Sierra Gorda of Querétaro

The Biosphere Reserve Sierra Gorda was created by presidential decree on May 19, 1997, in order to protect the exceptional wealth of species and ecosystems that have, and is under management of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) of SEMARNAT. The reserve is located in the northern state of Querétaro.

Named World Heritage by UNESCO in 2003, 5 of the eighteenth century Franciscan missions are located in the vicinity of the natural beauty of the Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO-Man and the Biosphere MAB-UNESCO in 2001.

The main biological characteristic of the Sierra Gorda is its eco-diversity, a characteristic that makes it unique for the large number of ecosystems present. For that reason, it is the richest area, preserved and diverse state of Queretaro. It ranks first among the ANP's in Mexico in terms of eco-diversity, which is due to its geographical position at the confluence of the Nearctic and Neotropical bioregions and because of their highly complex physiographic and various altitudes ranging from 300 m in the Santa Maria River Canyon to the 3,100 m in the Cerro de La Pingüica. These factors, coupled with a heterogeneous precipitation ranging from 350, to 2.000, leads many climatic variations. The different patterns of rainfall are stimulated by the mountain ranges that make up the Sierra Gorda, which cause the so-called orographic or rain shadows.

Hydrologically belongs to the Panuco River basin, through currents such as Santa Maria rivers and Montezuma, which in turn feed on the tributaries of the rivers Escanela, Tancuilín, Extoraz, Ayutla and Conca.