Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl N.P., Mexico Photograph by Claudio Contreras Koob/SEMARNAP   Southern North America: Southern Mexico Montane Grasslands and Shrublands   About 118 square miles (306 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Washington, DC. Relatively Stable/Intact

· Possums and Pine
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Possums and Pine

Bunchgrasses under open pine woodlands lie on the mountain slopes of the high volcanoes Popocatepetl, Toluca, Orizaba, and Iztacihuatl in central Mexico, as well as other high slopes. The vegetation here grows at altitudes of 3,600 to 8,200 feet (1,100 to 2,500 m) above sea level. In Morelos, the dominant species are curly mesquite and bunch grasses such as Festuca and Epicarpes. The composition of the vegetation in Hidalgo is somewhat different and includes Muhlenbergia, a grass with pink flowers that "hover" over its foliage, and Potentilla, a medicinal plant from the rose family. Long-tailed wood partridges and rare Sierra Madre sparrows build their nests in these grasses.

Special Features

For a high grassland, the Zacatonal has a good diversity of both plants and animals. Scientists have recorded 204 birds, 48 mammals, 42 reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. The Chihuahuan Desert horned lizard also lives here, despite the coolness, feeding on ants.

	Volcano rabbits are more closely related to hares than are true rabbits.

Wild Side

Sierra Madre sparrows, red warblers, and the Montezuma quail depend on the grasslands for food and nest sites. The eastern cottontail and the endemic volcanic rabbit hide from their predators in the cover of the grasses. They are unusual among rabbits in that they trot rather than hop. The endangered volcano rabbit makes its home on only two of the highest volcanoes, one of which is Popocatepeti, currently erupting and potentially endangering these populations. One of the smallest endemic inhabitants is the Mexican volcano mouse.

Cause for Concern

While large areas of the Zacatonal remain intact, significant amounts have been disturbed by fires, agriculture, cattle farming, and illegal logging. Habitat destruction due to logging is a concern because of erosion and soil loss. Scientists have shown that the preservation of but a few square miles could save at least 100 plant species from extinction, but they cannot save processes such as pollination, nutrient cycles, and seed dispersal that preserve the species.

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