Sierra Madre del Sur



ID


170

Author(s)


Salvador Contreras Balderas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Additional text was modified from Abell et al. (2000).


Countries


Mexico
Mexico

Major Habitat Type


Tropical and subtropical coastal rivers

Drainages flowing into


Pacific Ocean


Main rivers to other water bodies


Among the major rivers in this ecoregion are the Petatlán, Papagayo, Verde, and Colotepec.



Description

Boundaries

This ecoregion stretches along the coast from Guerrero south through most of Oaxaca to, but not including, the Tehuantepec basin. It encompasses numerous rivers on the southern slopes of the Continental Divide that drain into the Pacific Ocean.

Topography

The ecoregion covers the rugged Sierra del Sur, a mountain range with peaks reaching 3500 m asl. It includes a short piedmont and almost no coastal plain.

Freshwater habitats

Freshwater habitats are primarily a non-distinctive set of minor basins along short coastal plains. However, the Río Verde flows mostly over high plateau.

Terrestrial habitats

Terrestrial habitats include Southern Pacific dry forests along the coast and pine-oak forests at higher elevations.

Justification for delineation

Ecoregion delineations were based on qualitative similarity/dissimilarity assessments of major basins, using the standard administrative hydrographical regions of the Mexican federal government. This ecoregion is comprised of very small coastal basins, flowing from high mountains, with endemics only in the largest basin, Río Verde.

Level of taxonomic exploration

The level of taxonomic exploration is poor in general due to the highly mountainous terrain and few roads.


References

  • Alvarez del Villar, J. (1970). "Claves de Peces Mexicanos (Claves)" México: Dirección General de Pesca e Industrias Anexas.
  • Alvarez del Villar, J. (1972). "Ictiología Michoacana V. Orìgen y distribución de la ictiofauna dulceacuìcola de Michoacán" Anales de la Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas Mexico
  • Doadrio, I., Carmona, J. A., Martínez, E., et al. (1999). "Genetic variation and taxonomic análisis of the subgenus Profundulus" J. Fish Biol. 55 pp. 751-766.
  • Abell, R. A.,Olson, D. M.,Dinerstein, E.,Hurley, P. T.,Diggs, J. T.,Eichbaum, W.,Walters, S.,Wettengel, W.,Allnutt, T.,Loucks, C. J.;Hedao, P. (2000). "Freshwater Ecoregions of North America: A Conservation Assessment" Washington, DC, USA: Island Press.
  • Köppen, W. (1936). "Das geographische System der Klimate" Köppen W. and R. Geiger (Ed.) Handbuch der. Klimatologie ( (Vol. 1, pp. 1–44 ) Berlin, Germany: Gebrüder Borntröger.
  • Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, et al. (2006). "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated" Meteorologische Zeitschrift 15 pp. 259-263.