by Erika Rodríguez
It boasts 28 species of endemic plants, representing 5% of Puebla’s total flora.
The Carmen Serdán National Park, located in the magical town of Xicotepec, has been declared a Protected Natural Area after several months of this designation.
This designation was published on Monday, January 8, 2024, in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), which by decree declares it a “protected natural area, with the category of national park.”
The document mentions that this new PNA covers 198.3 hectares hosting endemic and endangered species, including the salamander, wide-footed mushroom tongue, collared forest falcon, ocelot, jaguar, stream frog, coral, and chestnut-bellied hummingbird.
Of these plants found, 28 are endemic, which according to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), represent 5% of the total flora in Puebla, and 10 of them are at risk of disappearing.
With this designation, Semarnat will be responsible for administering, managing, preserving, and restoring ecosystems and elements, as well as ensuring that actions are carried out within this area.
What can you do in the Carmen Serdán National Park?
The designation also states that only the following activities can be carried out in this Natural Area:
-Preservation and conservation of terrestrial ecosystems and their elements
-Scientific research and collection
-Environmental monitoring
-Environmental education
-Low-impact environmental tourism
-Ecosystem restoration and species reintroduction
-Eradication or control of exotic, invasive, or harmful species
-Construction and maintenance of public infrastructure.
What is a National Park?
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources defines a National Park as territory protected for its biology, geology, or landscapes, possessing outstanding ecological, aesthetic, cultural, educational, and scientific values.
The difference between a Natural Park and a National Park is the declaration of national interest in the protected area for being representative of one or more characteristic natural systems of the national territory.
The national parks in Puebla are:
-Tehuacán-Cuicatlán
-Sierra de Huauhtla
-La Malinche
-Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl
-Carmen Serdán
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