Conservation and management of ecosystems within and without protected natural areas, Baja California, Mexico

Mexico has several ways of preserving flora and fauna, depending on geographical scale and land ownership. Until recently, fifty percent of the land was common property called ejidos,(2) which denotes communal land and protected areas. Wildlife management and natural resources conservation practices occur in these types of land tenure. There is a gradient of land use intensities, from cities and agricultural lands to almost pristine sites. Eighty percent of Baja California is under a conservation or management policy. There is a regional plan for the whole state, and three plans for the coastal zone. Several public policies have been created for nature protection and management as wen as for creating social interest in environmental issues. Fifteen terrestrial and marine areas are considered a priority for national conservation. Nature protection occurs in one biosphere reserve, three special biosphere reserves on the islands, two national parks in the mountains, and three areas for protection of forests and desert vegetation. Wildlife management is conducted in thirty units (called UMAS) and around the buffer zones of the biosphere reserves. Nevertheless, this system does not work well. Challenges include: highly modified and fragmented areas; endangered species and vegetation types; land tenure conflicts; several exotic cultural land use practices; and the absence of natural areas in cities and agricultural fields. We present an updated plan for the conservation and management of Baja California landscapes, ecosystems, communities, and natural resources. We also present our own landscape-scale design for the conservation and management of wildlife. Two main strategies must be followed to reach the conservation goals, within and without protected areas, regardless of the legal status of land ownership.