Sierra Madre de Chiapas moist forests
| Sierra Madre de Chiapas moist forests | |
|---|---|
 Forest in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas. | |
 Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Borders | Central American dry forests, Central American pine-oak forests and Southern Pacific dry forests |
| Geography | |
| Area | 11,218 km2 (4,331 sq mi) |
| Countries | Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador |
| States of Mexico | Chiapas |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
| Protected | 1,787 km² (16%)[1] |
The Sierra Madre de Chiapas moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in southern Mexico and southern Guatemala, extending into the northwestern corner of El Salvador.
Geography[]
The moist forests ecoregion lies on the southern slope of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, between the Central American pine-oak forests which cover the mountains' higher elevations to the north, and the Central American dry forests in the Pacific coastal lowlands to the south.[2]
Climate[]
The climate of the ecoregion is tropical and humid. The mountains intercept prevailing winds from the Pacific, creating clouds, fog, and orographic precipitation. The forests have a cooler and wetter climate than the adjacent lowlands. Average annual temperatures decrease with elevation.[2]
Flora[]
The main plant community is montane tropical broadleaf evergreen forest.[2]
Fauna[]
The ecoregion has over 300 species of birds, most notably the resplendent quetzal, horned guan, and the azure-rumped tanager. It is a center of endemism for salamanders and butterflies.[2]
Falco rufigularis in Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, Guatemala
Progne chalybea in Jiquipilas, Mexico
Buteogallus urubitinga in Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, Guatemala
Human impacts[]
Much of the ecoregion's forest has been cleared for agriculture and grazing. Much of the remaining forest area is fragmented or degraded. The ecoregion has a road density of 645 meters per square kilometers, the highest of Central America's ecoregions.[3]
Protected areas[]
16.55 of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[4] In 2000 7% of the ecoregion's area was protected.[3] Protected areas in Chiapas include the La Sepultura and El Triunfo biosphere reserves, and the Zona de Protección Forestal en los terrenos que se encuentran en los municipios de La Concordia, Angel Albino Corzo, Villa Flores y Jiquipilas Natural Resources Protection Area. Both the Mexican and Guatemalan sides of Volcán Tacaná are protected. Other protected areas in Guatemala include Volcán Moyuta and Volcán Tecuamburro.[4]
See also[]
External links[]
- "Sierra Madre de Chiapas moist forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
References[]
- ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
- ^ a b c d "Sierra Madre de Chiapas moist forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ a b Corrales, Lenin & Bouroncle, Claudia & Zamora Pereira, Juan. (2015). An overview of forest biomes and ecoregions of Central America.
- ^ a b "Sierra Madre de Chiapas Moist forests". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 3 October 2021. [2]
- Ecoregions of Mexico
- Ecoregions of Guatemala
- Montane forests
- Natural history of Chiapas
- Neotropical tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
- Sierra Madre de Chiapas