Chimalapas montane forests
Mountains of Chimalapas above Santo Domingo Zanatepec, Oaxaca
Location of the Chimalapas montane forests ecoregion
Ecology
RealmNeotropical
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders
List
Geography
Area2,077 km2 (802 sq mi)
CountryMexico
States
Conservation
Conservation statusRelatively stable/intact
Protected278 km2 (13%)[1]

The Chimalapas montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in southern Mexico. It includes the montane tropical forests of the Chimalapas region on the boundary of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

Geography

The Chimalapas region is in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and the region's mountains form part of the divide between Mexico's Pacific watersheds to the south and Gulf of Mexico watersheds to the north. The montane forests are bounded by the lowland Petén–Veracruz moist forests on the north. The Chiapas Depression dry forests lie to the northeast. The montane forests adjoin the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine–oak forests on the west, and the Central American pine–oak forests to the east. The Southern Pacific dry forests lie to the south between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.[2]

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is tropical and humid. The forests have a cooler climate than the surrounding lowlands, and average annual temperatures decrease with elevation.[2]

Flora

The characteristic plant community is montane tropical evergreen moist forest, also known cloud forest.[3]

Fauna

281 species of birds have been recorded in the ecoregion. They include the solitary eagle (Harpyhaliaetus solitarius), great curassow (Crax rubra), highland guan (Penelopina nigra), wood stork (Mycteria americana), keel-billed motmot (Electron carinatum), southern mealy amazon (Amazona farinosa), and chestnut-headed oropendola (Psarocolius wagleri).[3]

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found 278 km², or 13%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1] They include El Cordón del Retén Voluntary Conservation Area (153.29 km²).

See also

  • "Chimalapas montane forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

References

  1. 1 2 Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; et al. (2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545, Supplemental material 2 table S1b. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.
  2. 1 2 "Chimalapas montane forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  3. 1 2 BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Chimalapas. Accessed from http://www.birdlife.org on 19 August 2020.
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