The Ría Lagartos mangroves

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

(WWF ID: NT1430) covers

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

habitats of along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, including the Ria Lagartos Lagoon ('Ria' meaning lagoon). A prominent section of the ecoregion is covered by the

Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve () (established 2004) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. The reserve is located at the eastern end of the coastal strip of the Yucatán Peninsula, with the Gulf of Mexico at its norther ...

. The site is an important area for migratory birds, fish, and sea turtles.

Location and description

The ecoregion stretches across 300 km of the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, from the coastal town of

Chelem Chelem is a small beach in Yucatán Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalit ...

in the west to the coastal lagoons north of Cancun. The region also reaches inland for 50 km on flat land south of Playa las Coloradas. The distinctive character of the mangroves is partly due to the

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

(limestone) topography and freshwater source. The ecoregion is surrounded on the land side by the Yucatan dry forests ecoregion.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is '' Tropical savanna climate - dry winter'' (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

(Aw)). This climate is characterized by relatively even temperatures throughout the year, and a pronounced dry season. The driest month has less than 60 mm of precipitation, and is drier than the average month.

Flora and fauna

Characteristic tree species of the ecoregion are the red mangrove (''

Rhizophora mangle ''Rhizophora mangle'', also known as the red mangrove, is a salt-tolerant, small-to-medium sized evergreen tree restricted to coastal, estuarine ecosystems along the southern portions of North America, the Caribbean as well as Central America ...

'') and the black mangrove (''

Avicennia germinans ''Avicennia germinans'', the black mangrove, is a shrub or small tree growing up to 12 meters (39 feet) in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae. It grows in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts ...

''). Mangroves are found in two general types: pygmy mangroves (plants under 2 meters in height), and fringe mangroves (where trees may reach 20 meters.) Over 280 species of aquatic birds have been recorded in the region, include the cormorant (''

Phalacrocorax ''Phalacrocorax'' is a genus of fish-eating birds in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. Members of this genus are also known as the Old World cormorants. Taxonomy The genus ''Phalacrocorax'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin ...

''), wood stork (''

Mycteria americana The wood stork (''Mycteria americana'') is a large wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks). Originally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, this stork is native to the subtropics and tropics of the Americas where it persists in habitats wi ...

''), boat-billed heron (''

Cochlearius cochlearia The boat-billed heron (''Cochlearius cochlearius''), colloquially known as the boatbill, is an atypical member of the heron family. It is the only member of the genus ''Cochlearius'' and was formerly placed in a monotypic family, the Cochlearii ...

''), and the white egret (''

Egretta alba The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret, or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. R ...

''). 73 fish species are supported by the mangroves of the region.

Protected areas

Officially protected areas of the ecoregion include: *

Reserva Estatal de Dzilam de Bravo Reserve wine is wine of a higher quality than usual, a wine that has been aged before sale, or both. Traditionally, winemakers would reserve some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term. In some countries the use of t ...

References

{{reflist Neotropical ecoregions Ecoregions of Mexico Mangrove ecoregions Natural history of the Yucatán Peninsula