Near Gila Wilderness, Sierra Madre, New Mexico Photograph by John Morrison   Western North America: Southwestern United States Temperate Coniferous Forests   42,100 square miles (109,100 square kilometers) -- slightly smaller than Louisiana Relatively Stable/Intact

· Where North Meets South
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where North Meets South

A unique mix of species makes this ecoregion special. One can find both Chihuahua pines and ponderosa pines, northern saw-whet owls and Montezuma quail. Not only is this ecoregion the southern extent of the spruce and fir forests most common in the Rockies, but it is also the northern extent of many Mexican wildlife species, including tropical birds and reptiles.

Special Features

Steep foothills and mountains, high plateaus, stony land, and rocky outcrops create a varied landscape in the Arizona Mountain Forests ecoregion. The forests here are wet and cold, which favors the growth of pines. At lower elevations, pinyon-juniper-oak woodlands are more dominant.

	The Gila wilderness in southwestern New Mexico contains the largest and healthiest ponderosa pine forest in the world.

Wild Side

The open, park-like forests of this ecoregion contain Mexican trees such as Chihuahua pine and Apache pine as well as unique varieties of ponderosa pine. They are home to several bird species from Mexico rarely seen in the United States, such as the Montezuma quail. At higher elevations, the forests look more like the mixed conifer communities of the Rocky Mountains, with trees such as Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir shading dwarf juniper. In areas that have recently been burned, quaking aspen is commonly seen. And in the caves of Guadelupe, there is a diversity of wildlife that includes beetles and centipedes. Some of the rarest habitats in this ecoregion are its riparian areas, which support endangered trees such as Freemont cottonwood and Goodding willow and provide homes for southwestern willow flycatchers and the endangered Gila trout.

Cause for Concern

Although this ecoregion is considered relatively stable, with about one-fourth of it still intact, it faces threats such as logging and overgrazing. In particular, conservationists are concerned about timber harvest in mature and old-growth forests that are home to the Mexican spotted owl and the northern goshawk. Other threats include fire suppression, mining, off-road-vehicle use, and fuel-wood gathering.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.