Chiapas montane forests

The Chiapas montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in southern Mexico and extending into western Guatemala. It includes the montane tropical forests on the northern and northeastern slopes of the Chiapas Highlands.

Chiapas montane forests
Yajalón, in Chiapas, Mexico
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
RealmNeotropical
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders
List
Geography
Area5,759 km2 (2,224 sq mi)
Countries
StatesChiapas
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/endangered[1]
Protected273 km² (5%)[2]

Geography

The Chiapas montane forests lie on the northern and northeastern slopes of the Chiapas highlands, between the lowland Petén–Veracruz moist forests to the north and east and the Central American pine–oak forests in the higher mountains to the south.[1]

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is tropical and humid. The forests have a cooler climate than the adjacent lowlands, and average annual temperatures decrease with elevation.[1]

Flora

The predominant plant community is mountain cloud forest. Characteristic tree species include majagua (Trichospermum mexicanum), American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and alder (Alnus sp). There are approximately 98,050 hectares of primary forest, and 272,991 hectares of second-growth forest.[3]

Fauna

Native animals include coyote (Canis latrans) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mountain trogon (Trogon mexicanus), Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), Stuart's burrowing snake (Adelphicos veraepacis), and Godman's pit viper (Bothrops godmani).[3]

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found 273 km², or 5%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[2] Protected areas include Nahá Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, and Lagunas de Montebello National Park.[4]

See also
  • "Chiapas montane forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

References
  1. "Chiapas montane forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  3. Wiken, Ed, Francisco Jiménez Nava, and Glenn Griffith. 2011. North American Terrestrial Ecoregions—Level III. Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, Canada.
  4. "Chiapas montane forests". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 26 September 2021.

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