Due to its geographical location and its heterogeneous topography, Mexico has a great variety of ecosystems, from high mountains to underground waters, crossing through deserts and coral reefs, cloud forests and coastal lagoons. Learn more about the Ecosystems of Mexico!
The Ecosystem in Mexico
One of the most incredible places on the planet is Mexico, its unique ecosystem attracts scientists and on the eve it became known that researchers intend to use the latest technology to study this territory, for example, a camera of Continental Drift, Developed by specialists, its capabilities allow you to take pictures in the deepest layers of the ocean.
People from other places generally think of Mexico as an arid country with lots of cacti, the general impression is that Mexico has relatively little biodiversity compared to tropical countries that hug the equator, such as Brazil and Indonesia.
These impressions couldn't be further from the truth, while northern Mexico is indeed arid, many areas in southern Mexico receive more than 2,000mm of annual precipitation, almost all of it as rain, the wettest place of Mexico, Tenango, Oaxaca, receives 5.000 mm of rain per year.
Types of Ecosystems in Mexico
The Ecosystems Terrestrial are founded on land, while aquatic are established in water, the main types of ecosystems are forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, freshwater and marine, the word "biome" can also be used to represent terrestrial ecosystems that stretch across a large geographic area, such as the tundra.
temperate terrestrial ecosystems
They are located in the highest places in Mexico and are located especially in temperate climates, in arid and humid atmospheres, within the coniferous forests are:
- The oak forests
- Pinos
- Firs
- Cedros
Pine and oak forests are the most exuberant, covering 15% and 5% of the Mexican surface, respectively.
Mexico has a large part of the coniferous tree species in the world, they are important because they are a source of oxygen and have a lot of biodiversity, in addition, the wood of these trees is considered to be of very good quality.
The prairies are characterized by having few trees, in Mexico they cover 6% of the territory and are between 1000 and 2500 meters high, although they can be found throughout Mexico, they can reach a height of up to 70 centimeters.
Aquatic ecosystems of Mexico
Among the Characteristics of the Ecosystems of Mexico In this feature are the following:
- Cienegas and springs: The most representative city within this category is Cuatro Ciénegas de Carranza, which has various aquatic stages and is home to organisms that are not found in other areas.
In these springs 70 different species are housed, the springs are internationally protected because they have endemic species of flora and fauna that do not exist in other parts of the world.
- Lakes, rivers and streams: They are very important because they provide more than 60% of the water that Mexicans use to survive, in this category is Laguna San Ignacio, which includes in its habitat the blue whale and sea turtles and Lake Chapala, the largest of Mexico.
Among the 51 main rivers in Mexico are the Rio Grande, 2000 kilometers long, and the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers, which flow in the same channel that is the platform of the most important hydroelectric plants in Mexico.
Coastal aquatic ecosystems
For this kind of Ecosystems we have the following:
- Wetlands: About 9 million hectares in Mexico are covered by wetlands, corresponding to 20% of the African of the world and 5% of the Mexican surface, this ecosystem regulates the water supply and favors its decontamination.
- Mangroves: They are thick formations of mangroves, small bushes with fruits, in these mangroves organisms such as crustaceans are produced, which are part of the basic elements of fishing in this area, in addition, the mangroves control flooding and coastal erosion.
- reefs: This ecosystem is home to a lot of marine life, from fish to algae, they are shallow, close to the coast and occupy more than 1700 square kilometers, among its functions are the calming of waves and protection against possible hurricanes.
- Islands: The islands cover more than 5000 square kilometers of the Mexican surface, there are more than three thousand islands in Mexico.
Flora and Fauna of Mexico
Mexico is a distant and amazing country, whose flora and fauna are incredible, it combines vast plateaus covered with scattered cacti and wetlands with a humid tropical forest, snow-capped mountain peaks of volcanoes and deep hollows with scattered dry forests, steep slopes of ridges with oak and pine species and hot desert shorelines.
Vegetation
The flora of Mexico is diverse, due to the large size of the country and the presence of various climatic zones, the north of the country is mainly occupied by deserts and steppes and is covered with cacti, of which there are about 500 species, yucca, agave and mesquite, the central humid area is covered with lush vegetation, mixed forests of hornbeam, plane trees, lime trees, American walnuts.
In hot regions, a tropical forest grows with a large number of rare and typical tropical plants, here, there are various types of palm, rubber and olive trees, bamboo, mahogany, saddle, kampesh, as well as a large number of fruit trees: avocado, custard apple, sapote, guava, mothers, etc.
Animals
The fauna is also diverse and varies according to the climatic zone, the north is a habitat for wolves, wild cats, prairie dogs, coyotes, kangaroo rats and antelope horns, in the mountainous areas live bears, jaguars, lynxes, pumas and ocelots , in the south there are monkeys, tapirs, anteaters, marsupial possums, wood porcupines, you can find seals on the coast. Mexico also has a large number of turtles, snakes, lizards.
A large number of feathered inhabitants. Here you can see many exotic birds: pelicans, toucans, parrots, cormorants, flamingos, white herons, umbrellas, vultures and hummingbirds, the turquoise waters are home to a large number of fish, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, oysters, as well as dolphins and sea turtles. .
Of course, one cannot do without a huge number of insects, even here you can find a lot of spiders, butterflies, beetles and mosquitoes, crocodiles and snakes live in wetlands.
Biodiversity degradation and loss
Deforestation is one of the main factors that negatively affect the conservation of biological diversity, we evaluated the impact of deforestation on biodiversity in Mexico, quantifying its effect on the distribution of mammal species, delineation of biogeographic regionalization, the effectiveness of networks of conservation areas to avoid biologically detrimental land use land cover change.
Prioritization of the area for biodiversity conservation, deforestation has a significant impact on the distributions of species with habitat loss ranging from 10 to 90%, leading in some cases to a high risk of extinction.
Environmental impact
An environmental impact is specified as any change in the environment, whether unfavorable or beneficial, resulting from the agilities, products or services of a facility, in other words, it is the result that the actions of people have on the environment. .
For example, when volatile organic compounds are released into the environment, the consequence or impact is pollution in the form of smog, in this negative case, it can go the other way, since a person who collects garbage can have a favorable impact on the local environment.
Causes
A more primary cause of environmental impact is damage to the land, many weedy plant species, for example garlic and mustard, are alien and bothersome, the effect is a territory with a predominantly solitary plant that does not supply pleasant food assets to all environmental life, therefore the entire environment can be devastated due to these invasive species.
Things like avalanches, earthquakes, tidal waves, storms, and wildfires can totally crush nearby groups of animals and plants to the point where they can no longer survive in those areas.
This can come to fruition through physical demolition as a result of a specific disaster or through long-term degradation of assets from the introduction of a nuisance alien species to the environment, the latter frequently occurring after tidal waves, when reptiles and insects are washed ashore.
Consequences
Human health could be on the receiving end as an effect of environmental impact, areas exposed to toxic air pollutants manage to cause respiratory difficulties such as pneumonia and asthma, it is known that millions of people died due to the indirect effects of air pollution.
Other Consequences of environmental impact is deforestation, global warming, overpopulation and pollution are some of the main causes of biodiversity loss, environmental damage in the form of loss of green cover, loss of biodiversity, large landfills, increased air pollution and Water can be a big obstacle for most tourists.
Classification of Environmental Impacts
Depending on the characteristics of the environmental impacts, they can be classified as follows:
direct hits
They are produced through the direct interaction of an activity with an environmental, social or economic component, for example, a discharge from any industry or an effluent from the Treatment Plant of industrial estates into a river can lead to a decrease in the water quality in terms of high biological oxygen demand or dissolved oxygen or increased water toxins.
indirect impacts
Indirect impacts on the environment are those that are not a direct result of the project, often occurring far away or resulting from a complex impact pathway, indirect impacts are also known as secondary or even third level impacts.
Indirect impacts may also include growth-inducing impacts and other effects related to induced changes in land-use pattern or additional road network, population density, or growth rate (for example, around a power project). In the process, the air, water and other natural systems, including the ecosystem, can also be affected.
Cumulative Impacts
The cumulative impact consists of an impact that is created as a result of the combination of the project evaluated in the EIA together with other projects that cause related impacts, these impacts occur when the incremental impact of the project is combined with the cumulative effects of other past projects, present and reasonably foreseeable in the future.
Induced impacts
Cumulative impacts are due to work caused by projects and activities that can occur if the action under evaluation is carried out, such as impacts instigating development and other effects related to changes induced in the pattern of future use of the land or additional road network, population density or rate of development.
Induced actions cannot be officially announced or part of any official plan, the increase in the workforce and nearby communities contribute to this effect.
Types of environmental indicators
Environmental indicators are an indispensable tool for assessing the state of the environment, preparing environmental reports and shaping environmental policies.
Water contamination
It happens when harmful substances, often chemicals or microorganisms, infect a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, affecting the quality of the water and making it toxic to humans or the environment.
Air pollution
Air pollution is a mixture of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations both outdoors and indoors, its effects can range from increased disease risks to increased temperatures, soot, smoke, mold, pollen , methane, and carbon dioxide are just a few examples of common pollutants.
Environmental impacts on soils
Sites containing contaminated soils are common, while the need to protect human health and the environment at these sites is rarely discussed, there are questions about the magnitude of risk posed by chemicals in such soils and about cleanup levels. that must be achieved, for these cases there are indicators to measure this fact.
Health and human safety
Environmental hazards increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and many other illnesses, these hazards can be physical, such as pollution, toxic chemicals, and food contaminants, or they can be social, such as hazardous work, poor housing conditions, urban expansion and poverty.
Environmental impact assessment
It is an environmental decision support tool, which provides information on the probable impacts of development projects to those who make the decision whether the project should be authorized, the purpose is to determine the possible environmental, social and health effects of a proposed development.
Usefulness of environmental impact assessment
The environmental assessment provides a reasoned orientation for sustainable development, it also allows us to carry out environmental cost-benefit analyzes of plans at an early stage, it helps the organization and management to take long-term measures for effective management, as well as such as environmental maintenance.
Environmental impact mitigation
Environmental mitigation is the process of addressing impacts to the environment caused by human action, in particular those resulting from roads, power, water, and other infrastructure projects and follows a hierarchy, negative environmental impacts must be avoided first. eg by relocating the project to a more suitable location, if relocation is not feasible, scientific measures should be implemented to minimize damage.
Example of measure to mitigate environmental impact
Mitigation involves taking action to reduce or eliminate identified impacts and may include enhancements, which are changes unrelated to identified impacts but that improve the environment in some way, for example, creating a public boating lake on brownfield land at a certain level. distance from a large service development.
