Mexico is home to 14 species of lagomorphs, 6 of which are endemic. Studies on diseases affecting native lagomorphs are scarce, and in most cases, the impact on their populations remains largely unknown. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), especially the RHDV2 variant, causes a serious and extremely contagious disease, resulting in high mortality rates and major declines in wild lagomorph populations. The objectives of this study were to identify disease hotspots and critical biodiversity regions in Mexico through the combined use of disease information and lagomorph distribution maps and to determine the areas of greatest concern. In total, 19 states of Mexico recorded RHDV2 from April 2020 to August 2021, and 12 of them reported the wild species Sylvilagus audubonii, Lepus californicus, and unidentified Leporidae species. The distribution of RHDV2 in Mexico can be closely predicted from climatic variables. RHDV2 hotspots are located in the central-southern area of the Mexican Highlands and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, where the virus affects multiple species. This knowledge is essential for proposing specific actions to manage and preserve lagomorph populations at risk and address these issues as soon as possible.

Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica Zucc.) is a shrub species distributed throughout the Chihuahuan Desert in northern Mexico and southern of the United States of America. Candelilla has an economic importance due to natural wax it produces. The economic importance and the intense harvest of the wax from candelilla seems to gradually reduce the natural populations of this species. The essence of this research was to project the potential distribution of candelilla populations under different climate change scenarios in its natural distribution area in North America. We created a spatial database with points of candelilla presence, according to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). A spatial analysis to predict the potential distribution of the species using Maxent software was performed. Thirteen of 19 variables from the WorldClim database were used for two scenarios of representative concentration pathways (RCPs) (4.5 as a conservative and 8.5 as extreme). We used climate projections from three global climate models (GCMs) (Max Planck institute, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory and the Met Office Hadley), each simulating the two scenarios. The final predicted distribution areas were classified in five on-site possible candelilla habitat suitability categories: none (< 19%), low (20–38%), medium (39–57%), high (58–76%) and very high (> 77%). According to the area under the curve (0.970), the models and scenarios used showed an adequate fit to project the current and future distribution of candelilla. The variable that contributed the most in the three GCMs and the two RCPs was the mean temperature of the coldest quarter with an influence of 45.7% (Jackknife test). The candelilla’s distribution area for North America was predicted as approximately 19.1 million hectares under the current conditions for the high habitat suitability; however, the projection for the next fifty years is not promising because the GCMs projected a reduction of more than 6.9 million hectares using either the conservative or extreme scenarios. The results are useful for conservation of the species in the area with vulnerable wild populations, as well as for the selection of new sites suitable for the species growth and cultivation while facing climate change.

In Mexico, buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris) was introduced in the middle of the 20th century. Currently, buffelgrass has become an invasive species and has colonized various ecosystems in the country. In addition to its invasive capacity, climate change is a factor that has to be taken into account when considering how to effectively manage and control this species. The climatic niche models (CNM) and their projections for climate change scenarios allow for estimating the extent of biological invasions. Our study aimed to calibrate a CNM for buffelgrass in Mexico under the current climatic conditions and to project the extent of its biological invasion under climate change scenarios. For that, we used MaxEnt to generate the current CNM and to detect if climate change could cause future changes, we then evaluated the distribution patterns over the periods of 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100 for all the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). Linear regressions were used to compare the outputs between current and future scenarios. Under the current climate, the CNM estimated that 42.2% of the continental surface of Mexico is highly suitable for buffelgrass. The regression analyses indicated no effects from climate change on the distribution of buffelgrass. Moreover, when the projected period is further in the future, and when the SSPs intensify, the surface of suitable areas for the species increases. These analyses clearly suggest Mexico is facing a biological invasion from buffelgrass, which may represent a threat to native biodiversity.

Land use and land cover changes (LULC) are one of the main factors in global environmental change, as well as one of the main causes of soil and biodiversity loss. The main objective of this research was to determine the dynamics of land use changes in the Bustillos basin located in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. The research consisted of the processing and analysis of satellite images from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM5) and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI8). From the classifications obtained through satellite images, six categories of land use were obtained and later were compared through the use of a cross-tabulation matrix. The results showed that the use of remote sensors applied to the evaluation of the dynamics of land use changes allowed for knowing the changes that occurred in a period of 43 years. To compare the land use of the years 1974 and 2016, maps were obtained with soil covers. This served as the basis for the analysis of the changes that occurred. In this way, it was possible to determine the growth of the urban area (7851.48 hectares) due to the development of economic activity and the increase in population. The category that had a more significant increase was the agricultural areas with a gain in surface of the sub-basin of 28,334.23 hectares. The grassland class lost 21,385.28 hectares; this area was associated with the class of agricultural areas and urban areas. The oak–pine forest had losses of 9150.03 hectares, as well as the pine forest (586.06 hectares). Finally, the class of water bodies lost 228.02 hectares. The results showed that the implementation of dynamic LULC using geographic information systems could be adopted as a planning tool to manage LULC in the Bustillos basin in the future.

Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) is a shrubby species that grows in the Chihuahuan Desert. Sotol plants are commonly used to produce an alcoholic beverage, also known as “sotol”. A study was carried out to assess the composition and structure of shrubby communities where sotol inhabits in northern Mexico. The importance value index (IVI), diversity indexes, and structural attributes of the sotol community were estimated. Furthermore, a principal component and a cluster analysis were conducted in order to identify possible associations of species along the sotol distribution area. A total of 10,273 plants belonging to 17 families and 46 species were recorded, where the Agave lechuguilla and Tiquilia greggi were the most abundant species. Higher abundances of sotol and higher diversity indexes were observed in hillside areas and eastern aspects. The multivariate analyses revealed five shrubby groups in the distribution area of sotol, which grows in valleys, hillsides, and also on the top of mountains. The main communities found where sotol grows are rosetophyllous, microphyllous, and mesquite communities, and also, in higher altitudes, sotol is associated with oak species. This information is not only useful for a better species knowledge, but also for the protection of shrubby communities where Dasylirion leiophyllum inhabits.