POTENTIAL AREAS OF RICHNESS, ENDEMISM AND CONSERVATION OF THE BIRDS OF QUERETARO STATE, MEXICO

The distribution of bird species in the Mexican state of Queretaro was analyzed, based on the determination of potential distribution areas using ecological niche modeling. The potential distributions were also used to define areas of endemism for the birds in the state, applying a parsimony analysis of endemicity, and the protective effectiveness of core areas within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve (RBSG) was evaluated. Presence data points for 376 species of birds across the state, obtained from scientific collections, the literature and field work, were used in the analyzes. The potential distribution of species richness, endemism and threatened species showed the highest concentration in the bio-geographical province of Sierra Madre Oriental. Although there are areas in the south of the state that have a large number of species, they have not been sufficiently evaluated in terms of their conservation. The identification of areas of endemism revealed two major groups: 1) the northern region of the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre Oriental, characterized by humid climates; and 2) the areas that correspond to the western slope of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Mexican Plateau and the Transmexican Volcanie Belt, characterized by dry and temperate climates and medium-low moisture. On the other hand, the results demonstrated that the core zones within the RBSG are not covered effectively in order to protect areas with a high hypothetical concentrations of species, including the endemic and threatened birds.