Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources

“Efraím Hernández Xolocotzi” Botanical Garden

The “Efraím Hernández Xolocotzi” Botanical Garden (JB-EHX) run by the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, It is a natural treasure that contains a wealth of biodiversity unique to the region. Due to its design and characteristics, it can be considered a green oasis, which is not only a refuge for the conservation of threatened and endemic plants, but also an educational space of enormous importance. Through its botanical collection, scientific research and outreach programs, the garden plays a vital role in promoting environmental awareness and understanding of local ecosystems.

The Botanical Garden is in charge of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences and is located on the Linares Campus of the UANL in the municipality of Linares. It covers an area of 10 hectares and currently has a collection of más de 153 mil plantas de más de 60 especies, principalmente de cactáceas y plantas suculentas, de las cuales 29 especies se encuentran en riesgo de extinción (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010). It is registered as a Wildlife Conservation Management Unit (PVSNL-UMA-IN-1270-NL) so it is officially accredited to reproduce and exchange plants with other botanical gardens, as well as receive plants from confiscations and rescues.

At the JB-EHX, studies are carried out on the biology and ecology of plant species in the region, addressing issues of phenology, pollinators, predators and nursing. These investigations are carried out mainly by undergraduate and graduate thesis students from the Faculty of Forestry Sciences and other Higher Education Institutions in the country. Regarding teaching, the JB-EHX is a support space for courses in Botany, Ecology, Conservation, and those related to the management of natural resources; Likewise, the JB-EHX serves to analyze the practical implications of the establishment and management as UMA (Management Units for the Conservation of Wildlife) of a botanical garden.

Since 2018, the Garden began an environmental education project in collaboration with Regional Unit No. 7 of the Ministry of Education of the government of the State of Nuevo León, which groups four municipalities, with a total of 1,798 teachers who serve 28,720 students in 571 educational facilities, at the preschool, primary, secondary and special education school levels. En el el 2023 más de 1,500 estudiantes de distintos niveles de educación participaron en el programa de educación ambiental JB-EHX.

The Efraím Hernández Xolocotzi Botanical Garden is a space of great social relevance as a source of knowledge that contributes to the rational use of biodiversity and to training citizens committed to caring for nature.

Extension of 10 hectares

More of 153 mil plantas de más de 60 especies

Ethnobiological Garden of the UANL in the Marín Unit

The Ethnobiological Garden (JEB) of the UANL based in the Marín Unit was founded in 2019 with the support of the National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONAHCYT). This space represents the fusion between biodiversity and the cultural wealth of the region. It houses a wide range of traditionally used plant species, in addition to promoting the conservation of native flora and promoting environmental education. In addition, it serves as a platform for research and innovation in ethnobotany, contributing to sustainable development and the preservation of cultural heritage.

The garden is located in the Marín Unit of the Faculty of Agronomy of the UANL, 25°52'26.9''N and 100°02'47.6''W, at 375 meters above sea level. It consists of 4 main areas:

Conservatorium, is a space with an area of 3 hectares located next to the “La Juventud” dam, It has a bird watching point and a palapa for reception and talks to school groups.
Collectarium, consists of 1,870 m² on 3 terraces that include collections of diverse plants.

3. Germplasm bank, collection of native seeds of ethnobotanical importance, which come from the plants present in the garden spaces and from collections in natural areas of the region.

Nursery, section for the propagation of native plants of the region.

As part of the educational activities that the JEB promotes, workshops and talks have been held in primary schools and educational centers in the region, with the purpose of transmitting to students of different school grades the knowledge generated by the JEB work team. ; For example, at the CECyTE Unidad Marín, talks were held on the knowledge of species of ethnobiological importance in Nuevo León. In the municipality of Aramberri, in the south of the state, workshops were held titled: “The flora of the region, do you know the growth of the lechuguilla?”, aimed at primary school students. In the municipality of García, visits are also made to teach the workshop “From the seed to the plant, UANL Ethnobiological Garden” for 4th, 5th and 6th grade students, with the support of the Magical Beginnings in Science program UANL. Additionally, the holding of thematic fairs is contemplated, within the framework of ExpoSur, organized by the FA-UANL. Through the JEB Environmental Education program it is possible to disseminate science, as well as provide information on ethnobiological resources of the region to different sectors of the population.

Taking advantage of the native microdiversity of Nuevo León to obtain high value-added products

Through the “Biomolecular Innovation in Agricultural Research” project that has been developed in the Faculty of Agronomy of the UANL since 2011, and which gave rise to the Natural Sciences Laboratory of this agency, the study and use of of the Native Microdiversity of Nuevo León, allowing the selection of strains with high biotechnological potential, which have been validated in biotransformation of agroindustrial waste under the concept of lignocellulose biorefinery.

Among the processes that can be improved with the use of these isolates or with the enzymes or metabolites produced by them, such as the bioremediation of synthetic dyes, modification of the functional properties of the doughs and their baking products, improvement of the production parameters in the production of rabbit and chicken meat with the supplementation of enzymes or with the development of biotransformed foods. In addition, nanoparticles with high potential in animal feed and in the bioremediation of effluents have been obtained.

On the other hand, the cultivation of these organisms in agroindustrial waste has allowed the obtaining not only of enzymes of industrial interest, but also metabolites with antifungal activity used in obtaining seedlings and the development of coatings for fruits, thus generating an alternative for the organic agriculture and post-harvest strategies. Currently, the potential of native basidiomycetes is being studied for the production of enzymes, antioxidant, antifungal and antimicrobial metabolites, together with the obtaining of biofuels and biomaterials (such as prebiotic fibers), using as raw materials agroindustrial waste generated in the region, together with life cycle analysis and energy balance. Thus contributing to the sustainability of the processes and conservation of the environment.

The project has contributed to train 22 human resources at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels, as well as the publication of 37 scientific articles, book chapters, participation in national and international conferences, a patent and two research awards. It has also allowed the creation of the social project “Magical Beginnings in Science” whose main objective is scientific dissemination among Nuevo Leon children, in addition to promoting the importance of natural resources, their care and responsible use.

Germoplasm Bank

Germplasm banks refer to places set up to store samples, which are generally orthodox seeds, although there may be germplasm banks for the storage of samples through in vitro tissues or in vivo germplasm banks. The fundamental purpose is the ex situ conservation of germplasm and is a useful method for the conservation of genetic characteristics that are in danger of extinction. In addition, it serves to store genetic variability for the development of new varieties through genetic improvement in plant species of nutritional and commercial importance and that can face the challenges of climate change, such as resistance to drought and high temperatures, which are among the factors most limiting factors in agricultural production.

The Faculty of Agronomy of the UANL, developed in the In the 80s of the last century, a project called “Genetic Resources Unit” in the Marín Unit, located in the municipality of the same name, whose purpose was the conservation of germplasm through seeds of different species of agricultural and livestock importance, such as corn, beans, sorghum, oats, wheat and different types of forage grasses. , among others. Since then, it has existed for the protection, conservation, use and improvement of seed collections of the aforementioned crops.

The germplasm bank provides shelter for native seeds of plant species, mainly from the state of Nuevo León, which have been collected thanks to the support of the same university (PAICYT), as well as the financing achieved through projects financed by CONAHCYT and external organizations such as the project that was had with the University of Nebraska.

The germplasm bank is made up of the following:

a). Work area for seed analysis. 5 x 4 x 2.6m (52m³).

b). 5 x 4 x 2.6 m (52 m) office³).

c). Technician office of 4 x 2.5 x 2.6 m (26 m³).

d). Warehouse 4 x 6 x 2.6 m (62.4 m³).

e). Cold room 1.6 x 4.1 x 2.65 m (65 m³ occupied approximately 30 m³). There is a compressor to maintain the temperature between 0-50C and an RH of 20-35%.

f). Cold room 2.7 x 6 x 2.6 m (109 m³).

g). Work area. 6 x 3 x 3m (54m³). It has a table and shelves.

The number of accessions currently in the cold room is approximately 3,000 samples, which mostly include seeds resulting from the genetic improvement of grain sorghum, sweet sorghum and corn. Particularly in the case of corn, it includes a group of approximately 60 native corn from the state of Nuevo León and a collection of seeds from native species (cacti, herbaceous and shrubs) has recently been added. as part of the Ethnobiological Gardens project financed by CONAHCYT.

3,000 samples seeds of different species

In this collection, desirable crop characteristics have been identified, such as the development of sorghum varieties with high sugar content in their stems for fermentation and biofuel production, or native varieties of corn with high anthocyanin content, an element that favors human health as an antioxidant. Given the importance of the conservation of genetic resources to face the nutritional challenges of the future, it is recommended to maintain the germplasm bank in adequate conditions for its proper functioning.