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| La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve | |
|---|---|
| Name | La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve |
| Native name | Reserva de la Biosfera La Encrucijada |
| Location | Mexican Pacific coast, state of Chiapas |
| Coordinates | 16°12′N 93°11′W |
| Area | ~144,868 ha |
| Established | 1995 (UNESCO designation 2006) |
| Governing body | Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas |
La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve is a coastal wetland complex on the Pacific coast of Chiapas in southern Mexico, integrating mangrove forests, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and adjacent terrestrial ecosystems. The reserve functions as a key node linking regional hydrology, fisheries and migratory corridors, and provides habitat for numerous threatened species while interfacing with local Comitán de Domínguez, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Tapachula, Arriaga, Chiapas, and Pijijiapan municipal jurisdictions and national conservation frameworks like CONANP and SEMARNAT.
La Encrucijada occupies a coastal plain at the mouth of several river systems including the Coatzacoalcos River, Grijalva River basin influence, and smaller Chiapanecan rivers near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The reserve adjoins the Pacific Ocean and contains a mosaic of barrier beaches, tidal channels, and lagoon systems between towns such as Tonalá, Chiapas and Soconusco municipalities. Neighboring bioregions include the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, the Central American Pacific coast, and transboundary marine zones influenced by the Pacific hurricane corridor. Administrative links reach to state agencies in Tuxtla Gutiérrez and federal entities headquartered in Mexico City.
The reserve supports extensive mangrove communities dominated by species in the genera Rhizophora, Avicennia, and Laguncularia, which sustain populations of American crocodile, sea turtle nesting assemblages including Olive ridley sea turtle, and migratory birds such as sandpipers and pelicans. Aquatic habitats host commercially important fish and crustacean taxa exploited by fisherfolk from Puerto Madero, Chiapas and La Concordia, Chiapas, with trophic links to planktonic communities studied by institutions like the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas and CICESE. The reserve lies within ranges used by neotropical migratory birds and supports herpetofauna documented alongside work by CONABIO and World Wildlife Fund assessments.
Management responsibilities entail coordination among Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP), the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), local ejidos, and non-governmental organizations such as Pronatura México and international partners like UNESCO. Zoning integrates core protected areas, buffer zones, and sustainable use areas with enforcement linked to federal statutes like those administered from Mexico City and state offices in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Community co-management initiatives have involved indigenous and mestizo stakeholders in participatory mapping with technical support from research centers including El Colegio de la Frontera Sur and Instituto Nacional de Ecología.
Local populations include fishing communities, agricultural ejidos, and towns engaged in shrimp aquaculture, rice cultivation, and artisanal fisheries that trade through ports such as Puerto Chiapas and markets in Tapachula. Land tenure intersects with communal landholding systems rooted in post-revolutionary reforms and institutions like INPI and ejidal assemblies. Socioeconomic ties connect residents to remittances linked to migration routes to Guatemala, the United States, and urban centers such as Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Tapachula, influencing land-use decisions and resource extraction practices.
The wetlands were recognized for conservation value during national inventories conducted by SEMARNAT and CONABIO in the late 20th century, leading to a federal biosphere designation process involving CONANP and international review. The reserve’s nomination to UNESCO drew on regional studies by El Colegio de la Frontera Sur and conservation advocacy from organizations like WWF and The Nature Conservancy. Historical land-use change reflects patterns tied to post-1940s agricultural expansion, shrimp farm development influenced by global markets, and infrastructure projects debated in state forums in Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Primary threats include mangrove clearance for shrimp aquaculture and agriculture, pollution from agrochemicals entering estuaries affecting fisheries and benthic communities, freshwater diversion upstream by irrigation projects affecting salinity gradients, and risks from storm surge and sea-level rise exacerbated by climate change patterns tracked by INER and regional meteorological agencies. Illegal logging, unregulated tourism linked to coastal access points near Puerto Madero, Chiapas, and socio-political tensions over land tenure complicate enforcement by CONANP and local authorities.
Ongoing research programs are coordinated by universities and research institutes such as Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), CICESE, and Mexican federal science agencies with projects on mangrove ecology, carbon sequestration, fisheries stock assessment, and socioecological resilience. Monitoring networks incorporate remote sensing data from CONABIO inventories, hydrological gauges connected to regional water authorities, and community-based monitoring initiatives supported by NGOs including Pronatura and international collaborators like IUCN. Adaptive management experiments test restoration techniques used in other sites like Sian Ka'an and inform policy discussions in forums such as meetings of UNESCO Man and the Biosphere participants.