The Tehuacán Valley matorral is a xeric shrubland

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:...

 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...

, within 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...

, in central 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 ecoregion occupies the Tehuacán and Cuicatlán valleys, covering parts of Puebla

Puebla

Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....

 and Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...

 states. The valleys lie in the rain shadow

Rain shadow

A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...

 of the surrounding mountain ranges, and is drier than the surrounding ecoregions. The Tehuacán Valley matorral is bounded by the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests

Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests is a subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt of central Mexico.-Setting:...

 to the northwest, north, and northeast, the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine-oak forests

Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine-oak forests

The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine-oak forests is an ecoregion of southern Mexico, in the Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests biome. It occupies the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, which lies mostly within the state of Oaxaca, extending north into Puebla and Veracruz states...

 to the east, and by the Balsas dry forests

Balsas dry forests

The Balsas dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of southern Mexico.-Setting:The Balsas dry forests occupy the basin of the Balsas River. the ecoregion covers an area of , extending across portions of Michoacan, Guerrero, Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, and Oaxaca states...

 to the southeast, south, and southwest.

Flora

The Tehuacán Valley matorral is a center of plant diversity, with over 2700 species, of which approximately 30% are endemic

Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...

. It is a center of diversity for species of Agave

Agave

Agave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....

, Hechtia

Hechtia

Hechtia is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Pitcairnioideae. The genus is named for Julius Gottfried Conrad Hecht , German counselor to the King of Prussia.. Except for H. gayorum, the plants of this genus are dioecious.-Species:-External links:* photos...

, Salvia

Salvia

Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...

, and cactus

Cactus

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...

.

The ecoregion has a number of distinct plant communities.

Fauna

The ecoregion is notable for its diversity of birds and bats. Of the 90 species of birds present, 10 are endemic, including the Ocellated Thrasher

Ocellated Thrasher

The Ocellated Thrasher is a species of bird in the Mimidae family. It is endemic to the highlands of south-central Mexico. Its natural habitats are dry scrubland and open oak and pine woodland between 1500 and 3000 m above sea-level.It is about 30 cm long. Its upperparts are brown while...

 (Toxostoma ocellatum), and Bridled Sparrow

Bridled Sparrow

The Bridled Sparrow is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.-References:...

(Aimorphilla mystacalis). 34 species of bats inhabit the ecoregion, of which 18 are endangered, vulnerable, or rare.