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Mexico ranks fourth[1] in the world in biodiversity and is one of the 17megadiverse countries. With over 200,000 different species, Mexico is home of 10–12% of the world's biodiversity.[2] Mexico ranks first in biodiversity inreptiles with 707 known species,second in mammals with 438 species, fourth inamphibians with 290 species, and fourth inflora, with 26,000 species.[3] Mexico is also ranked second in the world inecosystems and fourth in overall species.[4] About 2,500 species are protected by Mexican legislation.[4] In 2002[update], Mexico had the second fastest rate of deforestation in the world, second only to Brazil.[5] It had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.82/10, ranking it 63rd globally out of 172 countries.[6]
In Mexico, 170,000 square kilometers (65,637 sq mi) are considered "protected natural areas". These include 34 biosphere reserves (unaltered ecosystems), 67national parks, 4 natural monuments (protected in perpetuity for their aesthetic, scientific or historical value), 26 areas of protected flora and fauna, 4 areas for natural resource protection (conservation of soil, hydrological basins and forests) and 17 sanctuaries (zones rich in diverse species).[2] Plants indigenous to Mexico are grown in many parts of the world and integrated into their own national cuisines. Some of Mexico's nativeculinary ingredients include: maize, tomato, beans, squash, chocolate,vanilla,avocado,guava,chayote,epazote,camote,jícama,nopal,zucchini,tejocote,huitlacoche,sapote,mamey sapote, and a great variety ofchiles, such as thehabanero and thejalapeño. Most of these names come from the indigenous language ofNahuatl.Tequila, the distilled alcoholic drink made from cultivatedagave cacti is a major industry. Because of its high biodiversity Mexico has also been a frequent site ofbioprospecting by international research bodies.[7] The first highly successful instance being the discovery in 1947 of the tuberbarbasco (Dioscorea composita) which has a high content ofdiosgenin, revolutionizing the production ofsynthetic hormones in the 1950s and 1960s and eventually leading to the invention ofcombined oral contraceptive pills.[8]