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An international team of twenty-nine scientists from nineteen institutions, led by BRIT Biodiversity Explorer Dr. Sula Vanderplank, published the results of a biodiversity survey inside the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, Mexico. These biodiversity experts undertook an eight-day expedition to address an immediate conservation threat at the request of, and in collaboration with, the Mexican Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP). Just over five square kilometers within the buffer zone of this UNESCO World Heritage site are currently slated for development as the open-pit gold mine “Los Cardones.” Spearheaded by one of Mexico’s leading conservationists, Dr. Exequiel Ezcurra, the findings strongly support the area’s designation as a protected zone by both Mexican and international authorities.

The multi-day bioblitz documented more than 877 species, including 381 plants, 29 mammals, 77 birds, 366 insects, and 24 reptiles and amphibians. The majority of this biodiversity was concentrated around the La Junta riparian system at the core of the proposed mine site. Twenty-nine species protected under Mexican law (NOM 059) were recorded within the project area, along with 107 species endemic to the Cape Region of Baja California Sur. The scientists emphasize that these records represent only a portion of the site’s true diversity, especially for insects and other invertebrates, which may exceed 2,000 species.

The environmental impact statement for the mine, approved by Mexico’s Ministry of the Environment (SEMARNAT) on 12 June 2014, listed only 220 species—726 fewer than documented in this study. As of July 2016, final approval for the Los Cardones mine project remained pending permits from other federal and state authorities, including the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) and Baja California Sur officials.

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