Central American pine-oak forests

Central American pine-oak forests
Pine-oak forest in Chimaltenango, Guatemala
Ecology
Biome	Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Geography
Area	111,400 km2 (43,000 sq mi)
Countries	Mexico (Southern), Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua
Conservation
Conservation status	Critical/Endangered
Global 200	Yes

The Central American pine-oak forests ecoregion, in the tropical and subtropical coniferous forests biome, is found in Central America and southern Mexico.

Setting

The Central American pine-oak forests occupy an area of 111,400 square kilometres (43,000 sq mi), extending along the mountainous spine of Central America, extending from the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico's Chiapas state through the highlands of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to central Nicaragua.

The pine-oak forests lie between 600–1,800 metres (2,000–5,900 ft) elevation, and are surrounded at lower elevations by tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests. Higher elevations above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) are usually covered with Central American montane forests.

Flora

The Central American pine-oak forests are composed of many species characteristic of temperate North America including oaks (Quercus spp.), pines (Pinus spp.), fir (Abies spp.), and cypress (Cupressus spp.).