Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests

Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests
Pahuatlán del Valle, Puebla state, Mexico
Location of the ecoregion
Ecology
Realm	Nearctic
Biome	Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Borders	show List Chihuahuan Desert Tamaulipan mezquital Tamaulipan matorral Veracruz moist forests Veracruz montane forests Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests Central Mexican matorral Meseta Central matorral
Bird species	336[1]
Mammal species	169[1]
Geography
Area	65,600 km2 (25,300 sq mi)
Countries	Mexico and United States
States	show List Chihuahua Coahuila Durango Hidalgo Nuevo León Puebla Querétaro San Luis Potosí Tamaulipas Texas Veracruz Zacatecas
Conservation
Conservation status	Critical/endangered[3]
Global 200	Yes[3]
Habitat loss	7.6452%[1]
Protected	32.22%[2]

The Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests are a tropical and subtropical coniferous forests ecoregion of northeastern and Central Mexico, extending into the state of Texas in the United States.^[3]

Setting[]

The Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests are found at elevations of 1,000–3,500 m (3,300–11,500 ft) above sea level in the Sierra Madre Oriental range, which runs north and south between the Gulf Coastal Plain to the east along the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mexican Plateau to the west. They are also found in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, adjacent to the southern Sierra Madre Oriental. The ecoregion covers an area of 65,600 km² (25,300 sq mi).

The southernmost forests transition to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests in central Puebla state, near the southern end of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The forests extend almost continuously along the range through the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and northern Puebla. North of Monterrey, the forests become discontinuous, extending as a series of sky islands through the states of Nuevo León and Coahuila, and on into the Chisos and Davis mountains of the Big Bend region of western Texas. Other sky islands can be found on the higher peaks of the mountain ranges rising from the Mexican Plateau to the west. The pine–oak forests extend along a discontinuous line of folded mountains, including the Sierra de Arteaga, Sierra de Zapalinamé, Sierra La Concordia, and Sierra de Parras, that reach westwards across the plateau. The Sierra del Rosario, west of Torreón, is the westernmost extent of ecoregion.

Flora[]

The dominant species are many species of pine including Nelson pinyon (Pinus nelsonii), Mexican pinyon (P. cembroides), smooth-bark Mexican pine (P. pseudostrobus), and Arizona pine (P. arizonica), and the oaks Quercus castanea and Q. affinis. On the wetter slopes facing the ocean the most common trees are Mexican pinyon and Juniperus deppeana, while on the drier western slopes weeping pinyon (Pinus pinceana) is more common. The forests are home to a great variety of other flora including agave and traditional food plants.^[3]

Fauna[]

Mammals that inhabit this ecoregion include the American black bear (Ursus americanus), which migrate along the Rio Grande from northern Coahuila to the Chisos Mountains in Texas, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), cougar (Puma concolor), cliff chipmunk (Tamias dorsalis), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), jaguar (Panthera onca) and coyote (Canis latrans).

The maroon-fronted parrot (Rhynchopsitta terrisi) and Colima warbler (Vermivora crissalis) are endemic to this ecoregion. Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo), peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are also resident.^[3]

Pine–oak forests in Coahuila are part of the migration route of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).

Protected areas[]

32.22% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include El Chico National Park, , Cumbres de Monterrey National Park Los Mármoles National Park, Big Bend National Park, Cerro de la Silla Natural Monument, El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, Sierra de Tamaulipas Biosphere Reserve, Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato Biosphere Reserve, Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve, Maderas del Carmen Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Cañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection Area, , Serranía de Zapalinamé ecological reserve, and Cuenca Alimentadora del Distrito Nacional de Riego 026 Bajo Río San Juan. ^[2]

See also[]

• List of ecoregions in Mexico
• List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)
• Conifers of Mexico

References[]

External links[]

• "Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
• World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08.