The Canyon is considered a
biogeographic corridor since it is home to several types of vegetation:
Tropical Forest,
Deciduous,
Riparian forest vegetation and secondary vegetation. Several species of flora and fauna are endemic to the canyon. It is often visited by national and international investigators since it includes great biological diversity. On June 5, 1997 the canyon was declared a
Nature reserve, under the category of Zone subject to Ecological Conservation
Protected Area by the
World Conservation Union of all the area belonging to the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area because it is the most urbanized area. Great Horned Owls, Collared Peccaries, Bobcats, Gray Foxes, Opossums, Red-tailed Boas, Barn Owls, Leaf Cutter Ants and Vampire Bats are among the species making a home in the canyon. The Guadalajara metropolitan area extends towards the Eastern side of the canyon and subsequently many buildings are near or overlook the canyon, complexes such as the
University of Guadalajara campus of the
CUAAD Center of Art, Architecture and Design, the
Guadalajara Zoo, and the now closed
Guadalajara Planetarium. In addition to several residential areas, there are also sporting and recreational facilities that include soccer fields, basketball, tennis and fronton courts, picnic spaces, a running strip, a recreational park and an outdoor theater. The canyon is also a popular destination for hiking. There were plans to build the next
Guggenheim Museum in early 2008, the controversial Arcediano dam project and a high-rise project called
Puerta Guadalajara (Guadalajara Gate) which would have included a shopping mall, a convention center, two hotels, two museums, nine residential towers and two more corporate towers. None of these projects were started and it seems likely that they have now all been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. However, work is in progress on the construction of an art museum in the Mirador park, on the site formerly intended for the Guggenheim museum project. ==References==