Above Cieneguilla, Oaxaca, Mexico Photograph by © WWF-Canon/Anthony B. RATH   Southern North America: Southern Mexico Tropical and Subtropical Coniferous Forests   5,500 square miles (14,300 square kilometers) -- about the size of Connecticut Critical/Endangered

· Treefrogs and Towhees
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Treefrogs and Towhees

These pine and oak forests grow high in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca Mountains, the tallest peak of which stands at 11,000 feet (3,400 m). The climate is temperate humid, with annual rainfall averaging between 59 and 63 inches (150 and 160 cm). Pine oak forests grow between 2,600 and 6,500 feet (800 and 2000 m) above sea level to heights of 66 to 130 feet (20 to 40 m). Dominant species include Chiapas pine, Chalamite pine, Lawson's pine, and Pinus leiophylla. At the highest altitudes the common species are P. rudis, Acalote pine, and Sad pine. These can be found in association with the cloud forests of north Oaxaca. At 7,500 to 9,000 feet (2300 to 2800 m), the oak forests mix with the pine forests. Quercus castanea and Q. rugosa are common, however other oaks, such as Q. liebmannii, Q. felipensis, Q. schenckiana and Q. urbanii occur less frequently. The broadleaf cloud forests of this ecoregion support an abundance of epiphytes such as ferns, orchids, bromeliads, and lichens.

Special Features

The Oaxaca pine-oak forests house the highest diversity of amphibians and reptiles in Mexico and support several birds endemic to the region, such as the grey-barred wren, the bearded wood-partridge, and the dwarf jay. At least 45 oak (Quercus) species grow here, as well as two highly endangered tree species, a firand a cypress. Plant endemism is remarkably high in these forests, especially in the moist cloud forests.

	Tropical treefrogs come in many bright colors and have sucking discs on the pads of their toes that allow them to stick to leaves and branches. To reproduce, females lay eggs in puddles and tree cavities or, in the case of one group, attach eggs to tree leaves over a pond so that once the eggs hatch the tadpoles drop into the water below.

Wild Side

The Mexican salamander slithers through these forests and a number of unique birds can be spotted in the trees -- dwarf jays, Oaxaca sparrows, golden-cheeked warblers, gray-barred wrens, russet nightingale-thrushes, and hooded yellowthroats. In addition to the canyon tree frog, this ecoregion is also home to the Hyla pentheter and Hyla sabrina tree frogs.Other special amphibian species include Ptychohyla erythroma, Nototriton adelos and Pseudoeurycea juarezi.

Cause for Concern

Most of the forests of this ecoregion have been lost or degraded through logging, and clearing for crops and pasture, all of which have led to extensive soil erosion. Resin extraction also damages the trees. No federal protected areas exist yet in the ecoregion, but the area has been recognized for its biological importance, and biodiversity agencies are proposing new protected areas.

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