The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve was created by presidential decree on May 19, 1997, in order to protect the exceptional richness of species and ecosystems that it possesses, and is under management by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) of the SEMARNAT. The reserve is located in the north of the state of Querétaro, between the parallels 20° 50'and 21° 45' of North latitude and the meridians 98° 50' and 100° 10' of West longitude, and has an extension of 383 567 hectares, which represent 32% of the state territory.

It has 11 core zones that cover an area of 24,803 hectares, and a buffer zone that covers an area of 358,764 hectares. It is made up of the municipalities of Jalpan de Serra, Arroyo Seco, Landa de Matamoros, as well as 88.03% of Pinal de Amoles and 69.7% of the municipality of Peña Miller. In the RBSG there are 638 localities established with a population close to 100,000 inhabitants.

The main biological characteristic of the Sierra Gorda is its eco diversity, a characteristic that makes it unique due to the large number of ecosystems it presents. For that reason, it is the richest, most conserved and diverse sector in the state of Querétaro. It occupies the first place among the ANPs of Mexico in terms of eco diversity, which is due to its geographical position at the confluence of the Neartic and Neotropical bioregions and the fact of its great physiographic complexity and its different altitudes ranging from from 300 meters above sea level in the Santa María river canyon, to 3,100 meters above sea level in the Cerro de La Pingüica. These factors, together with a heterogeneous rainfall that varies from 350 to 2,000, favors numerous climatic variations. The different patterns of pluvial precipitation are stimulated by the mountain ranges that make up the Sierra Gorda, which cause the so-called orographic or rain shadows. Hydrologically it belongs to the basin of the Pánuco river, through currents such as those of the Santa María and Moctezuma rivers, which in turn are fed by the tributaries of the Escanela, Tancuilín, Extoraz, Ayutla and Concá rivers.

Source: http://www.sierragorda.net/

Founded in 1989, Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda I.A.P. is an organization with a broad capacity for national and international dialogue, which maintains its action as the main promoter of the educational process at multiple levels, serving a large public, sensitizing and organizing communities to take over their territory and train an active civic spirit for the environment, which opens the door to solving the serious environmental pressure of the many communities and their demands. It seeks to consolidate a conservation economy through a variety of initiatives, strengthen local capacities and replicate experiences and lessons learned, with the clear objective of conserving biodiversity.

From GESGIAP the different instances have emanated, which, consolidated like other Institutions, complete the spectrum of essential actions for a holistic project. He is also in charge of financial management, monitoring of ecosystems and the social return on investment, visibility and public ownership at national and international levels, and dissemination of conservation values. And today through the project "Centro Tierra Sierra Gorda, training, community and conservation" promotes the replication of successful learning from the project to other areas within Mexico and Latin America.

Source: http://sierragorda.net/acerca-de/

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