Tamaulipan matorral
Encyclopedia
The Tamaulipan matorral ecoregion
, in the deserts and xeric shrublands
biome
, is of northern Mexico
.
extends along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental
range in northeastern Mexico, extending from central Tamaulipas
state across central Nuevo León
. The ecoregion
covers an area of 16300 km² (6,293.5 sq mi). The humid Veracruz moist forests
lie to the southeast, on the Gulf Coastal
Plain of southern Tamaulipas and Veracruz states; the Tamaulipan mezquital
lies in the Rio Grande
lowlands to the east and northeast. The Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests
occupy higher elevations of the Sierra Madre Oriental range to the west.
, and succulents
. Dominant plant species include Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
, Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri
, Prosopis juliflora
, P. laevigata
, Yucca treculeana, Salvia ballotiflora
, Jatropha dioica, cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens
), Mammillaria heyderi hemisphaerica, tepeguaje (Leucaena pulverulenta) and Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera. Piedmont scrub is found in shallow soils derived from sedimentary rocks at the base of the Sierra Madre (below 2000 m (6,561.7 ft)) and receives 450–900 mm (17.7–35.4 in) of annual rainfall. It is composed of relatively short plants (3 to 5 m (9.8 to 16.4 ft) in height) such as Helietta parvifolia, Neopringlea integrifolia and Acacia
spp. Montane chaparral
is a distinct plant community found above 1700 m (5,577.4 ft) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, composed of oak
s (Quercus spp.), Arbutus
, Yucca
, Cercocarpus, and Bauhinia
.
(Cynomys mexicanus), Saussure's Shrew
(Sorex saussurei), Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher
(Pappogeomys castanops), Allen's squirrel
(Sciurus alleni), Collared Peccary
(Pecari tajacu) and coyote
(Canis latrans). Birds such as the Burrowing Owl
(Athene cunicularia), Hooded Oriole
(Icterus cucullates), Eastern Meadowlark
(Sturnella magna), Long-billed Thrasher
(Toxostoma longirostre), Hooded Yellowthroat
(Geothlypis nelsoni), Blue Bunting
(Cyanocompsa parellina) and Olive Sparrow
(Arremonops rufivirgatus) are resident.
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
, in the deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
, is of northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Setting
The Tamaulipan matorralMatorral
Matorral is a Spanish word, along with tomillares, for shrubland, thicket or bushes. It is used in naming and describing a Mediterranean climate ecosystem in Southern Europe.-Mediterranean region:...
extends along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental
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...
range in northeastern Mexico, extending from central Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
state across central Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. The ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
covers an area of 16300 km² (6,293.5 sq mi). The humid Veracruz moist forests
Veracruz moist forests
The Veracruz moist forests are an ecoregion, in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest biome, in eastern Mexico.-Setting:The Veracruz moist forests cover an area of , occupying a portion of Mexico's Gulf Coastal Plain between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Gulf of Mexico...
lie to the southeast, on the Gulf Coastal
Gulf Coast of Mexico
The Gulf Coast of Mexico stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from the border with the United states at Matamoros, Tamaulipas all the way to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cancún. It includes the coastal regions along the Bay of Campeche. Major cities include Veracruz, Tampico, and...
Plain of southern Tamaulipas and Veracruz states; the Tamaulipan mezquital
Tamaulipan mezquital
The Tamaulipan mezquital ecoregion, in the deserts and xeric shrublands biome, is located in the southern United States and northeastern Mexico...
lies in the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
lowlands to the east and northeast. The Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests
Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests
The Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests are a subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion of northeastern and Central Mexico, extending into the state of Texas in the United States.-Setting:...
occupy higher elevations of the Sierra Madre Oriental range to the west.
Flora
The ecoregion is predominantly a desert shrubland made up of woody shrubs, small trees, cactiCactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, and succulents
Succulent plant
Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...
. Dominant plant species include Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, Desert Christmas cactus, Desert Christmas Cholla, and Tasajillo, is a cactus.-Distribution:...
, Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri
Opuntia engelmannii
Opuntia engelmannii is a prickly pear common across the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It goes by a variety of common names, including "cow's tongue cactus", "cow tongue prickly pear", "desert prickly pear", "discus prickly pear", "Engelmann's prickly pear", and "Texas prickly...
, Prosopis juliflora
Prosopis juliflora
Prosopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of...
, P. laevigata
Prosopis laevigata
Prosopis laevigata, commonly known as Smooth Mesquite, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae family, that is native to Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, and northwestern Argentina . In Mexico, the species is found in the nation's the central highlands, the lowlands of southern...
, Yucca treculeana, Salvia ballotiflora
Salvia ballotiflora
Salvia ballotiflora is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that is native to Texas in the United States as well as northeastern and central Mexico. Common names include Shrubby Blue Sage and Mejorana.-Description:...
, Jatropha dioica, cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens
Leucophyllum frutescens
Leucophyllum frutescens is an evergreen shrub in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, native to the state of Texas in the southwestern United States and the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in northern Mexico. Although commonly known as Texas Sage, it is not a true sage and is...
), Mammillaria heyderi hemisphaerica, tepeguaje (Leucaena pulverulenta) and Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera. Piedmont scrub is found in shallow soils derived from sedimentary rocks at the base of the Sierra Madre (below 2000 m (6,561.7 ft)) and receives 450–900 mm (17.7–35.4 in) of annual rainfall. It is composed of relatively short plants (3 to 5 m (9.8 to 16.4 ft) in height) such as Helietta parvifolia, Neopringlea integrifolia and Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
spp. Montane chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
is a distinct plant community found above 1700 m (5,577.4 ft) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, composed of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s (Quercus spp.), Arbutus
Arbutus
Arbutus is a genus of at least 14 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, and North America.-Description:...
, Yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
, Cercocarpus, and Bauhinia
Bauhinia
Bauhinia is a genus of more than 200 species of flowering plants in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers, Swiss-French botanists....
.
Fauna
Mammals present in this ecoregion include the Mexican prairie dogMexican Prairie Dog
The Mexican prairie dog is a diurnal burrowing rodent native to Mexico. Treatment as an agricultural pest has led to its status as an endangered species. They are closely related to squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots.-Habitat and diet:...
(Cynomys mexicanus), Saussure's Shrew
Saussure's Shrew
Saussure's Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Sorex saussurei), Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher
Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher
The Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher is a species of pocket gopher that is native to shortgrass prairies in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico....
(Pappogeomys castanops), Allen's squirrel
Allen's Squirrel
Allen's squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus endemic to northern Mexico. It has no subspecies....
(Sciurus alleni), Collared Peccary
Collared Peccary
The collared peccary is a species of mammal in the family Tayassuidae that is found in North, Central, and South America. They are commonly referred to as javelina, saíno or báquiro, although these terms are also used to describe other species in the family...
(Pecari tajacu) and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
(Canis latrans). Birds such as the Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
(Athene cunicularia), Hooded Oriole
Hooded Oriole
The Hooded Oriole, Icterus cucullatus, is a medium-sized New World oriole.Adults have a pointed bill and white wing bars. The adult male has an orange head with black on the face and throat; they are black on the back, wings and tail, orange on the underparts...
(Icterus cucullates), Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlark
The Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, is a medium-sized icterid bird, very similar in appearance to the Western Meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to South America, where it is also most widespread in the east.-Description:...
(Sturnella magna), Long-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
The Long-billed Thrasher is a medium-sized resident songbird of South Texas and eastern Mexico.It is slender and long-tailed, averaging 26.5–29 cm in length and about 70 g in weight...
(Toxostoma longirostre), Hooded Yellowthroat
Hooded Yellowthroat
The Hooded Yellowthroat is a species of bird in the Parulidae family.It is endemic to the highlands of Mexico north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.It is resident in dense semiarid to humid montane shrubland or chaparral....
(Geothlypis nelsoni), Blue Bunting
Blue Bunting
The Blue Bunting is a species of passerine bird found in northern Central America. Measuring in length with a wingspan of , it is one of the smaller members of its genus. Like most buntings, the Blue Bunting is sexually dimorphic...
(Cyanocompsa parellina) and Olive Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
The Olive Sparrow, Arremonops rufivirgatus, is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. Its range includes Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and southern Texas .It is long, and is the only sparrow with an olive back...
(Arremonops rufivirgatus) are resident.