Humedales Alvarado the Alvarado Area Wetland Complex Is the Largest Wetland System in the Gulf of México
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Humedales Alvarado The Alvarado Area wetland complex is the largest wetland system in the Gulf of México. The Twetland forms as a drainage basin for some of the main rivers in Veracruz. Inhabiting the area are approximately 105,000 people who engage primarily in ranching, sugar cane S N IO cultivation, and fishing. Alvarado is within an important T C U D O terrestrial, hydrological and marine priority area designated R by the National Commission for Awareness and Use of /KAC P /KAC R E M U Biodiversity. It is also a designated Important Bird Area. A N S S U LOCATION: N Along the central coast of Veracruz, Mexico. F L O SIZE: R 243,000 ha (600,000 acres) HABITAT: In the Alvarado wetland system there are at least 12 different ecosystems. In the coastal areas there are sand B UNTING P AINTED dunes and small lagoons. Close to the coast, a dark green curtain of mangroves fringes Alvarado’s channels and lagoons. Other promi- nent features of Alvarado include seasonally-flooded grasslands, islands of evergreen shrubs, and palm savannahs. BIRDS: There are at least 356 species of birds, of which at least 30 are included as having a protection category under CITES. These unique wetland forests provide important wintering habitat for impressive numbers of migrant warblers, such as Black-and-White, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, and Hooded. Inland from the mangrove fringe, freshwater lagoons support tens of thousands of aquatic birds. Although many grasslands are used for cattle grazing, these habitats support numerous bird species. Seasonally- flooded pastures provide stopover habitat for arctic-nesting shorebirds. Previous work in collaboration with the Canadian Wildlife Service and McMaster University showed that 60% of the birds found here were originally from the Northwestern part of the continent and 40% from the Eastern portion of North America which raises the value of this land as stopover area and refuge during winter for all the neotropical migrants. CONSERVATION: Since 1998 Pronatura Veracruz has been working in the Alvarado wetlands system. Pronatura runs an environmental education program where each year approximately 300 4th grade students are reached through work at schools. In 2002, community development work started in the communities of Site Partner: Costa de la Palma, La Playa Pronatura Veracruz and Los Cantaros by pro- CONTACT INFORMATION: viding environmental edu- cation workshops with the Diego Rivera 49. women from the communi- Frac. Coapexpan. ties. Since 1998 a songbird C.P. 91070. Xalapa. Veracruz, México banding station has been operated in Playa Salinas WEBSITE: and a monitoring effort www.pronaturaveracruz.org through 56 km of transects in different habitats along the system. SITE PARTNER NETWORK SOURCEBOOK 49.