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42-658: Alta Cima is a village located within El Cielo Biosphere Reserve , in the municipality of Gómez Farías in Tamaulipas, Mexico . There are approximately 180 residents living in 40 households. The nearest cities are Ciudad Mante and Ciudad Victoria . There is one hotel in Alta Cima, Hotel El Pino , which consists of cabins and campsites. The homes of residents of Alta Cima are open to visitors and tourists, and some operate ecotourism guiding businesses. Alta Cima and

84-742: A large fish diversity, lower elevation tributaries in the Rio Guayalejo drainage, such as the Rio Sabinas and Rio Frio and associated springs and creeks contain species like the longnose gar ( Lepisosteus osseus ), red shiner ( Cyprinella lutrensis ), lantern minnow ( Dionda ipni ), pigmy shiner ( Notropis tropicus ), Mexican tetra ( Astyanax mexicanus ), gold gambusia ( Gambusia aurata ), Forlón gambusia ( Gambusia regani ), Gulf gambusia ( Gambusia vittata ), mountain swordtail ( Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl ), and variable platyfish ( Xiphophorus variatus ), Tamesí molly ( Poecilia latipunctata ), and

126-561: A larger program of neoliberal economic restructuring that had already been weakening support for ejidal and other forms of small-scale agriculture and negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), President Carlos Salinas de Gortari in 1992 pushed legislation through Congress that modified article 27 of the Mexican Constitution to permit the privatization and the sale of ejidal land. This

168-565: A series of extended stays in the Gómez Farias region and found their way to Harrison's small ranch followed by a succession of ornithological publications. Sutton's protégé, Paul S. Martin also conducted extensive fieldwork in the region from 1948 to 1953, publishing herpetological studies that culminated with his Biogeography of Reptiles and Amphibians in the Gómez Farias Region, Tamaulipas, Mexico , considered by some to be one of

210-472: A survey area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi). The investigators estimated a density of six jaguars per 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi). The principal prey animals of the jaguar are the lowland paca , Central American red brocket deer, white-tail deer , Virginia opossum , collared peccary , racoon , and great curassow . In addition the jaguar sometimes preys on domestic animals. Birds: At least 255 species of birds are resident in

252-425: Is a road, initially paved, from the town of Gomez Farias into the interior and higher elevations. The community of Alta Cima (also known as Altas Cimas), at an elevation of 910 metres (2,990 ft) has modest lodging and restaurants for visitors. Camping is allowed. The highest point in the reserve is 7,719 feet (2,353 m) located at 23 14N, 99 30W. The lowest elevations are about 200 metres (660 ft) at

294-473: Is also present. Both birds and mammals are a mixture of temperate and tropical species. The large cats, jaguars and mountain lions, are generally regarded favorably by the people living in the reserve. Mountain lions are more often seen in the cloud forests and the higher elevations of the reserve, while jaguars are more common in the lower-elevation tropical forests. Camera traps set out in tropical forests photographed eight male, female, and juvenile jaguars in

336-499: Is an area of communal land used for agriculture in which community members have usufruct rights rather than ownership rights to land, which in Mexico is held by the Mexican state. People awarded ejidos in the modern era farm them individually in parcels and collectively maintain communal holdings with government oversight. Although the system of ejidos was based on an understanding of

378-703: Is now the El Cielo Biological Research Center (or Rancho del Cielo). In 1983, the Gorgas Science Foundation established Rancho El Cielito by purchasing land along the Sabinas River , just outside the reserve, to preserve part of a riparian ecosystem. The 144,530-hectare (357,100-acre; 558.0 sq mi) reserve has two core areas in which most human travel and exploitation are prohibited. One, 7,844 hectares (19,380 acres; 30.29 sq mi) in area, protects tropical forests while

420-581: Is reached by paved road a few miles west of the town of Gómez Farías . The interpretive center, located at an elevation of 360 metres (1,180 ft) offers good views of the tropical forest and facilities for visitors. The reserve occupies portions of four Mexican municipalities in the state of Tamaulipas: Jaumave , Llera de Canales , Gómez Farías , and Ocampo . Within it are 26 ejidos (hamlets with communal land) and about 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres; 31 sq mi) of agricultural land used mostly to cultivate corn, beans, and rice. The principal access

462-598: The General Indian Court so that individual natives and indigenous communities could defend their rights against Spanish encroachment. Spaniards applied their own terminology to indigenous community lands, and early in the colonial era began calling them ejidos. Mexico achieved its independence from Spain in 1821, following the Mexican War of Independence , the new sovereign nation abolished crown protections of natives and indigenous communities, making them equal before

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504-839: The Lerdo Law , calling for the end of corporate landholding and then incorporated that law into the Constitution of 1857. Ejidos were thus legally abolished, although many continued to survive. Mexico was plunged into civil unrest, civil war, and a foreign invasion by the French, so not until the expulsion of the French in 1867 and the restoration of the Mexican republic under liberal control did land reform begin to take effect. Under liberal general Porfirio Díaz , who came to power by coup in 1876, policies to promote political stability and economic prosperity, "order and progress", meant that large haciendas began expanding and many villages lost their lands leaving

546-562: The Amazon molly ( Poecilia formosa ), an all female species, reproduces through gynogenesis . The phantom blindcat ( Prietella lundbergi ) is known only from subterranean waters and has been collected by cave drivers at depths of 50 meters in Rio Frio cave systems. The climate of Gómez Farías , to the east, is typical of the lower and wetter elevations of the reserve. Higher elevations are substantially cooler and precipitation declines rapidly on

588-594: The Biosphere Programme . The El Cielo area attracted little attention until the 1930s. In 1935, A Canadian farmer and horticulturalist named John William Francis (Frank, Francisco, or Pancho) Harrison established a homestead he named Rancho El Cielo at 1,140 metres (3,740 ft) elevation in the cloud forest. Noted ornithologist George Miksch Sutton began fieldwork in Mexico in the late 1930s, and by 1941 Sutton and Olin Sewall Pettingill Jr. embarked on

630-535: The Mexican nation was deemed "The Indian Problem," and the breakup of communal landholding identified as the key to integrating of Indians into the Mexican nation. When the Liberals came to power in 1855, they embarked on a major reform that included the expropriation and sale of corporate lands, that is, those held by indigenous communities and by the Roman Catholic Church. The Liberal Reform first put in place

672-622: The Tamaulipan false brook salamander ( Aquiloeurycea scandens ), broadfoot mushroomtongue salamander ( Bolitoglossa platydactyla ) and Bell’s salamander ( Isthmura bellii ). Frogs and toads from the region include the Rio Grande leopard frog ( Lithobates berlandieri ), Mexican treefrog ( Smilisca baudinii ), small-eared treefrog ( Rheohyla miotympanum ), mountain treefrog ( Dryophytes eximius ), long-footed chirping frog ( Eleutherodactylus longipes ), and predominantly subterranean species like

714-423: The barking frog ( Craugastor augusti ) and Adorned Robber frog ( Craugastor decoratus ). At lower elevations the sabinal frog ( Leptodactylus melanonotus ), veined treefrog ( Trachycephalus [ vermiculatus ] typhonius , sheep frog ( Hypopachus variolosus ), and the burrowing toad ( Rhinophrynus dorsalis ) may be found. Fishes: Although the steep mountain slopes and karstic environment do not support

756-443: The collective ejido (hitherto a rare institution) in order to justify the expropriation of large commercial estates." The typical procedure for the establishment of an ejido involved the following steps: Ejidatarios do not actually own the land but are allowed to use their allotted parcels indefinitely as long as they do not fail to use the land for more than two years. They can pass their rights on to their children. Opponents of

798-462: The eastern, northern, and southern boundaries. The reserve is characterized by steep, north-south trending mountain ranges, eastern extensions of the Sierra Madre Oriental , made up of limestone . Typical of karst topography, caves, sinkholes, and rock outcrops are common. Several distinct vegetation types are found in the reserve. Vegetation in the drier northern and western portions of

840-527: The ejido system pointed to widespread corruption within the Banco Nacional de Crédito Rural ( Banrural )—the primary institution responsible for providing loans to ejidatarios —illegal sales and transfers of ejido lands, ecological degradation, and low productivity as evidence of the system's failure. Proponents countered these arguments by pointing out that every administration since that of Cárdenas had been either indifferent or openly hostile to ejidos, that

882-505: The ejido system with a male figure being the head of the household. On ejido land job opportunities were limited creating a push for the male figures to migrate to the United States in order to support their households and land. US job opportunities for Mexican migrants would include agricultural sectors which contributed to further development of the ejido land and growing agricultural technology. Those who lived on ejido land but did not own

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924-528: The end of awarding ejidos and allowed existing ejidos to be rented or sold, ending land reform in Mexico . In central Mexico following the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire (1519-1521), indigenous communities remained largely intact, including their system of land tenure. The Spanish crown guaranteed that indigenous communities had land under its control, the fundo legal  [ es ] . It also established

966-561: The establishment of El Cielo was the prevalence of cloud forests , distinguished by heavy precipitation, foggy conditions, and abundant mosses and fungi, at elevations of 800 metres (2,600 ft) to 1,400 metres (4,600 ft). The El Cielo cloud forests receive precipitation of about 2,500 millimetres (98 in) annually. The closed canopy forests reach a height of about 30 metres (98 ft). Oak forests, ( Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests ), mixed oak-pine forest, and pine forests are found at elevations of 700 metres (2,300 ft) to

1008-510: The finer examples of a biogeography in any region or discipline, "a classic treatise in historical biogeography". Extensive logging and roads penetrated the area in the 1950s. In 1965, to protect the ecosystem, Harrison transferred his land to a non-profit corporation in cooperation with Texas Southmost College and the Gorgas Science Foundation . In 1966, Harrison was murdered in a land dispute with local farmers. Harrison's farm

1050-558: The flathead knob-scaled lizard ( Xenosaurus platyceps ). The Tamaulipan montane gartersnake ( Thamnophis mendax ) is endemic to El Cielo. Other snake snakes include the boa constrictor ( Boa [constrictor] imperator ), speckled racer ( Drymobius margaritiferus ), mountain earth snake ( Geophis latifrontalis ), blunthead tree snake ( Imantodes cenchoa ), Mexican parrot snake ( Leptophis mexicanus ), brown vine snake ( Oxybelis aeneus ), Gaige’s pine forest snake ( Rhadinaea gaigeae ), tropical tree snake ( Spilotes pullatus ), and

1092-438: The land assigned to ejidos was often of lower quality and inherently less productive than privately held land. Also, the majority of agricultural research and support was biased towards large-scale commercial enterprises. The politicians complaining about Banrural were the people responsible for the corruption, and regardless of its productivity, subsistence production is an important survival strategy for many peasants. As part of

1134-420: The larger core area of 28,674 hectares (70,850 acres; 110.71 sq mi) includes a cross section of the altitudes and climates of the area, especially the cloud forest. The remainder of the reserve is a buffer zone in which human activities, including limited logging, is permitted. Several communities within the reserve offer facilities for visitors and are reachable by road. An ecological interpretive center

1176-560: The law rather than vassals of the Spanish crown. The disappearance of the General Indian Court was one effect of independence. With political instability and economic stagnation following independence, indigenous communities largely maintained their land holdings, since large landed estates were not expanding to increase production. For nineteenth-century Mexican liberals, the continuing separateness of natives and indigenous villages from

1218-524: The leader of a reactionary coup that ousted and assassinated Madero; and Venustiano Carranza , a wealthy landowner who led the Constitutionalist faction, which defeated all others. In 1917, a new Constitution was drafted, which included empowerment of the government to expropriate privately held resources. Many peasants expected Article 27 of the Constitution to bring about the breakup of large haciendas and to return land to peasant communities. Carranza

1260-654: The mountain slopes of El Cielo, however, the Mexican box turtle ( Terrapene mexicana ) has been recorded at lower elevation in the area. Paul Martin recorded 24 species of lizards and 44 snakes. Lizards include lower elevation species like the casque-headed lizard ( Laemanctus serratus ), Mexican spiny-tailed iguana ( Ctenosaura acanthura ), and rainbow ameiva ( Holcosus amphigrammus ). Higher elevations support populations of banded arboreal alligator lizard ( Abronia taeniata ), minor spiny lizard ( Sceloporus minor ), Dice’s short-nosed skink ( Plestiodon dicei ), Madrean tropical night lizard ( Lepidophyma sylvaticum ), and

1302-481: The peasantry landless. Many peasants participated in the Mexican Revolution, with the expectation that their village lands could be restored. In particular, many peasants in the state of Morelos under the leadership of Emiliano Zapata waged war against the presidency of Francisco I. Madero , a wealthy landowner whose reformist political movement sought to oust the regime of Porfirio Díaz; Victoriano Huerta ,

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1344-486: The preconquest Aztec calpulli and the medieval Spanish ejido, since the 20th century ejidos have been managed and controlled by the government. After the Mexican Revolution , ejidos were created by the Mexican state to grant lands to peasant communities as a means to stem social unrest. As Mexico prepared to enter the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1991, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari declared

1386-1145: The reserve and more than 175 migratory species have been recorded. The area is very rich in bird diversity, just a few of the tropical species occurring in the area include the bare-throated tiger-heron ( Tigrisoma mexicanum ), boat-billed heron ( Cochlearius cochlearius ), plumbeous kite ( Ictinia plumbea ), ornate hawk-eagle ( Spizaetus ornatus ), bat falcon ( Falco rufigularis ), great curassow ( Crax rubra ), yellow-headed parrot ( Amazona oratrix ), military macaw ( Ara militaris ), squirrel cuckoo ( Piaya cayana ), northern potoo ( Nyctibius jamaicensis ), green-breasted mango ( Anthracothorax prevostii ), mountain trogon ( Trogon mexicanus ), blue-crowned motmot ( Momotus momota ), pale-billed woodpecker ( Campephilus guatemalensis ), ivory-billed woodcreeper ( Xiphorhynchus flavigaster ), barred antshrike ( Thamnophilus doliatus ), yellow-throated euphonia ( Euphonia hirundinacea ). Reptiles: Although Morelet’s crocodile ( Crocodylus moreletii ) and several species of turtles occur in Tamaulipas, they are largely absent from

1428-403: The reserve up to an elevation of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) consists of desert and semi-desert shrublands, the montane Tamaulipan matorral and the lowland Tamaulipan mezquital . Shrubs and small trees generally do not exceed 5 metres (16 ft) in height except in riparian locations. Annual precipitation in the shrublands is less than 1,000 millimetres (39 in). In the eastern part of

1470-409: The reserve, sub-tropical semi-deciduous forests ( Veracruz moist forests ) are found at elevations of from 200 metres (660 ft) and 800 metres (2,600 ft) above sea level. The closed canopy forests averages about 20 metres (66 ft) in height. Annual precipitation of this zone is usually from 1,100 millimetres (43 in) to more than 1,800 millimetres (71 in). The principal reason for

1512-490: The surrounding nature reserve are biodiversity hotspots. Bird watching is popular with more than 255 species of resident birds and 175 migrants. This article about a location in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . El Cielo Biosphere The state of Tamaulipas protected the area in 1985 and in 1987 it was formally recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO 's Man and

1554-485: The temperate climate of the eastern United States such as maple ( Acer skutchii ), hickory ( Carya ovata ), hornbeam ( Carpinus tropicalis ), and redbud ( Cercis canadensis ). A botanical garden and arboretum is located in Alta Cima at an elevation of 800 metres (2,600 ft). Mammals: Six species of cats, none abundant, are found in the reserve: jaguar , mountain lion , ocelot , margay , jaguarundi , and bobcat . A small population of black bears

1596-544: The terrestrial snail sucker ( Tropidodipsas sartorii ). Venomous snakes like the Tamaulipas rock rattlesnake ( Crotalus morulus ) and Totonacan rattlesnake ( Crotalus totonacus ) occur in the cloud forest, and the terciopelo ( Bothrops asper ) can be found on the lower slopes. Amphibians: Two endemic salamanders are known from, the El Cielo salamander ( Chiropterotriton cieloensis ) and graceful flat-footed salamander ( Chiropterotriton cracens ). Other species include

1638-519: The top of highest summits in the reserve. These forested highland areas are drier than the cloud forests with an average precipitation of 850 millimetres (33 in) annually. All of the vegetation types experience a wet season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. More than 1,000 species of plants have been recorded from the cloud forests consisting of 56 percent tropical species, 20 percent temperate, 19 percent cosmopolitan, and 5 percent other. Included are species associated with

1680-526: The western slopes of the mountains. The Sierra Madre Oriental create a rain shadow effect. The town of Jaumave, Tamaulipas at the northwestern entrance to the reserve receives only 17.9 inches (450 mm) of precipitation annually and has a semi-arid, near-desert climate. Freezing temperatures are rare at the lower elevations of El Cielo, but common in winter at elevations of more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) Ejido An ejido ( Spanish pronunciation: [eˈxiðo] , from Latin exitum )

1722-454: Was a direct cause of the Chiapas conflict . The changes to the ejidal system have largely failed to improve ejidal productivity, and have been implicated as significant contributing factors to worsening rural poverty , forced migration, and the conversion of Mexico, where the cultivation of maize originated, into a net-importer of maize and food in general. The majority of peasants were part of

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1764-448: Was entirely resistant to the expropriation of haciendas, and in fact returned many to their owners that had been seized by revolutionaries. Distribution of large amounts of land did not begin until Lázaro Cárdenas became president in 1934. The ejido system was introduced as an important component of the land reform in Mexico . Under Cárdenas, land reform was "sweeping, rapid, and, in some respects, structurally innovative... he promoted

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