The Ministry of the Environment (Sedema) announced the monitoring of biodiversity in Mexico City, which includes tracking the conditions of the city’s ravines.
It explained that during 2026, biodiversity monitoring will be expanded to other environmentally valuable areas classified as ravines, as well as urban forests such as Loreto and Peña Pobre Ecological Park, Nativitas Forest, Tepepolco, and López Velarde Garden, where visitors have already begun to be engaged through guided tours focused on biodiversity awareness.
This is part of the Ravine Recovery Plan, which incorporates the Mexico City Biodiversity Monitoring Program to assess the state of biodiversity, strengthen management, and consolidate conservation strategies in these areas.
Since October 2025, this program has been operating in the environmentally valuable areas of Río Becerra Tepecuache, Becerra Tepecuache Sección la Loma, Magdalena Eslava, and Tarango.
These sites were selected following a cartographic and field analysis that prioritized their hydrological relevance, which will allow for the incorporation of relevant information for the environmental restoration projects being developed in this canyon system.
The Biodiversity Monitoring Program employs a standardized methodology that integrates protocols for field data collection, analysis, and information systematization. Thanks to this approach, 64 species have been recorded, 56% of which are native.
Among the most relevant fauna records are indicator species such as the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), and the Florida cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Birds such as the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), the American robin (Turdus migratorius), and the blue-crowned night heron (Melanotis caerulescens) have also been recorded. Among the reptiles found here are the collared spiny lizard (Sceloporus torquatus), the mesquite spiny lizard (Sceloporus grammicus), and the central ground snake (Conopsis lineata), all of which are listed on the IUCN Red List.
In addition, native flora has been identified, including oak (genus Quercus): varieties such as Quercus laurina and Quercus rugosa, as well as Tepozán (Buddleia cordata), Prunus sp. (various species, including capulin or wild cherry), and Agave sp.
Monitoring biodiversity in canyons presents a significant challenge due to their rugged terrain and steep slopes, conditions that hinder direct observation of the species.
Source: eluniversal
