View source for Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests

{{Short description|Tropical coniferous forest ecoregion in Mexico}}
{{Infobox ecoregion
| name = Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests
| image = Cerro de Santiago Nundichi.jpg
| image_caption = Near [[Tlaxiaco]], [[Oaxaca]], [[Mexico]]
| map = Sierra Madre del Sur Pine-Oak Forests map.svg
| map_size = 250
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of the Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests
| biome = [[tropical and subtropical coniferous forests]]
| biogeographic_realm = [[Neotropical realm|Neotropical]]
| border = [[Balsas dry forests]]
| border1 = [[Tehuacan Valley matorral]]
| border2 = [[Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine–oak forests]]
| border3 = [[Southern Pacific dry forests]]
| bird_species = 330<ref name = "Atlas">
{{cite book |last1 = Hoekstra |first1 = J. M. |last2 = Molnar |first2 = J. L. |last3 = Jennings |first3 = M. |last4 = Revenga |first4 = C. |last5 = Spalding |first5 = M. D. |last6 = Boucher |first6 = T. M. |last7 = Robertson |first7 = J. C. |last8 = Heibel |first8 = T. J. |last9 = Ellison |first9 = K. |title = The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference |publisher = [[University of California Press]] |editor1-last = Molnar |editor1-first = J. L. |year = 2010 |isbn = 978-0-520-26256-0 |url = https://archive.org/details/atlasofglobalcon0000unse |url-access = registration }}</ref>
| mammal_species = 151<ref name = "Atlas"/>
| area = 61200
| country = [[Mexico]]
| habitat_loss = 10.689<ref name = "Atlas"/>
| protected = 2.9
| protected_ref =<ref name = dopa>"Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 15 September 2021. [https://dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ecoregion/60309]</ref>
}}
The '''Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests''' is a [[tropical and subtropical coniferous forests|subtropical coniferous forest]] [[ecoregion]] in the [[Sierra Madre del Sur]] mountain range of southern [[Mexico]].
==Setting==
The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests occupy an area of {{convert|61,200|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}, within the states of [[Michoacán]], [[Guerrero]], and [[Oaxaca]].
The pine–oak forests occupy the higher slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur range, which runs east and west parallel to Mexico's southern Pacific Coast. The forests are surrounded by [[tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|tropical dry forests]] at lower elevations; the [[Jalisco dry forests]] to the west; the [[Balsas dry forests]] to the north, in the basin of the [[Balsas River]], and the [[Southern Pacific dry forests]] to the south and east along the Pacific coast.
==Flora==
The chief plant communities are oak forests, cloud forests, pine–oak forests, and fir forests. The plant communities vary with elevation and rainfall.<ref name = wwf>[http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0309 "Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests" WWF. Accessed 26 April 2015]</ref>
The oak forests occur between 1900 and 2500 metres elevation (6,200-8,200 feet). ''[[Quercus magnoliifolia]]'' and ''[[Quercus castanea]]'' are the predominant tree species, with individuals of ''[[Pinus montezumae]]''. [[Orchid]]s and [[bromeliad]]s grow as [[epiphyte]]s.
Cloud forests grow at 2300 metres (7,500 feet). Predominant tree species are ''[[Abies guatemalensis]], [[Abies religiosa]], [[Quercus uxoris]], [[Pinus ayacahuite]]'', and ''[[Cupressus lusitanica]]''.
Pine–oak forests grow at 2400–2500 metres (7,900-8,200 feet). Predominant tree species are ''Quercus magnoliifolia, Q. castanea, [[Quercus obtusata|Q. obtusata]], [[Pinus herrerae]], [[Pinus pseudostrobus|P. pseudostrobus]], [[Pinus pringlei|P. pringlei]], P. ayacahuite, [[Pinus rzedowskii|P. rzedowskii]],'' and ''[[Arbutus xalapensis]]''.
Fir forests grow above 3,000 metres (9,800 feet).
31 species of oaks are native to the ecoregion, including ''[[Quercus mulleri|Q. mulleri]], [[Quercus nixoniana|Q. nixoniana]], [[Quercus rubramenta|Q. rubramenta]], [[Quercus salicifolia|Q. salicifolia]], [[Quercus uxoris|Q. uxoris]]'', and ''[[Quercus martinezii|Q. martinezii]]''.<ref name = oaks>Valencia Avalos, Susana (2010). "Notes on the Genus ''Quercus'' in Mexico". ''International Oak Journal'' No. 21 Spring 2010</ref>
The trees ''[[Aiouea cinnamomoidea]], [[Magnolia guerrerensis]], [[Magnolia krusei]], [[Magnolia vazquezii]]'', and ''[[Quercus mulleri]]'' are endemic to the ecoregion.
==Fauna==
There are 160 native species of birds in the ecoregion, of which 28 are endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur. Endemic birds include the [[short-crested coquette]] (''Lophornis brachylophus''), [[white-tailed hummingbird]] (''Eupherusa poliocerca''), [[Oaxaca hummingbird]] (''Eupherusa cyanophrys'') and [[white-throated jay]] or Omiltemi jay (''Cyanolyca mirabilis''). Other native birds include the [[amethyst-throated hummingbird]] (''Lampornis amethystinus''), [[Steller's jay]] (''Cyanocitta stelleri''), [[ruddy foliage-gleaner]] (''Clibanornis rubiginosus''), [[russet nightingale-thrush]] (''Catharus occidentalis''), and [[collared towhee]] (''Pipilo ocai'').<ref name = wwf/>
==Protected areas==
2.9% of the ecoregion is in [[protected area]]s. Protected areas in the ecoregion include the [[Zicuirán-Infiernillo]] and [[Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve|Tehuacán-Cuicatlán]] [[biosphere reserves of Mexico|biosphere reserves]], [[General Juan Álvarez National Park]], [[Boquerón de Tonalá Flora and Fauna Protection Area]], [[Omiltemi Ecological State Park]], and the Campo Verde, Iliatenco, Cafetal San Juanito (Pluma Hidalgo), Cafetal Soconusco, Cerro Azul, Concepción Vista Hermosa, El Corozal, and El Borbollón, La Pandura y La Yerbabuena voluntary conservation areas.<ref name = dopa/>
==See also==
* [[List of ecoregions in Mexico]]
* [[Conifers of Mexico]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{WWF ecoregion|id=nt0309|name=Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests}}
* {{NatGeo ecoregion|id=nt0309|name=Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sierra Madre del Sur pine-oak forests}}
[[Category:Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Mexico]]
[[Category:Sierra Madre del Sur|*]]
[[Category:Natural history of Guerrero]]
[[Category:Natural history of Michoacán]]
[[Category:Natural history of Oaxaca]]
[[Category:Forests of Mexico]]
[[Category:Montane forests]]
[[Category:Neotropical ecoregions]]
[[Category:Flora of Guerrero|*]]
[[Category:Flora of Michoacán|*]]
[[Category:Flora of Oaxaca|*]]