The ecosystems in Mexico They are diverse due to the fact that its geographical position confers on this country the influence of the Neotropical and Holartic biogeographic kingdoms. Being located in the south of North America, its territory ranges from temperate to tropical climates.
Regarding marine ecosystems, Mexico has coasts in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, it has around 135 rivers, as well as a large number of lakes and other wetlands..
This country ranks second in reptile diversity and third in mammals worldwide. While in plant diversity it reaches fifth place, as in amphibian diversity, and it reaches eighth in birds.
The rich fauna and flora are distributed in different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Among the former, it has temperate forests, tropical forests, scrublands, grasslands, coastal grasslands, and deserts..
In the aquatic environment it has numerous rivers and lakes; while in the seas coral reefs, macroalgae forests and underwater grasslands develop.
Below we explain the types of ecosystems that exist in Mexico, their characteristics, vegetation, flora and fauna.
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The northern limit of the American rainforests is reached in the south of Mexico, especially the Lacandon jungle in Chiapas. The humid tropical forests occupy 11% of the Mexican territory, growing in areas with a warm climate.
These are forests of complex structure with 5 to 6 layers of vegetation with evergreen trees that reach up to 60 m in height. In the arboreal strata there are species such as mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and red cedar (Cedrela odorata).
Other tree species are the sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra) and various species of ficus (Ficus sp.).
In the understory there are grasses, some of which are large, such as platanillos (Heliconia spp.) and on the trees there are abundant climbers. An endemic saprophytic angiosperm species of the Lacandon jungle stands out (Lacandonia schismatica).
In these jungles there is a great diversity of fauna, such as the howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) and the spider monkey (Ateles geoffrogyi). Also other mammals such as the jaguar (Panthera onca), the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), the tapir (Tapirus bairdii) and the serete (Dasyprocta punctata).
Among the birds are the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), the snout (Crax rubra), the royal toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) and the scarlet macaw (Ara macao). Among the insects, butterflies with species such as the malachite butterfly (Siproeta stelenes) and the blue or morpho butterfly (Morpho helenor).
Average annual rainfall reaches 2,000 mm, reaching a relative humidity of 80% and with average temperatures of 27 to 30 ° C.
In the ecosystems of Mexico there are semi-deciduous forests, where about 50% of the species lose their leaves in the dry season. As well as deciduous forests where more than 75% lose their leaves during drought.
Most of the Yucatan peninsula has this type of forest, which is characterized by a dry period of up to 8 months. Dry rainforests also occur on the Pacific coast.
The dry forest has a less complex structure than the humid forest, especially in the case of the deciduous forest. This forest generally only has 2 or 4 layers, with a canopy of 12 to 30 m, with less climbing and epiphytism..
Legumes are abundant in these ecosystems, such as the chaparro (Acacia amentacea), the huizache (Acacia constricta) and the quebracho (Lysiloma divaricata).
Within this family, the genus is relevant in these jungles. Bursera that in Mexico it presents more than 100 species. These are known as palo mulatos (B. instabilis, B. simaruba) and copals (B. copallifera, B. bipinnata).
An emblematic family of American dry areas are cacti, perfectly adapted to these conditions. In Mexico there are more than 600 species of cacti, being around 500 endemic to this country.
In these jungles there is also a diverse fauna, being the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), the porcupine (Sphiggurus mexicanus) and the tepezcuintle (Cuniculus paca). As well as various species of felines such as the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), the margay (Leopardus wiedii) and the jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi).
There are diverse ecosystems in Mexico formed by low forests with a predominance of armed species (with thorns). They develop in coastal plains and there are both deciduous and sub-evergreen (bajiales). The bajiales are flood-prone depressions on the northern coast of Yucatán.
They are jungles with trees 5 to 11 m high with a predominance of armed legumes and cacti. They have a very developed shrub layer 2 to 4 m high and few herbs.
Among the species of the deciduous forest are Acacia cornigera, Opuntia sp., Crescentia cujete, and the green stickCercidium sp.). While in the flood zone there is the palo de tinte (Haematoxylon campechianum) and to the pucté (Bucida buceras).
In the temperate floors, forests are developed with a predominance of oaks (Quercus) Genus of which there are about 150 species in Mexico. Among the species of Quercus There are deciduous and evergreen, being the best known species Quercus robur.
These forests extend west from the mountains of Baja California to Chiapas. While to the east there are from the mountains of Nueva León and Tamaulipas also to Chiapas.
The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi). As well as the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the California condor (Gymnogyps californicus).
The smallest rabbit in Mexico, the teporingo (Romerolagus diazi), the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the black bear (Ursus americanus).
Coniferous forests predominate in the north of the country, especially in the Sierra Madre Occidental. In this ecosystem the species of the genera Pinus Y Abies, Mexico being the country with the most pine species in the world.
They develop between 100 and 4,200 meters above sea level, in temperate and semi-warm climates, with temperatures between 5 and 22 ºC and annual rainfall of 600 to 2,500 mm. These forests share fauna with deciduous and mixed forests.
They are forests very localized in small patches in the Sierra Madre Occidental with a dominance of ayarín species (Psuedotsuga Y Spruce).
These forests are dominated by species of Cupressus (C. lindleyi, C. benthami, C, arizonica Y C. guadalupensis), called cedars in Mexico. Like the Ayarín forests, they are small patches in the Sierra Madre del Sur.
They are small areas of forest on the slopes and ravines of the Sierra Madre del Sur, Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental. The dominant species is the oyamel (Religious abies) in addition to fir (Abies durangensis) and ocote (Pinus spp.), being able to form mixed forests with Quercus spp. Y Alnus firmifolia.
These forests develop in all the mountain ranges of Mexico, inhabiting various species of pines there. Among these are the Chinese pine (Pinus leiophylla), the white ocote (Pinus montezumae) and straight pine (Pinus pseudostrobus).
In Mexico several types of mixed forest are identified, not only the one traditionally referred to as such by the combination of conifers and broadleaves. There is also a transition forest between the temperate and tropical zones that generates a mixed forest between species of one and the other..
In this forest there are both coniferous species, mainly of the genus Pinus, as species of temperate angiosperms mainly of Quercus which are known as oaks.
Here live the opossum (Didelphis virginiana), the Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and the arboreal anteater (Tamandua mexican).
In this forest species of the genus of conifers predominate Juniperus, which are called táscate, juniper or cedar. These forests are always related to oak forests (Quercus), pine-oak and the thickets of arid zones, and they develop from Baja California to Chiapas.
It is found in stretches of the Sierra Madre Oriental, and on the Pacific coast up to Chiapas, even in patches in the Valley of Mexico. It generally develops in a temperate and humid climate, with low temperatures (up to 0 ºC) and a rainy season of 8 to 12 months.
In this case, angiosperm species of temperate and tropical genera such as Quercus Y Tilia, with Neotropical gymnosperms like Podocarpus reichei. The high relative humidity of these forests and their low temperatures allow the development of tree ferns such as the maquique (Alsophila signature).
Southern Mexico represents the southern limit of gymnosperms typical of the Holartic floristic kingdom. Cloudy forests develop in the mountains of this region with annual rainfall of up to 4,000 mm.
In them, a peculiar combination of floristic elements from North America and South America is observed, including conifers and angiosperms..
Species of the holortic coniferous genera are found as Abies, Juniperus, Cupressus Y Taxacus and temperate angiosperms of the genus Quercus. In addition there are tropical species such as the genus Persecute and epiphytes of bromeliads and orchids.
The quetzal is a native of these jungles (Pharomacrus mocinno mocinno), and also inhabits the horned peacock bass (Oreophasis derbianus).
This plant formation is a mixed dry forest of angiosperms, with species of temperate and tropical climate. It is located in Guadalajara and it is a seasonal forest dominated by oaks and oaks, fagaceae of the genus Quercus.
In addition, in this forest there are various tropical species such as copal (Bursera spp.) and palo dulce (Eysenhardtia polystachya).
This ecosystem occupies a large part of the country (from 30% to 40%), being the characteristic vegetation of the lower parts of the Mexico basin. It can be considered as a set of ecosystems, since there are different kinds of scrub.
Among these we can mention the cardonales, tetecheras, izotales, nopaleras, chaparrales or magueyales, as well as thorny or defenseless bushes.
In general, they are plant communities with shrubs and low trees that do not exceed 4-5 m in height and herbaceous plants. However, some xerophilous shrubs are relatively complex, with various strata, epiphytism, and climber.
Among the species typical of these ecosystems are several of the genus Agave, as well as cacti and composites. Other species are the candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica), the palama samandoca (Yucca carnerosana) and the guayule (Parthenium argentatum).
They are characteristic of the coyote (Canis latrans), Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus), the Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) and the rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis).
In Mexico they are found from sea level to approximately 3,000 meters above sea level, especially in the north of the country. Average annual rainfall varies between 100 and 700 mm; being able to fall of 50 mm in boreal zones of the Gulf of California and the annual average temperature goes from 12 to 26 ° C.
Within the ecosystems of Mexico there is a coniferous thicket that develops in high mountains (3,400 to 3,600 meters above sea level) in a temperate subhumid climate. Here temperatures range from 12 to 16 ºC and annual rainfall from 350 to 600 mm..
It is a mixed thicket and among the conifers there are Pinus cembroides, Pinus culminicola, Juniperus monosperma and Juniperus monticola. Similarly, there are angiosperms as species of the genera Quercus, Agave, Yucca Y Dasylirion.
It is an ecosystem in Mexico formed by medium trees 5 to 10 m high dominated by mesquite (Prosopis spp.). They develop in sub-humid to semi-dry climates with species such as Prosopis laevigata, Prosopis torreyana, Prosopis glandulosa, Acacia farnesiana Y Pithecellobium mexicanum. In addition to cacti and rare epiphytes, for example Tillandsia recurvata.
In Mexico, reference is made to natural grasslands as zacatales and zacatonales. The zacatales being the low plains pastures and the zacatonales being the high alpine pastures above the tree line (4,000 meters above sea level)..
These are plant formations made up of a more or less continuous herbaceous layer with little or no trees. The dominant family is Poaceae or Gramineae, with genera such as Bouteloua, Andropogon, Eragrostis, Aristida and others.
In addition there are some bushes like Compact ephedra and the izoteYucca periculosa) and some trees belonging to legumes.
This is the pronghorn habitat (American antilocapra), the lynx and the plains dogs (Cynomys mexicanus). Likewise, the golden eagle is presented (Aquila chrysaetos) and the owl called Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia).
For its part, the bison (Bison bison) had been exterminated from the Mexican grasslands, however it has been successfully reintroduced.
Savannas are found on the Pacific coast, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and in the Atlantic along the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico in Veracruz and Tabasco. These are areas with a bi-seasonal tropical climate, with floods in the rainy season with a predominance of grass species.
These ecosystems are found in almost all the sandy low coasts of Mexico, both on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The accumulation of sand forms dunes or mounds due to the effect of the winds..
Plants are scarce, but some endemic animals abound, such as the beef leg gecko (Phyllodactylus lanei).
The three most important deserts in Mexico are the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan Desert and the Tehuacán Desert. The most representative plant families of these environments are cacti and legumes.
The marine waters of Mexico have a rich biological diversity, suffice it to mention that its ecosystems are home to 42 species of marine mammals.
The second largest coral reef is the Mesoamerican-Caribbean coral reef, which encompasses the entire Mexican coast. There are 65 species of coral, 350 species of mollusks and 500 species of fish..
Corals normally live less than 200 m deep, because this marks the limit of sunlight. However, there are deep-sea corals with species of the order Scleractinia, (Madrepora oculata Y Lophelia pertusa) present in the deep and cold waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
On the coasts of the Mexican Pacific Ocean, macroalgae formations are found mainly of brown algae (phylum Heterokontophyta) and a group of red (phylum Rhodophyta) and green algae (Chlorophyta division).
They are extensions of several hectares that can reach up to 30 m in height, present in waters with temperatures below 20 ° C, rich in nutrients. They are very thick with brown algae, the giant sargassum (Macrocystis pyrifera) and other sargasso (Sargassum sp.).
In the Mexican Pacific there are four species of seagrass that are located on the coasts of Sinaloa, Sonora and Baja California Sur. The other five species of Mexican seagrass are located in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico and range from Tamaulipas to the reefs of Yucatán..
In Mexico there are 6 genera with 9 species of seagrass such as Eelgrass, Phyllospadix scouleri Y Phyllospadix torreyi. They are also presented Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, Halodule beaudettei, Syringodium filiforme, Halophila decipiens, and Halophila engelmanni.
It is estimated that in Mexico there are about 1,751,500 hectares of inland wetlands, including constructed wetlands. This includes 135 major rivers, plus lakes, swamps, and other bodies of fresh water..
Among the ecosystems of Mexico there are those of vegetation adapted to the aquatic environment or riverside. Among these ecosystems are the petén, the tular, the popal and the gallery forest. The petén are islets of vegetation that develop in the mangroves and are associated with springs or cenotes.
For its part, the tular is vegetation of reeds or swamp reeds with species of genera such as Typha, Scirpus, Cyperus Y Phragmites. The popales are areas of floating vegetation in bodies of water and gallery forests are plant formations that develop along river courses.
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