Pressure indicators

Illegal use of biodiversity

Illegal harvesting is one of the activities most harmful for biodiversity (Naranjo et al., 2009); it includes poaching, capture, and the unauthorized collection, transportation and trade of wildlife (Semarnap, 1997). In terms of income generated worldwide, it ranks third among the most profitable illegal activities, just below drugs and arms trafficking (Conabio, 1998). Species included in illegal trade are under constant pressure that jeopardizes their permanence (CBD, 2002; Groombridge and Jenkins, 2002; PNUMA, 2008; WWF, 2008). At the population level, the main consequences of illegal harvesting are: changes in population size and structure, proportion of males and females, reproductive potential and traits, and genetic makeup, in addition to changes in the food web’s flow and dynamics of their respective communities. The Number of wildlife specimens, products and byproducts seized per inspection operation is an indicator of the minimally detectable pressure that illegal trafficking imposes on the country's biodiversity.

Environmental contingencies of anthropogenic origin

The inadequate handling of chemical pollutants processed or discarded by industry can cause environmental contingencies and emergencies that threaten biodiversity in areas adjacent to production sites or transportation routes. Environmental contingencies are defined by Mexico’s General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection as risky situations arising from human activities or natural events that may jeopardize the integrity of species and ecosystems (DOF, 2007). In Mexico, the number of environmental emergencies involving hazardous materials is increasing, mainly due to the growth and expansion of industrial activities. Some of the most common contingencies are spills of hydrocarbons and toxic substances from the oil industry, and spills of sewage and other organic waste (Semarnap, 1997, 1999; PNUMA, 2002; Profepa, 2008). Most coastal, freshwater and terrestrial biological communities are highly susceptible to direct contact with hydrocarbons and their water-soluble derivatives (UNEP, 2008; EPA, 2008, NOAA, 2008), as well as to urban and industrial waste (EPA, 1992; Revenga et al., 2000; Culp et al., 2003; EEA, 2003; Silk and Ciruna, 2004). The Number of Environmental contingencies of anthropogenic origin serves as an indirect indicator of the pressure that the inadequate handling of industrial products and waste can impose on the species populations living in areas adjacent to production sites or transportation routes.