The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests is a subtropical coniferous forest

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 ...

of the

Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (), also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the (''Snowy Mountain Range''), is an active volcanic belt that covers central-southern Mexico. Several of its highest peaks have snow all year long, and dur ...

of central

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Setting

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests occupy an area of , extending from

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

state in the west to

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

in the east. The main mass of the volcanic belt extends east to west through the states of Jalisco,

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

México Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Morelos Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...

Tlaxcala Tlaxcala, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tlaxcala, is one of the 32 federal entities that comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Tlaxcala, 60 municipalities and t ...

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

, and Veracruz. The ecoregion includes the smaller mountain ranges which rise from the Mexican Plateau, including the Sierra de Santa Rosa, Sierra de Lobos, and

Sierra de Pénjamo Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" or "mountain chain" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves ...

in Guanajuato, and northwards to El Gogorrón National Park in

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

. The pine–oak 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 to the west, northwest, and south; the

Jalisco dry forests The Jalisco dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in southwestern Mexico. Geography The Jalisco dry forests occupy the coastal lowlands and foothills of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacán states. The ecoregion mostly ...

to the west and southwest; 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 south in the basin of the

Balsas River The Balsas River (Spanish Río Balsas, also locally known as the Mezcala River, or Atoyac River) is a major river of south-central Mexico. The basin flows through the states of Guerrero, México, Morelos, and Puebla. Downstream of Ciudad Alt ...

, and the

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 northwest in the basin 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 is one of the longest rivers in Mexic ...

and the lower

Rio Lerma The Lerma River () is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, near Guadalajara, ...

. The

Central Mexican matorral The Central Mexican matorral is an ecoregion of the deserts and xeric shrublands biome of central Mexico. It is the southernmost ecoregion of the Nearctic realm. Geography The Central Mexican matorral covers an area of on the southern portion o ...

lies to the north of the range in the high basins of the Plateau, including the

Valley of Mexico The Valley of Mexico (; ), sometimes also called Basin of Mexico, is a highlands plateau in central Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations including Teotihuacan, ...

and the upper reaches of the Lerma around

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...

. The

Tehuacán Valley matorral The Tehuacán Valley matorral is a xeric shrubland ecoregion, of the deserts and xeric shrublands biome, located in eastern Central Mexico. Matorral is a Spanish word, along with ''tomillares'', for shrubland, thicket or bushes. The term i ...

lies in the

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

valley to the southeast in

and

states. To the east, the moist Veracruz montane forests and

Oaxacan montane forests 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 f ...

are the transition between the pine–oak forests and the lowland tropical forests along the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. Pockets of

montane grassland and shrubland Montane grasslands and shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome includes high elevation grasslands and shrublands around the world. The term "montane" in the name of the biome refers to "high elevation", rather than t ...

can be found among the pine–oak forests, and constitute a separate ecoregion, the

Zacatonal The Zacatonal is a montane grassland and shrubland ecoregion of central Mexico. Geography The Zacatonal consists of several enclaves of grassland and shrubland occupying the highest peaks of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, covering about . Zac ...

Flora

The chief plant communities are pine forests, pine–oak forests, oak forests, pine–cedar forests, and pine–fir forests. The plant communities vary with elevation and rainfall. Pine forests are generally found between 2,275 and 2,600 m. Pine–oak forests occur between 2,470 and 2,600 m. Pine–cedar forests can be found above 2,700 m. Pine–fir forests occur above 3000 m. In the pine forests, Montezuma pine (''

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 one of many pines known as ocote. Description The tree grows about 35 m high and 80& ...

'') is generally predominant, with smooth-bark Mexican pine ('' P. pseudostrobus'') predominant in more humid areas, and

Hartweg's pine ''Pinus hartwegii'' ( syn. ''P. rudis'', ''P. donnell-smithii''), Hartweg's pine, the Mexican mountain pine, or pino de las alturas, is a pine native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America east to Honduras. It is named after Karl Theodor ...

(''P. hartwegii'') and '' P. tecote'' in dry areas with shallow soils. Pine–fir forests are composed almost entirely of Hartweg's pine (''Pinus hartwegii'') and sacred fir (''

Abies religiosa ''Abies religiosa'', the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico ( Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala. It grows at high elevations o ...

''). The western portion of the ecoregion, in western Jalisco and Colima states, is home to several endemic species.Rodríguez, A., Castro-Castro, A., Vargas-Amado, G., Vargas-Ponce, O., Zamora-Tavares, P., González-Gallegos, J., Carrillo-Reyes, P., Anguiano-Constante, M., Carrasco-Ortiz, M., García-Martínez, M., Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, B., Aragón-Parada, J., Valdes-Ibarra, C. and Munguía-Lino, G. (2018), Richness, geographic distribution patterns, and areas of endemism of selected angiosperm groups in Mexico. ''Journal of Systematics and Evolution'', 56: 537-549. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12457 '' Quercus iltisii'' is found in the mountains of Jalisco and Colima. '' Quercus cualensis'' is known only from the Sierra el Cuale in western Jalisco between 1,800 and 2,300 meters elevation, and is endangered. ''

Quercus tuitensis ''Quercus tuitensis'' is a species of oak. It is endemic to the Sierra el Tuito of Jalisco state in western Mexico. Description ''Quercus tuitensis'' is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, growing 8 to 10 meters high, and occasionally to 15 ...

'' is found only in the lower montane forests of Jalisco's Sierra el Tuito. '' Magnolia iltisiana'' is found in the Manantlán and Cacoma sierras of Jalisco and near Morelia in Michoacán. ''

Acer binzayedii Acer often refers to: * ''Acer'' (plant), the genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples * Acer Inc., a computer company in Taiwan Acer may also refer to: People * David Acer (born 1970), Canadian stand-up comedian and magician * Davi ...

'' is known only from the Sierra de Manantlán. ''

Pinus jaliscana ''Pinus jaliscana'', the Jalisco pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is endemic to southwestern Mexico, native to the Pacific slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur within western Jalisco state, with populations in the Sierra d ...

'' is also endemic to western Jalisco, where it is found mostly in the Sierra el Cuale and Sierra el Tuito.

Fauna

The Transvolcanic jay, (''Aphelocoma ultramarina''),

Sierra Madre sparrow The Sierra Madre sparrow (''Xenospiza baileyi''), also known as Bailey's sparrow, is an endangered, range-restricted, enigmatic American sparrow. It is endemic to Mexico and is threatened with extinction through habitat loss. Etymology The genu ...

(''Xenospiza baileyi'') and the

green-striped brushfinch The green-striped brushfinch (''Arremon virenticeps'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. Until recently, it was placed in the genus '' Buarremon''.Cadena, C. D., J. Klicka and R. E. Ricklefs. (2007). ''Evolutionary differentiatio ...

(''Atlapetes virenticeps'') are near-endemic species, limited to the pine–oak forests of the Transvolcanic Range and the southern

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 ...

. Other native birds include the

great horned owl The great horned owl (''Bubo virginianus''), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extreme ...

(''Bubo virginianus''), long-tailed wood partridge (''Dendrortyx macroura''),

white-tipped dove The white-tipped dove (''Leptotila verreauxi'') is a large New World tropical dove. Its scientific name commemorates the French naturalists Jules and Edouard Verreaux. Distribution and habitat The dove is a resident breeder from southernmost ...

(''Leptotila verreauxi''),

Montezuma quail The Montezuma quail (''Cyrtonyx montezumae'') is a stubby, secretive New World quail of Mexico and some nearby parts of the United States. It is also known as Mearns's quail, the harlequin quail (for the male's striking pattern), and the fool qu ...

(''Cyrtonyx montezumae''), banded quail (''Philortx fasciatus''),

northern bobwhite The northern bobwhite (''Colinus virginianus''), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in th ...

(''Colinus virginianus''), and grey-barred wren (''Campylorhynchus megalopterus''). The

volcano rabbit The volcano rabbit (''Romerolagus diazi'') (), also known as the teporingo or zacatuche, is a small mammal in the family Leporidae that resides on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico. It is the only species in the genus ''Romerolagus''. It has sm ...

(''Romerolagus diazi'') and the Mexican volcano mouse (''Neotomodon alstoni'') are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the ecoregion.

Monarch butterflies

The Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests of eastern

and western

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

is the winter habitat of

monarch butterflies The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. ...

(''Danaus plexippus''), which migrate from temperate regions of North America east of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

. The Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve is within this

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

Protected areas

17.85% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include: * Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park *

Bosencheve National Park Bosencheve National Park, also known as the Bosencheve Buffer Zone, is a national park and protected area located in Michoacán, Mexico and State of Mexico, Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America ...

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is protected natural area in Mexico's Veracruz state. Geography Cañón del Río Blanco National Park covers an area of 488 km2. The park includes the upper watershed of the Río Blanco, where the river ha ...

Cerro de Garnica National Park Cerro de Garnica National Park is a national park in Michoacán state of central Mexico. It protects 19.36 km2 in the mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Geography Cerro de Garnica National Park is located 58 km east of Morelia, in the ...

* Chichinautzin Biological Corridor * Ciénegas del Lerma Flora and Fauna Protection Area *

Cofre de Perote National Park Cofre de Perote, also known by its Nahuatl names Naupa-Tecutépetl (from ''Nāuhpa-Tēuctēpetl'') and Nauhcampatépetl, both meaning something like "Place of Four Mountains" or "Mountain of the Lord of Four Places", is an inactive volcano locate ...

(Nauhcampatépetl) *

Cumbres del Ajusco National Park Cumbres del Ajusco National Park is one of many national parks near Mexico City. The Ajusco is known for its high elevations reaching above sea level and is visible from any part of Mexico city. The park is characterized by pine-oak forests and ...

Desierto del Carmen National Park ''Desierto'' is a 2015 thriller film co-written and directed by Jonás Cuarón. It was produced by Cuarón together with his father Alfonso and his uncle Carlos, and distributed by STXfilms. The film stars Gael García Bernal (also executive p ...

(Nixcongo) *

Desierto de los Leones National Park Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions) National Park is located entirely within the limits of Mexico City; it stretches between Cuajimalpa and Álvaro Obregón boroughs. It is located in the Sierra de las Cruces mountain range west of the c ...

* Fuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan National Park * El Gogorrón National Park * Insurgente Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla National Park * Insurgente José María Morelos National Park *

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also known as Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park, is a national park in Mexico on the border of the states of México, Puebla, and Morelos. The park protects , surrounding Mexico's second- and third-high ...

* El Jabalí Flora and Fauna Protection Area * Lagunas de Zempoala National Park * Lomas de Padierna National Park *

Los Remedios National Park Los Remedios National Park is a national park in Mexico, located in the far west of the municipality of Naucalpan in Mexico State, just northwest of Mexico City. The park was established by federal decree in 1938 with an area of . Within its bor ...

* La Malinche National Park (Matlalcuéyatl) *

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve () is a World Heritage Site containing most of the overwintering sites of the eastern population of the monarch butterfly. The reserve is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests ecoregi ...

Nevado de Toluca Flora and Fauna Protection Area The Nevado de Toluca National Park is located southwest of the city of Toluca, Mexico State. It was decreed a park in 1936, primarily to protect the Nevado de Toluca volcano, which forms nearly the park's entire surface and is the fourth highest ...

* Pico de Orizaba National Park *

Pico de Tancítaro Flora and Fauna Protection Area Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribei ...

* La Primavera Biosphere Reserve * Rayón National Park * Sacromonte National Park * Sierra de los Agustinos Sustainable Use Area * Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve * Sierra de Lobos Sustainable Use Area *

Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve The Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve () (established 1988) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the states of Colima and Jalisco, Mexico. The reserve is located in the transition of the Nearctic and Neotropical realms and encompasses parts of ...

* Sierra de Quila Flora and Fauna Protection Area * Sierra de Vallejo Biosphere Reserve *

El Tepozteco National Park El Tepozteco National Park is a national park in Morelos state of central Mexico. It protects 232.58 km2 in the mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The park includes El Tepozteco, an archeological site featuring an Aztec temple. ...

* Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park * Xicoténcatl National Park * Zona Protectora Forestal los terrenos constitutivos de las cuencas de los ríos Valle de Bravo, Malacatepec, Tilostoc y Temascaltepec

References

External links