Laguna de Terminos, Campeche, Mexico Photograph by F. Eccardi/ SEMARNAP   Southern North America: Southeastern Mexico Mangroves   1,200 square miles (3,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Rhode Island Relatively Stable/Intact

· Storks and Crocs
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Storks and Crocs

The Usumacinta mangroves and nearby flooded lowlands are considered one of the most important wetlands in Mexico. This area contains over 370 species of plants, 60 species of fish, 26 amphibians, 85 reptiles, some 279 birds, and more than 130 mammals. Of the more than 1,460 species of aquatic and land organisms found here, approximately 90 are endangered species. For example, the mangroves and nearby habitats of eastern Mexico are home to most of the individual jabiru storks that survive in Mexico, and they are the preferred breeding place of the endangered Morelet’s crocodile. At least a third of all the migratory birds that follow the Mississippi flyway spend each winter in this region or rest in mangrove habitats.

Special Features

The deep, acidic soils surrounding and underlying the Usumacinta mangroves ecoregion are rich in organic matter and are very productive. The climate here is warm and humid with abundant rains in the summer, and the mangroves in this region receive about 63 inches (1600 mm) of rain per year. These mangroves are part of a complex system of marshes and lagoons that are filled with many aquatic and terrestrial species.

	Snails, ants, wasps, and crabs are some of the most common creatures living on the branches of mangrove trees.

Wild Side

In the tranquil waters of the Usumacinta mangroves ecoregion, endangered manatees float peacefully among white and black mangrove trees. These waters are a safe refuge for many other endangered animals, including Morelet’s crocodiles. The trees are filled with the sounds of migratory birds such as yellow warblers, northern parulas, and painted buntings. Many scientists believe the mangroves of this ecoregion are extremely important for such migratory birds. That’s because most of the adjacent forests have been destroyed in this narrow habitat area, which seems to funnel birds between the mountains and the sea. Jabiru and wood storks hunt the abundant fish and invertebrates that fill the lagoons and shallow waters along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. In the treetops above, white-fronted parrots move quietly in pairs. From brown caimans to green iguanas, the Usamacinta mangroves are a natural refuge for an amazing array of reptiles, too.

Cause for Concern

Mangroves and their associated species have been gradually eliminated in this region due to their importance as a source of food and timber for local villagers. Only an estimated 13 percent of this ecoregion remains intact, and long-term threats to the region include industrial water pollution due to human overpopulation and a potential hydroelectric plant that would severely impact water flow. Local fisheries and the continued exploitation of mangrove trees are some of the most significant immediate threats to this habitat.

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