THE 10 BIOMES OF MEXICO AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - ENVIRONMENT - 2024

The biomes of Mexico are the various regions of the Aztec geography that share similar characteristics in climate, fauna and flora. Its diversity encompasses vast deserts, tropical forests, mangroves, and alpine ecosystems, among others. Mexico is one of the countries with the greatest biological diversity in the world.

In all its ecosystems a great variety of reptiles and mammals are sheltered, as well as thousands of other types of fauna. Due to the geographic characteristics of the Mexican Republic, it has both aquatic biomes and terrestrial biomes. The former are subdivided into freshwater biomes and saltwater biomes.

The standard used to differentiate aquatic biomes is the degree of salinity of their waters. As regards terrestrial biomes, the following are distinguished: alpine tundra, desert, chaparral, coniferous forest, tropical rain forest, humid forest, grassland and steppes.

Main features

Alpine tundra

The alpine tundra is the coldest of Mexico's biomes. One of its dominant characteristics is the low annual rainfall (from 150 mm to 250 mm). This makes the tundra similar to a desert.

Even so, the tundra is usually a humid place because low temperatures cause the evaporation of water to be slow. Tundra winters are long, dark, and cold. Their average temperatures are below 0 ° C for 6 to 10 months of the year.

Temperatures are so cold that there is a permanently frozen layer of land, called permafrost, below the surface. This permafrost is a particular feature of the tundra biome.

In the Mexican geography, examples of alpine tundra can be found at the heights of the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes, Pico de Orizaba, Nevado de Colima and Nevado de Toluca.

Flora

The vegetation on the tundra has adapted to the cold. Mosses and lichens are representative of this biome. The few trees that develop in this ecosystem do not reach considerable heights.

Fauna

The fauna of this biome is made up of hares, teporingos (a variety of rabbits), rattlesnakes, among others.

Desert

The desert represents one of the largest biomes in Mexico. This ecosystem corresponds to the Sonoran desert, the northern Chihuahuan and northern central Mexico.

It is characterized by being a very dry climate. The days are hot and the nights are cold. Rainfall is much less than 250mm per year and soils are porous.

Flora

With regard to the flora, it is composed of thickets and thorny bushes, some cacti, small flowers and other succulents.

Fauna

As part of its fauna there are mice and other rodents, lizards, snakes, toads, small birds, owls and a great variety of insects.

Chaparral

Another of the biomes of Mexico is the chaparral. This biome is present in the regions of California and the northwestern coast of Mexico.

In this ecosystem, daily temperatures can be extreme, reaching 42 ° C. In addition, the diurnal temperature variation can be wide (up to 20 ° C). The average annual temperature ranges between 12 ° C and 26 ° C.

Flora

With regard to flora, xerophilous trees dominate. You can also find strawberry chestnut trees, chamizos, manzanita and oaks.

In these low-rainfall areas, plants have adapted to drought conditions. Many plants have small, needle-shaped leaves that help conserve water. Some have leaves with waxy coatings and leaves that reflect sunlight.

Several plants have developed fire resistant adaptations to survive the frequent fires that occur during the dry season.

Fauna

The chaparral is home to different kinds of animals such as rats, lizards, chochil (bird), squirrels, ducks, and lizards.

Coniferous forest

The coniferous forest is a Mexican biome that covers most of the Sierra Madre Occidental, temperatures drop below freezing during winter and can be considerably high in summer.

Flora

The vegetation is predominantly coniferous trees. Another characteristic of this biome is its soils rich in humus.

Fauna

This ecosystem is inhabited, among others, by large mammals such as deer, elk and caribou. Small rodents such as mice, hares and red squirrels are also found. Similarly, various species of predators such as lynxes, foxes and bears are part of the environment.

Tropical rain forest

The tropical rainforests represent one of the biomes of Mexico. They are located near the coastline of Mexico.

This type of climate is representative of southern Veracruz and Tabasco and in the highlands of Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Their average annual temperature is 28 ° C, and they receive frequent and abundant rains. However, its soils are thin and sometimes acidic with few nutrients.

Flora

The flora of this Mexican biome is dominated by grasses, sporadic scrub, and small forests in some areas.

Fauna

The fauna presents an enormous biodiversity that includes exotic and colorful insects, amphibians, reptiles and a variety of birds. Similarly, lizards, parrots, snakes, macaques, monkeys, tigers and jaguars coexist.

Wet jungle

This biome is distributed in the areas of Tabasco, the south of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Sierra de Chiapas. It can also be found in other smaller areas, such as the Sierra Madre del Sur in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero.

These regions receive abundant rainfall throughout the year and endure high temperatures. The average rainfall exceeds 200 cm per year, and the average temperature remains above 18 ° C.

Flora

Rain makes plants maintain their green foliage throughout the year. In this biome you can see a great variety of trees and palm, as well as orchids, ferns, bromeliads, mosses and lichens.

Fauna

In terms of fauna, the area is home to spider monkeys, anteaters, raccoons, deer and other species. Of the birds, the most prominent are the solitary eagle, the scarlet macaw and the royal toucan.

In addition, reptiles such as turtles, iguanas, boas, snakes and various species of frogs, toads and salamanders inhabit the area.

Meadow

The grassland biome can be found in the northern part of Mexico. It is characterized by a slightly undulating topography and the predominant vegetation is low, between 60 and 90 cm.

The dry season is pronounced and long (6 to 9 months). The average annual temperature ranges between 12 and 20 ° C and the average annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 60 cm. The rains are abundant during the winter season.

Flora

The flora is made up of various species of grass, sporadic bushes and, in some areas, occasional forests.

Fauna

The characteristic fauna includes large ruminant mammals: bison, deer and wild horses. Similarly, carnivores such as wolves, coyotes, and pumas are part of this ecosystem.

Steppes

The steppes are located in the areas of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Durango and some regions of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí.

This biome is of the arid continental type, with great thermal variation between summer and winter and with little rainfall (less than 50 cm per year).

Flora

This ecological landscape belongs to the biomes of Mexico with herbaceous flora. This flora is complemented with xerophilic plants and numerous varieties of cacti.

Fauna

Rodents, quail, coyotes, rabbits, armadillos and pumas are found in this area, as well as a great variety of insects, snakes and reptiles.

Freshwater biomes

They represent one of the two types of biomes in Mexico related to water resources. It is divided into a lotic ecosystem (moving waters) and a lentic ecosystem (stagnant waters).

In rivers, lakes, springs and wetlands (lotic ecosystem) the characteristic flora are mosses, algae and other aquatic plants. The fauna is made up of eels, beavers, otters, dolphins and various species of fish.

In lakes, ponds, swamps and puddles (lentic ecosystem), the flora and fauna change according to the characteristics of the waters.

A wide variety of frogs and grassy marsh plant species are common to both types of ecosystems.

Saltwater biomes

Saltwater biomes comprise coasts, oceans, and seas. The coastal condition in two oceans gives Mexico a variety of flora and fauna.

There is a great variety of tropical fish in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico and off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Seals, dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions reside on the shores of the Mexican Pacific. Mexico is a temporary residence for humpback whales and gray whales (Gulf of California and Pacific Ocean).

The benthic zone (deepest zone of the ocean) is an area with limitations of light and oxygen. Consequently, some coral species, aquatic plants and other little-known forms of life live in symbiosis there.

References

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