900 AD), early Postclassic (900–1500 AD), and late Postclassic (1300–1680). These populations were dispersed with seasonal movements, allowing the use of resources. They engaged in

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

, the

collection Collection or Collections may refer to: Computing * Collection (abstract data type), the abstract concept of collections in computer science * Collection (linking), the act of linkage editing in computing * Garbage collection (computing), autom ...

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

, and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. Among the groups transiting this area were the Conchos, the

Jumano The Jumanos were a tribe or several tribes, who inhabited a large area of western Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, especially near the Junta de los Rios region with its large settled Indigenous population. They lived in the Big Bend area ...

, the Chisos and

Apaches The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

, the

Chiricahua Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua historically shared a common area, language, customs, and intertwined family relations with their fellow Apaches. ...

, the

Mescalero Mescalero or Mescalero Apache () is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-central New Mexico. In ...

s and Lipanes. The Spanish and

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

arrived at the same time, and ended with the Mescalero and Lipan. The colonial government established the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

as a line of defense, where it built small

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

s, which were guarded by a garrison of soldiers. These were San Carlos, in Chihuahua, and the Board of Rivers, San Vicente, Santa Rosa and San Juan Bautista, in

Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza, is one of the 31 states of Mexico. The largest city and State Capital is the city of Saltillo; the second largest is Torreón and the thi ...

. Until 1890 the region remained virtually uninhabited due to attacks by Apaches and Comanche tribes. From 1784, the fort of San Carlos was abandoned and was only used by travelers, who were protected from attack by Apaches and bandits. The first council of municipality of Ojinaga was built in 1824, and was annexed in 1831, as a section of San Carlos, which bears the name of Manuel Benavides.

Geography

The protected area is in the Chihuahuan desert ecoregion. It includes a number of mountain ranges separated by valleys and undulating plains. It has great diversity of vegetation types because of the large differences in altitude, from above sea level.

Location

The Santa Elena Canyon is the state of Chihuahua, bounded on the

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

by the

and on the east by

. 80% of the reserve is located in the municipalities of Manuel Benavides and

. It covers a strip of wide by long. It has a height above sea level ranging from , on the highest part. It adjoins

Ocampo Flora and Fauna Protection Area Ocampo Flora and Fauna Protection Area is a protected area in northern Mexico. It covers an area of 3442.38 km2 in the state of Coahuila. It is bounded on the north by the Rio Grande, which forms the border with the United States. It adjoins M ...

on the east.

Geology

The area has a base of Cretaceous limestone on which developed

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

in mid-

Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

. Volcanism caused folds between the plates, because the fragment into blocks of

lift Lift or LIFT may refer to: Physical devices * Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods ** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop ** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobile ...

s formed and depressions. In areas are

metamorphic rocks Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock ( protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...

Palaeozoic granitic and igneous intrusions. The area of Santa Elena Canyon includes the

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

s of El Ranchito, Sierra Rica and El Mulatto, among which are the valleys of Alamo, Chapó, El Mulato, and Rancho Blanco. Also they highlight the low hills of Manuel Benavides, Paso Lajitas and San Antonio. The area has two canyons: La Gaviota (the Seagull), deep, and Santa Elena, with a depth of . Much of the area is flat, with slopes less than 8% and bigoted hills and formations.

Climate

The area has an extremely dry and hot climate. The climatic conditions are very extreme, with temperatures up to in summer. In addition, there is a contrast between the desert and cold temperate ecosystems. The climate is

arid Aridity is the condition of geographical regions which make up approximately 43% of total global available land area, characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.Perez-Aguilar, L. Y., Plata ...

, with little rain in summer.

Demographics

The main villages of the area are Manuel Benavides, which is the county seat, Loma de Juárez, El Mulato, Area Montoya, Paso Lajitas, New Lajitas, Santa Elena, Altares, Paso de San Antonio, San Antonio Alamos,

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, Jars of Wizards and Alamos Marquez. In addition, the towns of

, La Mula, Mahijoma and Morita are located in the area of influence. It is estimated that 2,578 inhabitants live in the protected area. Within the protected area there are 125 properties, which occupy 34.8% of the area, 13

ejido An ''ejido'' (, from Latin ''exitum'') is an area of communal land used for agriculture in which community members have usufruct rights, which in Mexico is not held by the Mexican state. People awarded ejidos in the modern era farm them indiv ...

s, which occupy 59.4%, and foundations and centers of population and public lands occupy the remaining 5.8%. The soils of the area and the area of influence are used for

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

, and

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

Flora and fauna

In the area, there are several species, of which 79 are protected. Thirteen of these are species of plants, mostly cacti, while the rest are 66 species of wildlife, among which include the black bear, the

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

, the

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

, and the

beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

. The area has a great diversity of vegetation, highlighting the scrub desert microphyll, scrub desert rosetophylous, the

, the

and vegetation riparian, and also scrub Guamis, mariola, cenixo and guayacán in addition to

mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

catnip ''Nepeta cataria'', commonly known as catnip and catmint, is a species of the genus ''Nepeta'' in the mint family, native plant, native to southern and eastern Europe, northern parts of the Middle East, and Central Asia. It is widely naturalis ...

and huizaches. In the region with resetófila vegetation, lechuguilla,

sotol Sotol is a distilled spirit made from the plants of the genus ''Dasylirion'', which grow in the Chihuahuan desert of northern Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, and west and central Texas. Sotol liquor is known as the state spirit of Chihuahua; how ...

and various species of

cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

develop. Moreover, there is riparian vegetation consisting of poplars and

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

s.The riparian vegetation is the one located on the banks of rivers. In the desert scrub microphyll, various species such as

Creosote bush ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush, greasewood, and chaparral is a medicinal herb. In Sonora, it is more commonly called ''hediondilla''; Spanish ''hediondo'' = "smelly". It is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae. The specific ...

(''Larrea tridentata''), hojasén (''Flourensia cernua''), mariola (''Parthenium incanum''),

(''Prosopis glandulosa''),

ocotillo ''Fouquieria splendens'', commonly known as ocotillo, is a plant indigenous to the Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Colorado deserts in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), and nor ...

(''Founquieria splendens'') and

reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

(''Koeberlinia spinosa''), among others may be found. In the desert scrub rosetophylous, there are species such as

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera **Palm oil * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music ...

(''Yucca rostrata''), lechuguilla (''Agave lechugilla''),

maguey Maguey may refer to various American plants: * Genus ''Agave'', especially ** Species ''Agave americana ''Agave americana'', commonly known as the century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Asp ...

(''Agave spp''), among others. In the grasslands, there are species such as

penknives Penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding knife. Today ''penknife'' is also the common British English term for both a pocketknife, which can have single or multiple blades, and for multi-tools, with additional tools incorporated into the des ...

(''Bouteloua gracilis'') or the curly mesquite (''Hilaria belangeri''), among others. This table groups vegetation protection area are based on its altitude and its botanical composition. The fauna of the region is composed by

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s and

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s that have adapted to aridity. Among the species that inhabit the area are the

black-tailed jackrabbit The black-tailed jackrabbit (''Lepus californicus''), also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to . Reaching a length around , and a ...

, the

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

(''Lynx rufus''), the

whitetail deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North, Central and South America. It is the most widely-distributed mainland ungulate ...

(''Odocoileus virginianus''), the

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

(''Odocoileus hemionus''), the

collared peccary The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a peccary, a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Peccary, Tayassuidae found in North America, North, Central America, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the gen ...

(''Tayassu tajacu''),

mourning dove The mourning dove (''Zenaida macroura'') is a member of the dove Family (biology), family, Columbidae. The bird is also known as the American mourning dove, the rain dove, the chueybird, colloquially as the turtle dove, and it was once known a ...

s, some

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

s and

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s. There are also

(''Falcao peregrinus''), the

kestrel The term kestrel (from , derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover ...

(''Falco sparverius'') and the

(''Aquila chrysaetos''). In addition, the presence of

songbirds A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passerine, Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes co ...

and ornamental birds stands out, and several species of fish.

Creating the protected area

In 1990, at the request of the Government of the State of Chihuahua, the process for creating 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, funga, or features of geologic ...

in Northwest state of Chihuahua was initiated, bordering with the

Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topograph ...

in United States. After some meetings with villagers and local authorities, the region was declared a Protected Area of Flora and Fauna in 1994.'' Management Program Protection Area Wildlife Canyon de Santa Elena, Mexico '', p. 8 This protected area was included within the area of the Forest Protected Area, and declared in 1934, with the aim of conserving irrigation watersheds, protecting the flow of the

Amistad Reservoir Amistad Reservoir () is a Reservoir (water), reservoir on the Rio Grande at its confluence with the Devils River (Texas), Devils River northwest of Del Rio, Texas, Del Rio, Texas. The lake is bounded by Val Verde County, Texas, Val Verde County ...

. The Federal government of the United States had pushed, since 1934, for the creation of a protected area in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

to be the counterpart of Big Bend National Park. These initiatives were not considered for various reasons until 1994, except for the creation of the Department of Forest Protection enacted in 1934. USA Santa Elena Canyon pano TX

Threats to the reserve

The protected area is affected by various threats, all being caused by humans. These may be environmental, due to the excesses committed by the settlers on the resources of

, with an overload of ranching and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

. Also, some people are clearing land for new crops, thus losing native plant species. Another threat is the mining exploitation, using materials extracted for works and services. There is also the plant smuggling, especially

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

s and other archaeological artifacts used by the ancient inhabitants of the area. A looming threat is unchecked

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, which can inadvertently damage parts of the reserve.

Goals

This reserve was created with the aim of having a protected area that represented the ecological area known as Chihuahuan desert, where counterpart of protected areas border of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, being able to extend the protection of

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

s and conducting joint actions in ecological matters. A study of Autonomous University of Chihuahua conducted in 1994 also argues that the region should be protected because it has a considerable amount of

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

(13 species of flora and 66 of fauna) and a large geological, hydrological and historical heritage, and a striking contrast between the ecosystems of desert and forest.'' Management Program Area of Protection of Flora and Fauna Santa Elena Canyon, Mexico'', p. 9.

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

Map -Protection Area of Flora and Fauna Santa Elena Canyon, Chihuahua
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canon de Santa Elena Protected areas of the Chihuahuan Desert Protected areas of Chihuahua (state) Flora and fauna protection areas of Mexico

History

Geography

Location

Geology

Climate

Demographics

Flora and fauna

Creating the protected area

Threats to the reserve

Goals

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links