Veracruz montane forests | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Neotropical |
Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
Borders | Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests, Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests and Veracruz moist forests |
Geography | |
Area | 4,942 km2 (1,908 sq mi) |
Country | Mexico |
States | Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
Protected | 303 km² (6%) [1] |
The Veracruz montane forests (Spanish : Bosques montanos de Veracruz) is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in eastern Mexico. It includes a belt of montane tropical forest on the eastern slope of the southern Sierra Madre Oriental and eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ranges. These forests lie between the lowland Veracruz moist forests and the pine-oak forests of the higher mountains.
The Veracruz montane forests are the northernmost tropical montane moist forests in North America. [2]
The forests are composed of evergreen broadleaf trees, which form a closed canopy. Epiphytes, including orchids, bromeliads, mosses, and lichens, are abundant. [3]
The upper and lower montane forests vary somewhat in species composition. Lower montane forests predominate between 1,250 and 1,630 meters elevation. Characteristic trees are Clethra macrophylla, Liquidambar styraciflua , and Turpinia insignis , with Quercus sartorii, Quercus xalapensis, Carpinus tropicalis , and others. [3]
In the upper montane forests Prunus rhamnoides and Quercus corrugata are the predominant species from 1800 to 2250 meters elevation, together with Cleyera theaeoides, Ternstroemia sylvatica, Weinmannia intermedia, Clethra schlechtendalii , and others. Forests dominated by Fagus grandifolia also grow in the upper montane zone, mostly between 1800 and 1900 meters elevation, with Ternstroemia sylvatica, Vaccinium leucanthum, Persea americana , and Oreopanax xalapensis . [3]
Mammals native to the ecoregion include the six species of large cats – jaguar (Panthera onca), ocelot (Leopardus pardalus), margay (Leopardus weidii), puma (Puma concolor), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), and bobcat (Lynx rufus). Hoofed mammals include the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), red brocket (Mazama americana), and collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu). other mammals include the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), kinkajou (Potos flavus), tayra (Eira barbara), Mexican tree porcupine (Coendou mexicanus), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), and northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana). [4]
Native birds include the military macaw (Ara militaris), great curassow (Crax rubra), crested guan (Penelope purpurascens), white-crowned parrot (Pionus senilis), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), and many neotropical migratory birds. [4]
A 2017 assessment found that about 40% of the ecoregion is still forested. 303 km², or 6%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. [1] Protected areas include the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Zacatepec Ecological Conservation Area, Chicamole Ecological Conservation Area, Finca Tegolome Ecological Reserve, Zona Protectora Forestal Vedada Cuenca Hidrográfica del Río Necaxa Natural Resources Protection Area (which is also a Ramsar Site), and the Cacalotepec fracción primera y fracción segunda and Área de Preservación de la Naturaleza y Zona de Usos Múltiples para el Ecoturismo Kolijke voluntary conservation areas. [5]
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests are a Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of the Sierra Madre Occidental range from the southwest USA region to the western part of Mexico. They are home to a large number of endemic plants and important habitat for wildlife.
The Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in western Myanmar (Burma). Surrounded at lower elevations by moist tropical forests, this ecoregion is home a diverse range of subtropical and temperate species, including many species characteristic of the Himalayas, as well as many endemic species.
The Talamancan montane forests ecoregion, in the tropical moist broadleaf forest biome, are in montane Costa Rica and Panama in Central America.
The Northern Indochina subtropical moist forests are a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of northern Indochina, covering portions of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and China's Yunnan Province.
The Petén–Veracruz moist forests is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest biome found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.
The Veracruz moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in eastern Mexico.
The Tamaulipan matorral is an ecoregion in the deserts and xeric shrublands biome on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental range in northeastern Mexico. It is a transitional ecoregion between the Tamaulipan mezquital and the Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests to the west and the Veracruz moist forests to the south.
The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests is a subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt of central Mexico.
The Central American pine–oak forests is a tropical and subtropical coniferous forests ecoregion in the mountains of northern Central America and Chiapas state in southern Mexico.
The Central America bioregion is a biogeographic region comprising southern Mexico and Central America.
The Yucatán moist forests are an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund.
The Central American dry forests ecoregion, of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome, is located in Central America.
The Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests is an ecoregion on Malay Peninsula. It occupies the mountainous spine of the peninsula in Malaysia and southernmost Thailand. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.
The Kayah–Karen montane rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Myanmar and Thailand. The montane rain forests cover several connected mountain ranges, including the Dawna Range, Karen Hills, Thanon Thong Chai Range, Daen Lao Range, and Khun Tan Range.
The Oaxacan montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in eastern Mexico. It includes a belt of montane tropical forest on the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ranges. These forests lie between the lowland Petén–Veracruz moist forests and Veracruz moist forests, and the pine–oak forests of the higher mountains.
The Chimalapas montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in southern Mexico. It includes the montane tropical forests of the Chimalapas region on the boundary of Chiapas and Oaxaca.
The Chiapas montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in southern Mexico and extending into western Guatemala. It includes the montane tropical forests on the northern and northeastern slopes of the Chiapas Highlands.
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.
La Sepultura is a biosphere reserve in southern Mexico. It protects a portion of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas range in the state of Chiapas.