7787

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7787
• Author: Desert Fishes Council.
• Title: Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council Volume XXV, 1993 Annual Symposium.
• USFW Year: 1993.
• USFW - Doc Type: D. A. Hendrickson, ed. November, 10 -14.
• Copyright Material: NO

PROCEEDINGS OF THE DESERT FISHES COUNCIL
1993 - VOLUME XXV
CONTREBAS-BALDERAS, S. Univ. AuOnoma de Nucvo tc6n, Facultad Clencias Blolbgicas, Lab. de lctiologia, AP 504, San Nicolas de Jos Garza, N.L., Mdxico 66450
History of the movement for conservation of Cuatro Ci6negas
Historia del movimiento para la conservacion de Cuatro Ci6negas
KEYWORDS: Cuatro Ci6negas; Coahuila; conservation; history
CLAVES: Cuatro Ci6negas; Coahuila; conservacidn; historia
ABSTRACT
Cuatro Ci6negas was explored by biologists for the first time in 1939, its recognition as a center of aquatic
and semiaquatic endemism occurred in 1940, and its evolutionary significance has been pointed out by explorations
of C.L. Hubbs, R.R. Miller and W.L. Minckley since 1959. In 1966, Taylor and Minckley presented a panoramic
summary of the importance of Cuatro Ci6negas, referring to it as a new world for biology. This was-followed by
more detailed work by Minckley (1969), who initiated in 1966 a campaign to publicize the importance of Cuatro
Ci6negas which was heard around the world, but not in M6xico. Minckley passed the baton to Contreras in 1989,
who reinitiated the campaign. The scientific community was widely informed by Minckley's 1969 paper and
following summaries of Contreras (1969 and later). In 1973, Contreras presented a sununary and proposal to the
National Congress of Biologists of M6xico and to presidential candidate Josh L6pez-Portillo. In 1982, the Desert
Fishes Council decided to call a symposium to discuss the biota of the valley which took place in 1983 and was
published in 1984. Delgadillo and colleagues (1983) developed an executive project for Poza la Becerra, which later
they expanded into a plan for the creation of a national park (Delgadillo et al. 1984). This plan was apparently
reflected in an later official plan of SEDUE (no date). In Saltillo in 1985 and in M6x1co in 1986, Contreras and
Almada presented a new proposal to SEDUE. In 1988, SEDUE developed a diagnosis for the Management Plan
of a Preserve in Cuatro C16negas (Chavez et al., 1988). In 1989 SEDUE assigned an inspector to the valley, and
this position was maintained until 1991. In 1992, Alessandra Pellegrint undertook development of a management
plan for the basin as her thesis project, soon to be completed. More recently Minckley and Contreras, with support
of the Desert Fishes Council and Gomez Pampa of the Mexican-American Foundation for Science joined forces in
1992 for a new effort which is hopefully not too late. The first product of this new initiative is this symposium,
which attempts to bring together much of the biological-ecological information to allow definition of possible uses
for distinct parts of the valley, definition of protected areas and levels of protection, as well as to point out gaps
in our knowledge. I have not made an attempt to cover the bibliography on this theme, and reconunend that
interested readers consult the bibliography of Minckley and Winsborough, also developed as part of this symposium.
RESUMEN
Cuatro C16negas fue explorado bioldgicamente par vez primera en 1939, su comprensi6n como centro de
endemismos acuattcos y semiacuaticos fue reconocido hasta 1940, y su pleno significado evoiutivo hasta las
exploraciones de C.L. Hubbs, R.R. Miller, W.L. Minckley, a independientemente par el suscrito desde 1959 en
adelante. En 1966 Taylor y Minckley presentaron tin panorama resumido de ]a importancia de Cuatro Cizne-gas,
comparandolo con un nuevo mundo biol6gtco, seguido en 1969 par un trabajo mas detallado de Minckley (1969).
Este dltimo inici6 desde 1966 una campana para dar a conocer la importancia de Cuatro Ci6negas, que tuvo eco
intemacional, pero no en M6xico. Minckley pas6 la batuta a Contreras en 1989 se reinic1'6 dicha campana. La
comunidad cientifica fue informada ampliamente en un estudio de Minckley (1969), seguido par un resumen de
Contreras (1969 y otros posteriores). En 1973, Contreras, present6 un resumen y propuesta en reuni6n ante el
Colegio de Bi6logos de Mexico y el candidato presidencial Jose L6pez-Portillo. En 1982, el Desert Fishes Council
decidi6 llamar a tin simposio sabre biota del valle, realizado en 1983 y publicado en 1984. Delgadillo y col. (1983)
plantearon un proyecto ejecutivo para la Poza la Becerra, ampliado a la creaci6n de un Parque Nacional por 61
inismo (1984), que aparentemente se reflejaron en un plan oficial de SEDUE (sin fecha). En Saltillo en 1985 y
M6xico en 1986, Contreras y Almada presentaron una nueva propuesta ante SEDUE. En 1988, SEDUE elabor6
un diagn6stico para el Plan de Manejo de una Reserva en Cuatro Ci6negas, a cargo de Chavez y col. En 1989, se
coloc6 un inspector de SEDUE a cargo del valle, que se mantuvo hasta 1991. En 1992, Alessandra Pellegrini
retom6 coma tests el Plan de Manejo, que esta par presentarse. Par Ultimo, se reinic16 ]a tendencia
independientemente par Minckley y Contreras en el seno del Desert Fishes Council, y par Gomez Pompa, de la
Fundaci6n M6xico Norteamericana de Cienctas, tambi6n en 1992, uniendo esfuerzos para un intento que esperamos
no sea tardfo. El primer resultado de Este nuevo enfoque es el presente simposio, que pretende reunir la informaci6n
39