Conifers of Mexico
Encyclopedia
Mexican conifers extend mainly in the main mountain ranges: Sierra Madre Oriental
, Sierra Madre Occidental
and the neo-volcanic axis, enclosed between these mountains there are disperse groups of conifers in mid and high elevations valleys when rainfalls conditions allow its growth. Mexican conifers grow in some places associated with oaks.
The dry season is about 7-8 months. Most of rainfalls (80-95%) occur from June to October (5 months) and only four months in the north. Precipitations throughout the year are present only in a little portion of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the State of Veracruz
. The greatest number of species belong the pinus genus
, being about 60 the number of species and subspecies.
Among trees that grow in subtropical climates:
Pinus chiapensis
, Pinus oocarpa
, pinus tecunumanii
Among the trees that grow in temperate and cool climates:
Pinus ayacahuite, Pinus cembroides, Pinus durangensis, Pinus engelmanii
, Pinus greggii
, Pinus hartwegii, Pinus leiophylla, Pinus lumholtzii
, Pinus devoniana
, Pinus montezumae
, Pinus nelsonii, Pinus oocarpa
var. trifoliata, Pinus patula
, Pinus pseudostrobus
, Pinus hartwegii, Pinus rudis, Pinus teocote
, Taxodium mucronatum
, Abies religiosa and Cupressus lusitanica
.
Among trees that grow in exclusively in cool climates:
Pinus hartwegii, Pinus rudis.
Some of the trees are cut off locally for their wood which is used mainly in boards, construction, rustic furniture
and in paper
production. Resin
is extracted from some species. And there are some trees that are estimated by its seeds: Pinus nelsonii, Pinus maximartinezii, Pinus cembroides and Pinus orizabenzis.
The conifers of Mexico have been recently started to be introduced in different parts around the world and their plantations are considered as very important. The leading reasons for that expansion is the good quality that their wood has for paper production but they are also planted as ornamental due to their unique characteristics and exotic beauty. The main genus used with that purposes are: pines, cypresses and firs and taxodiums.
In their natural environment they grow from 30° to 14° North Latitude. At altitudes between 600 to 4300 meters above sea level. And there are some advantages for their introduction in several places at different altitudes latitudes and climates: The average rainfalls in which they occur fluctuate between 380 to 2000 millimeters a year. Above 2400 m in elevation snowfalls are usual. Moist conditions vary from a short season of rainfalls in summer to a climate with rainfalls throughout the year, and can develop from semiarid to very wet conditions. In general they can withstand dry summers and some of are drought tolerant in several degrees. They grow from subtropical to cool climates; the average temperatures varies from 24°C to 10°C. Some of them are surprisingly hardy (Pinus hartweggi, Pinus rudis, Pinus ayacahuite; etc) tolerating temperatures as low as –30°C. These trees occur as in very tilt slopes and plain valleys.
Mexican conifers from temperate and cool climates that are being cultivated in other countries for paper industry according to altitudinal, latitudinal and climatic characteristis:
Near or in the Equator
line at high altitudes:
Pinus leiophylla in Kenya
. Pinus montezumae in Kenya. Pinus ayacahuite in Kenya, Tanzania
, Cupressus lusitanica in Colombia
where it is used for creating windbreak
s curtains in mountain slopes and fighting against soil erosion. Pinus greggi in Colombia. Pinus patula in Ecuador
(3500 m), Colombia (3300 m), Kenya, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea
.
In tropical latitudes at high altitudes:
Pinus leiophylla in Malawi
, Zimbabwe
, Zambia
. Pinus montezumae in Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Pinus ayacahuite in Angola
. Pinus greggi in Zimbabwe and Bolivia
. Pinus patula in Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Hawai
. Cupressus lusitanica in Bolivia
In Subtropical latitudes at mid and high altitudes:
Pinus leiophylla in South Africa
and Queensland
, Australia
. Pinus montezumae in South Africa and Queensland, Australia. Pinus cembroides in South Africa (produces edible nuts)
Pinus ayacahuite in Southern Brazil
and Northern India
, Northern Argentina
in Salta
and Tucumán
Provinces. Cupressus lusitanica in South Africa. Pinus greggi in South Africa and Southern Brazil. Pinus patula in South Africa, Northern India and Southern Brazil
Mexican conifers from subtropical climates that are being planted in tropical and subtropical latitudes at low and mid altitudes for paper industry:
Pinus oocarpa in Ecuador, Kenya, Zambia, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, South Africa and Queensland, Australia. Pinus chiapensis in Colombia, Brazil, Queensland, Australia and South Africa. Pinus tecunumanni Colombia, Brazil, Queensland, Australia and South Africa.
Mexican conifers from temperate and cool climates and from mid and high altitudes that are being cultivated near sea level for paper industry:
New Zealand
has been a pioneer country in cultivating massively trees from high altitudes and tropical latitudes and it has proved that Mexican conifers can thrive in big extensions near sea level when temperature and rainfall conditions are favorable. Most of this species are fully naturalized. Mexican conifers planted in New Zealand are:
Cupressus lusitanica, Pinus ayacahuite, Pinus devoniana , Pinus patula , Pinus pseudostrobus,
Pinus montezumae
Mexican conifers that have been planted with forestation purposes at temperate latitudes at mid and low altitudes:
Pinus patula and cupressus lusitanica in the Argentine provinces of Córdoba
and San Luis
at lower altitudes than its origin site but with a similar temperate climate with rainfalls in summer.
Mexican conifers from mid and high altitudes that have been planted as ornamental at temperate latitudes near sea level:
Cupressus lusitanica in the United Kingdom
; Austin, Texas
; Buenos Aires
, Argentina
and Northern Portugal
, Pinus ayacahuite in the United Kingdom, Pinus devoniana in France
, Pinus hartweggi in the United Kingdom, Pinus montezumae in southern New South Wales
, Australia
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
, Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
and the neo-volcanic axis, enclosed between these mountains there are disperse groups of conifers in mid and high elevations valleys when rainfalls conditions allow its growth. Mexican conifers grow in some places associated with oaks.
The dry season is about 7-8 months. Most of rainfalls (80-95%) occur from June to October (5 months) and only four months in the north. Precipitations throughout the year are present only in a little portion of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the State of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. The greatest number of species belong the pinus genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, being about 60 the number of species and subspecies.
Among trees that grow in subtropical climates:
Pinus chiapensis
Pinus chiapensis
Tree in the conifers. Its natural habitat is in Chiapas, Mexico and Guatemala. It is known as Chiapas pine, in Spanish as Pino de chiapas or Acalocote. Found from 900 up to 1500 m. Pinus chiapensis is a pine native from southern Mexico and neighboring parts of Guatemala.Introduced in Colombia,...
, Pinus oocarpa
Pinus oocarpa
Pinus oocarpa is a species of pine tree native to Mexico and Central America. It is the national tree of Honduras, where it is known as Ocote. Common names include Pino Amarillo, Pino Avellano, Mexican Yellow Pine, and Hazelnut Pine...
, pinus tecunumanii
Pinus tecunumanii
Pinus tecunumanii is a timber tree native to Mexico and Central America. It grows from the highlands of Chiapas and Oaxaca to Northern Nicaragua . It occurs in two separated populations in their native habitats...
Among the trees that grow in temperate and cool climates:
Pinus ayacahuite, Pinus cembroides, Pinus durangensis, Pinus engelmanii
Apache Pine
Pinus engelmannii, commonly known as the Apache Pine, is a tree of Northern Mexico, in the Sierra Madre Occidental with its range extending a short distance into the United States in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona...
, Pinus greggii
Pinus greggii
Pinus greggii, or Gregg's pine, is a small to medium high pine tree native to eastern Mexico, found in two distinct regions. It has an open crown and long and slender branches. The needles are in bundles of three with an average length of 11 cm. The cones are clustered in groups of 5 – 10....
, Pinus hartwegii, Pinus leiophylla, Pinus lumholtzii
Pinus lumholtzii
Pinus lumholtzii, the Lumholtz' Pine or Pino triste , is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family. It is endemic to northeastern Mexico....
, Pinus devoniana
Pinus devoniana
Pinus devoniana is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found in Mexico - from S. Sinaloa to Chiapas - and Guatemala in montane, relatively open pine or pine-oak forests at altitudes from 900 to 2500 m....
, Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae, known as the Montezuma Pine, is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is native to Mexico and Central America, where it is known as Ocote. The tree grows about 35 m high and 80 cm in diameter; occasionally it may reach a height of 40 m and diameter of...
, Pinus nelsonii, Pinus oocarpa
Pinus oocarpa
Pinus oocarpa is a species of pine tree native to Mexico and Central America. It is the national tree of Honduras, where it is known as Ocote. Common names include Pino Amarillo, Pino Avellano, Mexican Yellow Pine, and Hazelnut Pine...
var. trifoliata, Pinus patula
Pinus patula
Patula pine, pino patula, pinus patula is a tree native to the highlands of Mexico. It grows from 24° to 18° North latitude and 1800 to 2700 m above sea level. 30 m tall...
, Pinus pseudostrobus
Pinus pseudostrobus
Smooth-bark Mexican Pine , distinctive names in Spanish, tree endemic to Mexico.It is 8 to 25 m tall, dense and round top, the bark is brown and fissured and smooth when young. It grows between 1300-3250 m. From 26° to 15° north latitude, from Sinaloa, Mexico to Honduras. It occurs within a...
, Pinus hartwegii, Pinus rudis, Pinus teocote
Pinus teocote
Pinus teocote is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found only in Mexico. 20-30 m tall and 75 cm diameter. Straight trunk and dense top. It grows at 1500-3200 mm...
, Taxodium mucronatum
Taxodium mucronatum
Taxodium mucronatum, also known as Montezuma Cypress, Sabino, or Ahuehuete is a species of Taxodium native to much of Mexico , and also the Rio Grande Valley in southernmost Texas, USA as well as Huehuetenango Department in Guatemala...
, Abies religiosa and Cupressus lusitanica
Cupressus lusitanica
Cupressus lusitanica, ; Cedro Blanco means White Cedar and is also known as Mexican White Cedar, is a species of cypress native to Mexico and Central America...
.
Among trees that grow in exclusively in cool climates:
Pinus hartwegii, Pinus rudis.
Cultivation and uses
Rustic furniture
Rustic furniture is furniture employing sticks, twigs or logs for a natural look. Many companies, artists and craftspeople make rustic furniture in a variety of styles and with a variety of historical and contemporary influences...
and in paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
production. Resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
is extracted from some species. And there are some trees that are estimated by its seeds: Pinus nelsonii, Pinus maximartinezii, Pinus cembroides and Pinus orizabenzis.
The conifers of Mexico have been recently started to be introduced in different parts around the world and their plantations are considered as very important. The leading reasons for that expansion is the good quality that their wood has for paper production but they are also planted as ornamental due to their unique characteristics and exotic beauty. The main genus used with that purposes are: pines, cypresses and firs and taxodiums.
In their natural environment they grow from 30° to 14° North Latitude. At altitudes between 600 to 4300 meters above sea level. And there are some advantages for their introduction in several places at different altitudes latitudes and climates: The average rainfalls in which they occur fluctuate between 380 to 2000 millimeters a year. Above 2400 m in elevation snowfalls are usual. Moist conditions vary from a short season of rainfalls in summer to a climate with rainfalls throughout the year, and can develop from semiarid to very wet conditions. In general they can withstand dry summers and some of are drought tolerant in several degrees. They grow from subtropical to cool climates; the average temperatures varies from 24°C to 10°C. Some of them are surprisingly hardy (Pinus hartweggi, Pinus rudis, Pinus ayacahuite; etc) tolerating temperatures as low as –30°C. These trees occur as in very tilt slopes and plain valleys.
Mexican conifers from temperate and cool climates that are being cultivated in other countries for paper industry according to altitudinal, latitudinal and climatic characteristis:
Near or in the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
line at high altitudes:
Pinus leiophylla in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Pinus montezumae in Kenya. Pinus ayacahuite in Kenya, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Cupressus lusitanica in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
where it is used for creating windbreak
Windbreak
A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a...
s curtains in mountain slopes and fighting against soil erosion. Pinus greggi in Colombia. Pinus patula in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
(3500 m), Colombia (3300 m), Kenya, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
In tropical latitudes at high altitudes:
Pinus leiophylla in Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. Pinus montezumae in Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Pinus ayacahuite in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. Pinus greggi in Zimbabwe and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Pinus patula in Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Hawai
Hawai
Hawai can mean:*Hawai, Tottori, town in Tottori Prefecture, Japan*Hawai, India, the administrative headquarters of Anjaw District, in Arunachal Pradesh, India*Hawai, New Zealand in New Zealand...
. Cupressus lusitanica in Bolivia
In Subtropical latitudes at mid and high altitudes:
Pinus leiophylla in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Pinus montezumae in South Africa and Queensland, Australia. Pinus cembroides in South Africa (produces edible nuts)
Pinus ayacahuite in Southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in Salta
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
and Tucumán
Tucumán Province
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
Provinces. Cupressus lusitanica in South Africa. Pinus greggi in South Africa and Southern Brazil. Pinus patula in South Africa, Northern India and Southern Brazil
Mexican conifers from subtropical climates that are being planted in tropical and subtropical latitudes at low and mid altitudes for paper industry:
Pinus oocarpa in Ecuador, Kenya, Zambia, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, South Africa and Queensland, Australia. Pinus chiapensis in Colombia, Brazil, Queensland, Australia and South Africa. Pinus tecunumanni Colombia, Brazil, Queensland, Australia and South Africa.
Mexican conifers from temperate and cool climates and from mid and high altitudes that are being cultivated near sea level for paper industry:
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
has been a pioneer country in cultivating massively trees from high altitudes and tropical latitudes and it has proved that Mexican conifers can thrive in big extensions near sea level when temperature and rainfall conditions are favorable. Most of this species are fully naturalized. Mexican conifers planted in New Zealand are:
Cupressus lusitanica, Pinus ayacahuite, Pinus devoniana , Pinus patula , Pinus pseudostrobus,
Pinus montezumae
Mexican conifers that have been planted with forestation purposes at temperate latitudes at mid and low altitudes:
Pinus patula and cupressus lusitanica in the Argentine provinces of Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
and San Luis
San Luis Province
San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country . Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.-History:...
at lower altitudes than its origin site but with a similar temperate climate with rainfalls in summer.
Mexican conifers from mid and high altitudes that have been planted as ornamental at temperate latitudes near sea level:
Cupressus lusitanica in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
; Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Northern Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Pinus ayacahuite in the United Kingdom, Pinus devoniana in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Pinus hartweggi in the United Kingdom, Pinus montezumae in southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...