Satellite view of the Miskito pine forests in Hunduras and Nicaragua Photograph by USGS   Central America: On the Caribbean coast of Honduras and Nicaragua Tropical and Subtropical Coniferous Forests   7,300 square miles (18,900 square kilometers) -- about the size of New Jersey Vulnerable

· Predators in the Pines
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Predators in the Pines

In the pine forests along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and Honduras, signs of life--and the struggle to survive--are everywhere. Here, white-tailed deer depend on grassy and shrubby vegetation for food, just as pumas and jaguars depend on the deer. The landscape is shaped by numerous rivers and streams that drain the central cordillera and flow through these open pine forests. Along these waterways, otters play along the banks while numerous water birds search for insects and vegetation in the shallows.

Special Features

The Miskito Pine Forest ecoregion--a mix of pine stands and open savanna areas--represents the largest remaining lowland tropical pine-savanna in the Neotropics. Dominated by Caribbean pine but interspersed with hardwood forests, swamp forests, gallery forests, and mangroves, this region extends approximately 300 miles (480 km) along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and Honduras. This is the farthest south that pine trees of the genus Pinus grow. This habitat is in part maintained by natural fires and sporadic hurricanes, which can lead to the regeneration of ecosystems. This area also hosts one of the last examples of traditional Miskito Indian culture.

	When sea turtles hatch, they crawl from their sandy nests and make their way to the open ocean. However, few hatchlings survive their journey since foxes, vultures, crabs, cats, coatis, sharks, and many other species feed on these young, vulnerable turtles.

Wild Side

The open savanna portions of this ecoregion offer opportunities for grasses and shrubs, which dominate the understory. These are important food sources for deer and small rodents, which in turn attract jaguars, ocelots, jaguarundis, and other predators. Tapirs inhabit the gallery forests and wetter fringes of the savanna. Red brocket deer are common in some areas as well. Jaguars can be seen hunting sea turtle hatchlings emerging from the sand along the coast.

Cause for Concern

Although the pine forests remain relatively intact, commercial exploitation of timber is beginning to take a toll. Banana companies are extracting timber and converting the land into a monoculture of bananas. Rampant human-induced fires have had a devastating affect on the forest.

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