Representativeness of vegetation types in protected areas of the San Fernando River Basin, Mexico

Abstract

In Mexico, an annual vegetation loss rate of 158 229 hectares was recorded between 1990 and 2025. The conservation status of the Río San Fernando basin in Nuevo León was analyzed from both regional and state perspectives, in relation to the degree of representation of plant communities within the network of current and potential protected areas (PA). Digital maps of PA, land use and vegetation (Series VII), and proposed PA for the state of Nuevo León were used. The Río San Fernando basin, from a regional perspective, covers 1 614 528 hectares, of which 59.1% was covered by natural vegetation, while the state average was 65.4%. The eight PA registered in the basin are located only in the state of Nuevo León, totaling 10 840 hectares, which represents less than 1% of the basin's total area. Only the tular (cattail marsh) and coniferous scrubland, of the 16 vegetation types existing in the basin, were found to cover more than 30% of their area within protected areas (PA). The potential incorporation of the proposed PA would add 181 531 hectares to the protection network, representing 11.2% of the basin's natural vegetation cover at the regional level and 20.3% in Nuevo León. The proposal to establish new PA must be adapted to the basin level, as it omits the conservation of the tamaulipan thorn scrub and submontane scrubland, which together represent 68% of the basin total area.