The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests is a

subtropical coniferous forest Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. These forests are found predominantly in North and Central America and experience low levels of precipitation and moderate v ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

in the

Sierra Madre del Sur The Sierra Madre del Sur is a mountain range in southern Mexico, extending from southern Michoacán east through Guerrero, to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca. Geography The Sierra Madre del Sur joins with the Eje Volcánico Transv ...

mountain range of southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Setting

The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests occupy an area of , within the states of

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

, Guerrero, and

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

. The pine–oak forests occupy the higher slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur range, which runs east and west parallel to Mexico's southern Pacific Coast. The forests are surrounded by

tropical dry forests The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...

at lower elevations; the Jalisco dry forests to the west; the

Balsas dry forests The Balsas dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion located in western and central Mexico. Geography The Balsas dry forests occupy the basin of the Balsas River. The ecoregion covers an area of . The Balsas basin, and the Balsa ...

to the north, in the basin of the Balsas River, and the Southern Pacific dry forests to the south and east along the Pacific coast.

Flora

The chief plant communities are oak forests, cloud forests, pine–oak forests, and fir forests. The plant communities vary with elevation and rainfall."Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests" WWF. Accessed 26 April 2015
/ref> The oak forests occur between 1900 and 2500 metres elevation (6,200-8,200 feet). ''

Quercus magnoliifolia ''Quercus magnoliifolia'', also known as encino amarillo, encino avellano, encino bermejo, encino blanco, encino napis, encino prieto, and roble, is a Mexican species of oak. It is widespread along the Pacific Coast of Mexico from Sinaloa to Chia ...

'' and ''

Quercus castanea ''Quercus castanea'' is a species of oak tree. It is widespread across much of Mexico, from Sonora to Chiapas, and in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.Pinus montezumae ''Pinus montezumae'', known as the Montezuma pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is native to Mexico and Central America, where it is known as ocote. The tree grows about 35 m high and 80 cm in diameter; occasion ...

''.

Orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

s and

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...

s grow as

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

s. Cloud forests grow at 2300 metres (7,500 feet). Predominant tree species are ''

Abies guatemalensis ''Abies guatemalensis'', the Guatemalan fir or ''pinabete'', is an evergreen tree native to Central America and is the southernmost member of the genus ''Abies'' being spread to the south lower than 14° N. Its range is from southern (less from ...

, Abies religiosa,

Quercus uxoris ''Quercus uxoris'' is an uncommon species of oak. The tree is endemic to Mexico. It has been found in the states of Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, and Oaxaca in southern Mexico.Pinus ayacahuite ''Pinus ayacahuite'', also called ayacahuite pine and Mexican white pine, (family Pinaceae) is a species of pine native to the mountains of southern Mexico and western Central America, in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains and the eastern end of ...

'', and '' Cupressus lusitanica''. Pine–oak forests grow at 2400–2500 metres (7,900-8,200 feet). Predominant tree species are ''Quercus magnoliifolia, Q. castanea, Q. obtusata, Pinus herrerae, P. pseudostrobus, P. pringlei, P. ayacahuite, P. rzedowskii,'' and '' Arbutus xalapensis''. Fir forests grow above 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). 31 species of oaks are native to the ecoregion, including '' Q. mulleri, Q. nixoniana, Q. rubramenta, Q. salicifolia, Q. uxoris'', and '' Q. martinezii''.Valencia Avalos, Susana (2010). "Notes on the Genus ''Quercus'' in Mexico". ''International Oak Journal'' No. 21 Spring 2010 The trees ''

Aiouea cinnamomoidea ''Aiouea cinnamomoidea'' is a species of tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero in southern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the sout ...

Magnolia guerrerensis ''Magnolia guerrerensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Magnoliaceae. It is endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero state in southern Mexico. Description ''Magnolia guerrerensis'' is a tree that grows between 6 and 20 met ...

Magnolia krusei ''Magnolia krusei'' is a species of plant in the family Magnoliaceae. It is endemic to Mexico. Description ''Magnolia krusei'' is a medium-sized to large tree, growing ups to 25 meters high with a trunk diameter of 50 to 100 cm. It is similar in ...

, Magnolia vazquezii'', and ''

Quercus mulleri ''Quercus mulleri'' is a rare Mexican species of oak. It has been found only in a small area of the Sierra de Miahuatlán, a sub-range of the Sierra Madre del Sur in southern Oaxaca state. Description ''Quercus mulleri'' is a small- to medium-si ...

'' are endemic to the ecoregion.

Fauna

There are 160 native species of birds in the ecoregion, of which 28 are endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur. Endemic birds include the short-crested coquette (''Lophornis brachylophus''),

white-tailed hummingbird The white-tailed hummingbird (''Eupherusa poliocerca'') is a Near Threatened species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to southwestern Mexico.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handboo ...

(''Eupherusa poliocerca''), Oaxaca hummingbird (''Eupherusa cyanophrys'') and

white-throated jay The white-throated jay (''Cyanolyca mirabilis''), also known as the Omiltemi jay, is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur ranges of Mexico. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist monta ...

or Omiltemi jay (''Cyanolyca mirabilis''). Other native birds include the

amethyst-throated hummingbird The amethyst-throated mountaingem (''Lampornis amethystinus''), also called amethyst-throated mountain-gem or amethyst-throated hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in El Salvado ...

(''Lampornis amethystinus''),

Steller's jay Steller's jay (''Cyanocitta stelleri'') is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the blue jay found in eastern North America. It is also known as the long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pin ...

(''Cyanocitta stelleri''),

ruddy foliage-gleaner The ruddy foliage-gleaner (''Clibanornis rubiginosus'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. Its range is highly disjunct, with populations in the highlands of Mexico and Central America, and lowlands and foothills in the Chocó, ea ...

(''Clibanornis rubiginosus''), russet nightingale-thrush (''Catharus occidentalis''), and

collared towhee The collared towhee (''Pipilo ocai'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae that is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist pine-oak montane forest and heavily degraded former forest. It occupies moun ...

(''Pipilo ocai'').

Protected areas

2.9% of the ecoregion is in

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

s. Protected areas in the ecoregion include the Zicuirán-Infiernillo and Tehuacán-Cuicatlán biosphere reserves,

General Juan Álvarez National Park A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

, Boquerón de Tonalá Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Omiltemi Ecological State Park, and the Campo Verde, Iliatenco, Cafetal San Juanito (Pluma Hidalgo), Cafetal Soconusco, Cerro Azul, Concepción Vista Hermosa, El Corozal, and El Borbollón, La Pandura y La Yerbabuena voluntary conservation areas.

References

External links