Mesoamerican Pine-Oak Forests - A Global Ecoregion
Richest subtropical conifer forests in the world
Snapshot: Ecoregion 63
Size:
294,000 sq. km (113,500 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Tropical and Subtropical Coniferous Forests
Geographic Location:
Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador
Conservation Status:
Critical/Endangered
Quiz Time!
What are air plants?
Answer:
Some bromeliads are also called air plants. Air plants don't have roots. They get all of their water and nutrients by absorbing them from the air using fuzzy structures called trichomes. These cover their leaves and make them look grey or silver instead of green.
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Chimalapas montane forests; Central American pine-oak forests; Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests; Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests; Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine-oak forests; Central American montane forests.
This ecoregion contains some of the world's most extensive subtropical coniferous forests. Mild temperatures prevail year-round, but the amount of precipitation varies widely from season to season.Many plant and animal species are locally restricted in their distributions throughout the region, especially birds, conifers, reptiles, and amphibians.
Local Species
Selected species include the almost certainly extinct Imperial woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis), Dwarf jay (Cyanocorax nana), Cycad (Dioon tomasellii), Volcano rabbit (Romerolagus diazi), and two species of wild maize (Zea perennisand Z. diploperennis).
Threats
Commercial logging, land conversion for cultivation, and overgrazing by livestock pose serious threats to the ecoregion.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
