FLORA AND FAUNA OF JALISCO: MAIN CHARACTERISTICS - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The flora and fauna of Jalisco is one of the most diverse in the world thanks to the variety of natural regions that make it up: plains to the northwest, the Sierra Madre Occidental, the central plain, the trans-Mexican volcanic belt and the Sierra Madre del Sur.

The state is made up of forests, beaches, plains, rivers, and lakes. These areas are located at various altitudes, ranging from 0 to 4300 meters above sea level.

Each of these regions offers a great variety of ecosystems that allow the development of multiple animal and plant species.

In addition to this, the aquatic spaces of the state (rivers, lakes and coasts) host hundreds of animal species. In fact, in 1986 four beaches in Jalisco were named by the government as sanctuaries for sea turtles.

With respect to vegetation, between 40 and 50% of the surface of the state of Jalisco is made up of deciduous forests (those that lose their leaves once a year) and everlasting forests (those that maintain their leaves throughout the year).

Flora

The vegetation of Jalisco is very rich thanks to the different natural areas of the state. Here they are found from everlasting forests, such as coniferous and oak, to deciduous forests.

You can also find plains covered with grasslands, especially in the north of the country. In the coastal zone there are areas covered with palms, mangroves and areas with xerophytic vegetation.

The most common plant species in the state are pines, cedars, oaks, walnuts, orchids, and mosses. There are also fruit trees such as lemon, coconut and banana.

Coniferous and oak forests

The flora of Jalisco is characterized by the presence of tropical and subtropical coniferous forests. These forests are made up of the strongest tree species in the world: firs, pines, among others. These are everlasting forests, as they always have leaves.

Coniferous and oak forests are found in the highest areas of the state of Jalisco, between 800 and 3400 meters above sea level. These forests cover a quarter of the total surface of the state.

One of the main coniferous and oak forests in this area is the Primavera forest.

Bed sheets

The vegetation of the Jalisco savanna is characterized by the presence of grasslands. These extensions represent a transition between coniferous forests and deciduous forests, such as the dry forest of Jalisco.

They are located between 400 and 800 meters above sea level.

Dry forest

In this state there is also the famous Jalisco dry forest, which has an area of ​​more than two million hectares.

This is part of the tropical and subtropical broadleaf dry forests, one of the nine terrestrial ecoregions of Mexico. In addition, it is one of the eight dry forests in the country.

This forest represents one of the most diverse areas in the world. It is made up of deciduous trees: they lose their leaves during the dry season, from December to May, and regain them during the rainy season, from June to October.

The humidity that is conserved in these forests favors the growth of plants and the proliferation of both plant and animal life.

Another benefit of humidity is that wildfires rarely occur in these forests. This characteristic distinguishes it from other dry forests.

The dry forest of Jalisco is home to more than 750 species of plants.

Coastal plains

To the west of Jalisco are the coastal plains. The vegetation of these plains is characterized by the presence of palms, dunes and other examples of xerophytic vegetation.

Fauna

The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems present in Jalisco makes possible the existence of a very varied fauna.

More than 52% of the bird species in Mexico are found in this state. Likewise, 40% of mammals and 18% of reptiles in the country are present in this territory.

Among the typical animals of this state, predators such as the puma, the wolf, the coyote and the fox stand out; raptors such as the eagle and the hawk; and various species of snakes.

Small animals such as squirrels, raccoons, ducks and birds can also be found in this area.

Fauna in coniferous and oak forests

The fauna of the coniferous forests is characterized by the presence of mammals such as the gray fox, the wild cat, the hare, the coyote, the wolf, the squirrel, the weasel and the white-tailed deer.

Wildlife in the dry forest

The dry forest of Jalisco is one of the terrestrial ecoregions with the greatest biodiversity in the country. Hundreds of species of mammals and about 27 species of termites inhabit this forest.

Furthermore, this forest represents a crucial point on the migratory route of many species of birds. These birds move during the winter from Canada and the United States to Mexico.

In the dry forest of Jalisco you can find more than 70 species of mammals in danger of extinction. These include the gray fox, the ocelot or brown leopard, the ghost bat, among others.

Fauna in aquatic areas

In the aquatic areas of Jalisco you can find animals such as the green turtle, lobster, snapper, sailfish, goldfish and grouper. There are also aquatic birds such as the kingfisher, the duck and the seagull.

Reptiles such as crocodiles and birds such as ducks and herons abound in the mangroves.

Four of the Jalisco beaches constitute federal sanctuaries for the protection of sea turtles. These beaches are El Tecuán, Cuitzmala, Teopa and Playón de Mismaloya.

References

1. Forests of Mexico. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from wikipedia.org
2. Global Species: Ecoregions. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from globalspecies.org
3. Jalisco. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from wikipedia.org
4. Jalisco. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from nationsencyclopedia.com
5. Jalisco dry forests. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from worldwildlife.org
6. Jalisco Dry Forest. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from vivanatura.org
7. Mexican Dry Forests. Retrieved on October 7, 2017, from wwf.panda.org