Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Cuatrociénegas. 22/06/95; Coahuila; 84,347 ha; 26°51'N 102°08'W. Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna. An intermontane valley with springs linked by a channel system, keeping the water circulating constantly; includes extensive areas subject to flooding. There are gypsum deposits in the form of dunes, one of only three such landforms in North America. Riparian woodland, grassland, montane forests, chaparral and desert scrub communities are present. Long isolation in specialized habitats has given rise to high biological diversity and endemism, with the site providing habitat for numerous threatened or vulnerable species. Human activities include plant collection, limited grazing and agriculture, and sport fishing. Industrial-scale extraction of minerals from gypsum dunes has occurred since 1979. Ramsar site no. 734. Most recent RIS information: 2002.

Coahuila