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 western
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 ...
. It is the northernmost ecoregion of the
Neotropical realm
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In bioge ...
.
Geography
The ecoregion covers an area of approximately
The dry forests lie in the coastal plain and foothills between the Pacific Ocean and the pine-oak forests of the
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...
, covering most of
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...
and
Nayarit
Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...
states and extending into portions of adjacent
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
states.
To the north, the
Sonoran–Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest
The Sonoran–Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest is a Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in northwestern Mexico.
Geography
This ecoregion forms a transition belt between the Sonoran De ...
is a transition between the Sinaloan dry forests and the
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona ...
. On the south, the dry forests transition to the coastal
Jalisco dry forests
The Jalisco dry forests is a Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in southwestern Mexico.
Geography
The Jalisco dry forests occupy the coastal lowlands and foothills of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, ...
southwest of the
Río Grande de Santiago
The Río Grande de Santiago, or Santiago River, is a river in western Mexico. It flows westwards from Lake Chapala via Ocotlán through the states of Jalisco and Nayarit to empty into the Pacific Ocean. It one of the longest rivers in Mexico, ...
, and the interior
Bajío dry forests
The Bajío dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in western−central Mexico.
Geography
The Bajío dry forests lie in the southwestern portion of the Mexican Plateau. They are bounded on the southeast, south, and southwest by ...
to the southeast.
A number of rivers cross the ecoregion from origins in the Sierra Madre Occidental to empty into the Pacific. These include, from north to south, the Fuerte,
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...
,
Culiacán
Culiacán, officially Culiacán Rosales, is a city in northwestern Mexico, the capital and largest city of both the Culiacán Municipality and the state of Sinaloa. The city was founded on 29 September 1531, by the Spanish Conquistadores, con ...
,
San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Lorenzo, Santa Fe
* San Lorenzo Department, Chaco
* Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...
Presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...
Acaponeta
Acaponeta is both a municipality and a town in the northern part of the Mexican state of Nayarit. The town is located at the geographical coordinates of . The population of the municipality was 34,665 in the 2005 census, living in a total area of ...
, San Pedro Mezquital, and Grande de Santiago rivers. In the mountains the dry forests extend into the river canyons, and in the lowlands the rivers support riparian forests. Extensive lagoon and estuary systems along the coast are home to wetlands and mangroves.
Climate
The climate is semi-arid to semi-humid, generally drier near the coast and becoming more humid in the foothills. Rainfall is highly seasonal, with an October to June dry season.
Flora
Plant communities include thorn forests in the coastal lowlands, and dry deciduous forests in foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental.
Thorn forests are characterized by dense growth of scrubby trees and shrubs. Spiny leguminous trees, particularly ''
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
'', are predominant. High stands of trees, including species of ''
Brosimum
''Brosimum'' is a genus of plants in the family Moraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas.
The breadnut ('' B. alicastrum'') was used by the Maya civilization for its edible nut. The dense vividly colored scarlet wood of '' B. paraens ...
,
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending in ...
,'' and ''
Enterolobium
''Enterolobium'' is a genus of 12 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical and warm-temperate regions of the Americas. They are medium-sized to large trees.Germplasm Resources Information Network''Enterolobium''Inter ...
'', are found along stream bottoms.
The predominant plant community of the foothills is short-statured, seasonally deciduous forest. Common plants include ''
Handroanthus impetiginosus
''Handroanthus impetiginosus'', the pink ipê, pink lapacho or pink trumpet tree, is a tree in the family Bignoniaceae, distributed throughout North, Central and South America, from northern Mexico south to northern Argentina. It is the national ...
Montanoa
''Montanoa'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and bel ...
,
Bursera
''Bursera'' is a genus with about 100 described species of flowering shrubs and trees varying in size up to high. It is the type genus for Burseraceae. The trees are native (often for many species endemic) to the Americas, from the southern Uni ...
,
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
Lysiloma
''Lysiloma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae.
The genus is native to the Americas, and species range from Arizona and New Mexico through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica, and in Florida, Cuba, Hispaniola, the Bahama ...
''. In the mountain canyons higher up are taller-statured forests, with '' Ceiba acuminata,
Bursera simaruba
''Bursera simaruba'', commonly known as gumbo-limbo, copperwood, chaca, West Indian birch, naked Indian, and turpentine tree, is a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to the Neotropics, from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean ...
,
Lysiloma divaricatum
''Lysiloma divaricatum'' is a flowering tree native to Mexico and Central America. Common names include mauto, quitaz, and tepemesquite in Mexico, quebracho in Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua, and quebracho negro, tepemisque, and yaje in El Salv ...
liana
A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
s and
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.
Fauna
Large mammals include
white-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
(''Odocoileus virginianus''),
javelina
A peccary (also javelina or skunk pig) is a medium-sized, pig-like hoofed mammal of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North ...
(''Tayassu tajacu''),
jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
(''Panthera onca''),
coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...
(''Canis latrans''),
ocelot
The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...
(''Leopardus pardalis pardalis''),
jaguarundi
The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi'') is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-sized ...
(''Herpailurus yagouaroundi''),
gray fox
The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littora ...
(''Urocyon cinereoargenteus nigrirostris''),
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
(''Procyon lotor mexicanus''), and
white-nosed coati
The white-nosed coati (''Nasua narica''), also known as the coatimundi (), is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae (raccoons and their relatives). Local Spanish names for the species include ''pizote'', ''antoon'', and ''te ...
(''Nasua narica molaris'').
Native birds characteristic of the dry forests include the rufous-bellied chachalaca (''Ortalis wagleri''),
Orange-fronted parakeet
The orange-fronted parakeet or orange-fronted conure (''Eupsittula canicularis''), also known as the half-moon conure, is a medium-sized parrot that is resident from western Mexico to Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
The orange-fronted parakeet was Species ...
Mexican cacique
The Mexican cacique or yellow-winged cacique (''Cassiculus melanicterus'') is a species of cacique in the family Icteridae. It is found only on the west coast of Mexico and the northernmost edge of Guatemala. It is monotypic in its own genus.
...
Sinaloa wren
The Sinaloa wren (''Thryophilus sinaloa'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico, with almost annual sightings in the United States, in Arizona.Soberanes-González, C. A., M. d. C. Arizmendi, and T. S. Schul ...
(''Thryothorus sinaloae''),
Mexican woodnymph
The Mexican woodnymph (''Eupherusa ridgwayi'') is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae endemic to western Mexico. It lives in subtropical or tropical moist lowland/foothill forest and plantations, feeding on flower nectar and inse ...
(''Eupherusa ridgwayi''),
Mexican parrotlet
The Mexican parrotlet (''Forpus cyanopygius''), also known as the turquoise-rumped parrotlet or the Mexican blue-rumped parrotlet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.
There are two subspecies: Grayson's parrotlet or the Tres Maria ...
(''Forpus cyanopygius''),
Sinaloa crow
The Sinaloa crow (''Corvus sinaloae'') is a crow native to western Mexico. Description
Visually, it is nearly identical to and the same length (34–38 cm) as the Tamaulipas crow (''Corvus imparatus''). It has the same purple-glossed, silky ...
(''Corvus sinaloae''), San Blas jay (''Cyanocorax sanblasianus''),
purplish-backed jay
The purplish-backed jay (''Cyanocorax beecheii'') is a bird of the crow family Corvidae, with purple feathers on its back, wings and tail, and black feathers elsewhere. It is endemic to northwestern Mexico where its habitat is mainly dry deciduou ...
(''Cyanocorax beecheii''),
black-throated magpie-jay
The black-throated magpie-jay (''Calocitta colliei'') is a strikingly long-tailed magpie-jay of northwestern Mexico.
Taxonomy
The black-throated magpie-jay was formally described in 1829 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors from a sp ...
elegant quail
The elegant quail (''Callipepla douglasii'') is a species of New World quail endemic to Pacific-slope thorn forest of north-western Mexico, from southern Sonora to Nayarit. These are common, mainly ground-dwelling birds, and the IUCN has rated th ...
(''Callipepla douglasii'').BirdLife International (2021) "Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: North-west Mexican Pacific slope." Accessed 26 August 2021 /ref>
Native reptiles include the Rio Fuerte beaded lizard (''Heloderma exasperatum''), clouded anole (''Anolis nebulosus''), Sinaloan milk snake (''Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae''), filetail ground snake (''Sonora aemula''),
indigo snake
''Drymarchon'' is a genus of large nonvenomous colubrid snakes, commonly known as indigo snakes or cribos, found in the Southeastern United States, Central America, and South America. Reaching or more in length, they are among the world's larg ...
or babatuco (''Drymarchon corais''), Mexican short-tailed snake (''Sympholis lippiens''), blunthead tree snake (''Imantodes gemmistratus''), Mexican moccasin, pichecuate or cantíl (''Agkistrodon bilineatus''), and Mexican west coast rattlesnake (''Crotalus basiliscus'')."Selected Wildlife of the Alamos Region". ''Research and Conservation in Southern Sonora, Mexico'', Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Accessed 28 August 2021 /ref>
Native amphibians include Smith's pygmy robber frog (''Craugastor hobartsmithi'').
Protected areas
11% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include
Cascada de Basaseachi National Park
Basaseachic Falls National Park is a national park located in the western side of the state of Chihuahua in the heart of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. The park is named after Basaseachic Falls (Cascada de Basaseachic) the second ...
Tutuaca Flora and Fauna Protection Area
Tutuaca Flora and Fauna Protection Area is a protected area in the states of Chihuahua and Sonora in northwestern Mexico. It lies in the Sierra Madre Occidental, and covers an area of 4369.86 km2. To the southeast it adjoins Papigochic Flor ...
. There are several designated
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
List of ecoregions in Mexico
The following is a list of ecoregions in Mexico as identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). A different system of ecoregional analysis is used by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, a trilateral body linking Mexican, Canadian ...