Southern Guatemalan coast Photograph by S. E. Cornelius   Central America: Southern Mexico, Guatemala, into El Salvador. Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   About 3,700 square miles (9,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of Connecticut Critical/Endangered

· Jaguars and Butterflies
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Jaguars and Butterflies

From jaguars to harpy eagles, these wild jungles support a wide diversity of life. These forests are home to some 750 species of plants, 22 amphibians, more than 60 reptiles, over 100 mammals, and well over 300 species of birds. These forests are also known to be home to many species of butterflies and salamanders that live nowhere else on Earth. With one of the biggest fragments of intact montane forest in all of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador, this ecoregion is one of the country's richest and most biodiverse ecosystems. An ardent observer might spot the rare azure-rumped tanager or horned guan.

Special Features

The warm, humid climate and summer rains of the moist forests help support the rich and abundant life that flourishes here. This ecoregion encompasses some of the wettest forests in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, which grow on deep soils rich with organic matter. Many plants are restricted to this forest, including two species of cycad, primitive palm-like plants, and the ovande oak.

	The horned guan often runs along branches through the forest canopy when alarmed.

Wild Side

In the misty, wet forests of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, moisture-loving trees such as guayabo de montaña, cacao volador, and coaoba are blanketed with orchids and bromeliads. Wading through a marshy pool in the moist forest, a tapir takes an early morning drink after nibbling on bushes and fallen fruit along the water's edge. Clambering through the trees above, howler monkeys rouse the animals of forest each morning with their loud cries. Jaguars stalk in the forests looking for tapirs, peccaries, and red brocket deer. High in the tree tops, collared aracari hop about snapping up fruit with their colorful bills while beautiful scarlet macaws feed on the seeds of fleshy palm fruits. The horned guan, an endemic turkey-like bird, sports a large red horn on its forehead and is found only in the upper elevation cloud forests in this ecoregion. This bird is highly threatened by habitat loss and hunting. From morpho butterflies and ocelots to helmeted basilisks and spider monkeys, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas Moist Forests are filled with a great abundance of life.

Cause for Concern

Over the years, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas Moist Forests have been degraded by fires, logging, and agricultural practices. The rapid growth of human populations is another threat to this precious ecoregion. Many scientists fear that proposed development of the area with no regard to environmental impact may soon drive these moist forests to complete extinction. In Mexico alone, there are already some 37 known endangered species and more than 30 rare taxa in the region that are of concern to scientists. These numbers are sure to increase if humans continue to clear the forests. The El Triunfo Biosphere is an important conservation area for this ecoregion.

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