Maderas del Carmen

Maderas del Carmen is a biosphere reserve in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila.

Maderas del Carmen encompasses the Sierra del Carmen, a segment of the Sierra Madre Oriental range. The reserve includes both dry Chihuahuan Desert shrublands and forested sky islands, high-elevation enclaves of Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forest.

The reserve is home to 400 bird species and 70 mammal species, including the black bear, javelina, and cougar. Efforts are underway to reintroduce Desert Bighorn Sheep "(Ovis canadensis nelsoni)" to the region, which have not been seen since the 1940's

A flora and fauna protection area was established in 1994. In 2001, the Mexican company Cemex announced it would purchase private lands in the area for conservation. The region was designated a biosphere reserve in 2006.

References

* Eliot, John L. (2002) "Borderland Comeback". "National Geographic Magazine", December 2002. [http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0212/resources_geo.html]
* Cemex (2001). "Cemex Announces its Conservation Model". Press Release, July 27, 2001. [http://www.cemex.com/qr/mc_pr_072701.asp]