REPRESENTATION OF THE VEGETATION TYPES IN THE NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS OF DURANGO

Abstract

Effectiveness of current protected areas and conservation priority hexagons generated by CONABIO to represent vegetation types in the state of Durango was evaluated in the 2009, as a tool to identify conservation priorities. In the state of Durango exist 38 natural vegetation types covering 9’629,553 ha which represent 78 % of territory, 19 of them are conservation gaps, which are located mainly in the northeast central region of the state, 17 vegetation types are under-represented in nature reserves and two types: halophilous vegetation and halophilous grassland in primary condition are represented in nature reserves in higher proportions than 12 % (national protected average); however, they represent only 2.2 % of territory, covering 208,341 ha and are located in Mapimí Biosphere Reserve. The inclusion of extreme importance conservation hexagons of Durango whose surface represent 141,335 ha, the 19 vegetation types which are conservation gaps, would be reduced to 15. Moreover, all priority hexagons of covering 2’952,521 ha include 15 of 19 vegetation types. Although the results obtained to determine conservation priorities of the state of Durango, it is necessary to develop specific studies on the distribution patterns of species, especially endemic and endangered.