The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine–oak woodlands , found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona , southwestern New Mexico , and northwestern Mexico . The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts . The northern west–east perimeter of the sky island region merges into the higher elevation eastern Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains of eastern Arizona (southern Anasazi region).
30-593: The sky islands are the northernmost of the Madrean pine–oak woodlands, and are classified as part of the Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests ecoregion , of the tropical and subtropical coniferous forests biome . The sky islands were isolated from one another and from the pine–oak woodlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental to the south by the warming and drying of the climate since the ice ages . There are approximately 27 Madrean sky islands in
60-464: A Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of the Sierra Madre Occidental range from the southwest USA region to the western part of Mexico . They are home to a large number of endemic plants and important habitat for wildlife. The Sierra Madre Occidental run north to south in western Mexico from the center of the country towards the United States border. The Sierra Madre Occidental
90-546: A mean elevation is 2650 m, and includes several peaks above 3200 m. The southern Sierra extends from the San Pedro Mezquital valley into northern Jalisco . It consists of several north–south trending ranges separated by wide canyons where lowland tropical and interior arid vegetation converge. The southern Sierra covers portions of eastern Nayarit , southeastern Durango, western Zacatecas , northern Jalisco, and western Aguascalientes . The ecoregion also covers
120-539: A mean elevation of 2350 m, and its climate is colder and more continental than the rest of the range. The central Sierra extends from the Urique barranca to the valley of the San Pedro Mezquital River , which cuts through the range from north to south between 22°50’ and 23°25’ N latitude. The central Sierra covers portions of southwestern Chihuahua, southern Durango , and eastern Sinaloa . It has
150-485: A number of endemics. Predominant conifers among the 27 species found here include Apache pine ( Pinus engelmannii ), Chihuahua pine ( Pinus leiophylla ), Mexican pinyon ( Pinus cembroides ), Lumholtz's pine ( Pinus lumholtzii ), Yécora pine ( Pinus pseudostrobus ), Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca ), and Mexican Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga lindleyana ). Oaks ( Quercus ) are
180-460: A significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents ( North America , Europe , and Asia ), typically in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 or 60 degrees north), often within large landmasses, where prevailing winds blow overland bringing some precipitation, and temperatures are not moderated by oceans. Continental climates occur mostly in
210-569: Is Mexico's largest range, and the ecoregion extends approximately 1,200 kilometers from southern Arizona to northern Jalisco . The highest peak is Cerro Mohinora (3300 m) in southern Chihuahua. This is a dramatic landscape of steep mountains cut through with canyons including Copper Canyon , the deepest in North America. The ecoregion consists of a complex of high-elevation pine–oak forests surrounded at lower elevations by deserts and xeric shrublands and tropical dry forests , including
240-690: Is now a natural resources protection area which conserves much of the southern Sierra. There are a number of protected areas of Madrean sky islands in Arizona which are part of the ecoregion although not the Sierra Madre Occidental themselves, including Chiricahua National Monument , Galiuro Wilderness , the Rincon Mountain district of Saguaro National Park , the Huachuca Mountains , Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area ,
270-654: Is now endangered from trapping for collections. The eared quetzal ( Euptilptis neoxenus ) is a near-endemic, ranging from the sky islands of southern Arizona through the Sierra Madre Occidental to the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests . The imperial woodpecker ( Campephilus imperialis ), once native to the mountains, is now thought to be extinct. Mammals include the Coues deer ( Odocoileus virginianus couesi ), American black bear ( Ursus americanus ), cougar ( Puma concolor ), and jaguar ( Panthera onca ). The Mexican grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis )
300-498: Is now thought to be extinct. The Mexican wolf ( Canis lupus baileyi ) was once common in the mountains but by the late 20th century was thought to be extinct in the wild. They were saved from extinction by a joint US-Mexican captive breeding program. The wolves were reintroduced to the wild in the US in 1998 and Mexico in 2011, and now inhabit portions of the ecoregion in Arizona, New Mexico, Chihuahua, and Sonora. The many reptiles include
330-697: Is somewhat more stable than winter weather. Continental climates are considered as temperate climate varieties due to their location in the temperate zones, but are classified separately from other temperate climates in the Köppen climate classification system where they are identified by their first letter, a capital D . In the Trewartha climate classification , they are identified as Dc . Continental climate has at least one month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) and at least one month averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). Annual precipitation in this zone
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#1732764697837360-1034: Is the reduction of plant/animal productivity and growth. Another effect would be that the increase of climate warming would also lead to tree mortality affecting not only the pine trees located in the Sierra Madre Occidental but also other pine trees in the surrounding areas. 13.5% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas in Mexico include Cascada de Basaseachi National Park , Cumbres de Majalca National Park , La Michilía Biosphere Reserve , Sierra de San Juan Biosphere Reserve , Bavispe Flora and Fauna Protection Area , Sierra de Álamos–Río Cuchujaqui Flora and Fauna Protection Area , Campo Verde Flora and Fauna Protection Area , Papigochic Flora and Fauna Protection Area , Sierra de Órganos National Park , Tutuaca Flora and Fauna Protection Area , and Cerro Mohinora Flora and Fauna Protection Area . The Cuenca Alimentadora del Distrito Nacional de Riego 043 Estado de Nayarit , established in 1949 to protect forests and watersheds,
390-669: Is usually between 600 millimetres (24 in) and 1,200 millimetres (47 in), The timing of intermediate spring-like or autumn-like temperatures in this zone vary depending on latitude and/or elevation. For example, spring may arrive as soon as March (in Northern hemisphere , September in Southern hemisphere ) in the southern (in Northern hemisphere, northern in Southern hemisphere), parts of this zone or as late as May (November) in
420-625: The Santa Teresa Mountains and the Pajarito Mountains . In 2000 CONABIO, a Mexico's wildlife conservation agency, identified priority areas for conservation, based on exceptional biodiversity and the integrity of the remaining habitat. Priorties in the northern Sierra include Cananea–San Pedro, Sierras los Ajos–Buenos Aires–La Púrica, Cañada Mazocahui, Sierras el Maviro–Santo Niño, Bavispe / El Tigre , Babícora, Yécora–El Reparo, Bassaseachic , and Lago los Mexicanos. In
450-764: The Sonoran Desert to the northwest, the Chihuahuan Desert to the northeast and east in Arizona, the Meseta Central matorral and Central Mexican matorral to the southeast, and the Sinaloan dry forests to the west and southwest. The Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests are one of the Madrean pine–oak forests ecoregions, which are found throughout the Sierra Madre ranges of Mexico and
480-406: The 1800s and only a very small percentage of original forest remains. This removal of habitat has resulted in the presumed extinction of the imperial woodpecker , once the largest woodpecker on earth. The increase of global warming is expected to have some devastating effects on the pine trees located in the Sierra Madre Occidental. The predicted outcome of global warming in this subtropical region,
510-578: The Madrean Sky Islands include Las Cruces, New Mexico , and Tucson, Arizona . Though formerly extirpated from the United States, the North American jaguar has returned to the area from northern Mexico in small numbers. One such jaguar is named El Jefe . Sierra Madre Occidental pine%E2%80%93oak forests The Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests ( Spanish : Bosques de pino-roble de la Sierra Madre Occidental ) are
540-616: The Northern Hemisphere due to the large landmasses found there. Most of northeastern China , eastern and southeastern Europe , much of Russia south of the Arctic Circle , central and southeastern Canada , and the central and northeastern United States have this type of climate. Continentality is a measure of the degree to which a region experiences this type of climate. In continental climates, precipitation tends to be moderate in amount, concentrated mostly in
570-716: The US Southwest. The northernmost portion of the ecoregion includes forest enclaves on the Madrean Sky Islands , isolated mountain ranges that rise up out of the desert of southern Arizona and New Mexico in the US and northern Sonora in Mexico. The northern Sierra extends from the US-Mexico border through eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua south to the barranca (gorge) of the Urique River , between 27° and 28° N latitude. The northern Sierra has
600-745: The United States, and 15 in northern Mexico. The major Madrean sky island ranges in Arizona are the Baboquivari Mountains , Chiricahua Mountains , Huachuca Mountains , Pinaleño Mountains , Santa Catalina Mountains , Santa Rita Mountains and Whetstone Mountains . Similar sky island ranges include the Animas Mountains in New Mexico and the Guadalupe Mountains , Davis Mountains and Chisos Mountains in west Texas. Significant urban areas located very close to
630-587: The central Sierra, priority areas include Alta Tarahumara–Barrancas, Cañón de Chínipas , Sierra Álamos–El Cuchujaqui , Barranca Sinforosa, Rocahuachi–Nanaruchi, Río Humaya , Guadalupe y Calvo–Mohinora , San Juan de Camarones, Pueblo Nuevo, and Santiaguillo–Promontorio. Priority areas in the southern Sierra include Guacamayita, the Río Jesús María basin (cuenca del Río Jesús María), Sierra los Huicholes , Sierra de Morones , and Sierra Fría . Continental climate Continental climates often have
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#1732764697837660-488: The dominant broadleaf trees, with 21 different species found including Quercus albocincta , Arizona oak ( Q. arizonica ) Q. carmenensis , Q. chihuahuensis , Q. durifolia , Emory oak ( Q. emoryi ), Q. grisea , Mexican blue oak ( Q. oblongifolia ), Q. santaclarensis , Q. striatula , and Q. tarahumara . Madroño ( Arbutus xalapensis and A. arizonica ) is found in association with oaks. Q. carmenensis and Q. deliquescens are two oaks endemic to
690-400: The eastern slope, which faces interior desert plateaus. Mean annual rainfall averages 553 mm (21.8 in). Rainfall is generally higher in the summer, and August is typically the wettest month. Species of pine ( Pinus ) and oak ( Quercus ) are the predominant trees in the ecoregion. Plant communities vary with rainfall, elevation, temperature, and soils, and species can vary between
720-472: The north (south). Summers are warm or hot while winters are below freezing and sustain lots of frost. Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter from shorter days and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and longer days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effect of oceans or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore. Such regions get quite warm in
750-413: The rock rattlesnake ( Crotalus lepidus ), twin-spotted rattlesnake ( Crotalus pricei ), ridgenose rattlesnake ( Crotalus willardi ), and some spiny lizards ( Sceloporus clarki , S. jarrovii , S. scalaris and S. virgatus ). Finally, the mountains are an important stage in the migration route of monarch butterflies . The pine forests have been cleared by the logging and paper industries since
780-414: The sky island, northern, central, and southern portions of the range. The most common plant communities are pine forest, pine–oak forest, oak forest, and oak or pine-oak woodland, with smaller areas of mixed conifer forest, mesophytic forest, montane meadow, primary or secondary chaparral, and juniper scrub. The pines and oaks are especially important as there are so many different species of each including
810-467: The sky islands portion of the ecoregion. The forests are home to more than 300 species of birds, including golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) military macaw ( Ara militaris ), acorn woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus ), and Mexican spotted owl ( Strix occidentalis lucida ). Endemic species include the tufted jay ( Cyanocorax dickeyi ), green-striped brushfinch ( Arremon virenticeps ), and thick-billed parrot ( Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha ) which
840-569: The summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter. In the Köppen climate system, these climates grade off toward temperate climates equator-ward where winters are less severe and semi-arid climates or arid climates where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies and shrublands. In Europe these climates may grade off into oceanic climates ( Cfb ) or subpolar oceanic climates ( Cfc ) in which
870-580: The warmer months. Only a few areas—in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America and in Iran , northern Iraq , adjacent Turkey , Afghanistan , Pakistan , and Central Asia —show a winter maximum in precipitation. A portion of the annual precipitation falls as snowfall, and snow often remains on the ground for more than a month. Summers in continental climates can feature thunderstorms and frequent hot temperatures; however, summer weather
900-663: The western end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in Nayarit, including the Sierra de San Juan . The climate of the ecoregion varies with elevation and location. Temperatures are cooler at higher elevations, and the very highest peaks have year-round snow. The western slope of the mountains, which faces toward the Gulf of California and Pacific Ocean , generally receives higher rainfall and has milder winters than
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