SIERRA MADRE DE CHIAPAS: CHARACTERISTICS, FLORA, FAUNA, CLIMATE - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is a mountain chain that is located in southern Mexico, which also shares some locations with Guatemala, El Salvador and small parts of the territories of Honduras.

This mountain range is known worldwide for its wide range in terms of the biodiversity of its lands, as well as being one of the most important areas of coffee production in Mexico. The latter makes this region an area of ​​great economic relevance for the country.

Sumidero Canyon, Chiapas. Srplattano, from Wikimedia Commons The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is also distinguished for being a notable source of water resources for urban centers and some neighboring towns. In turn, its geography allows agricultural activity and provides shade for coffee plantations, since protected areas - those that cannot be worked - do not constitute the majority of the sierra.

Within this mountain range there are approximately 27,000 inhabitants; For this reason, associations such as Conservation International (CI) have decided to work together with the private sector and government agencies to participate in the conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and the developed population in this region.

These organizations are responsible for formulating policies that specify how the resources and land of the Sierra Madre should be used. CI's work focused on the protection of fauna and flora, so it was necessary to encourage the inhabitants of the region to guide the conservation process according to their culture.

One of the measures implemented to protect the ecosystem was to promote a coffee crop that was friendly to nature, without altering the forest covers. In order to carry out these actions, new searches had to be carried out within the national and international markets, in order to improve the prices of this coffee.

This conservation work in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas is important, since it has been shown that the maintenance of healthy ecosystems also contributes to human well-being, since it implies that there will be a constant income of food and drinking water, helping the neediest populations.

Training

The Sierra Madre de Chiapas was formed at the end of the Mesozoic era, also called the Secondary era, which began about 251 million years ago and lasted up to 66 million years; this era is known zoologically for being the period corresponding to that of the dinosaurs.

The mountain range specifically belongs to the late Cretaceous period, when the continents were already separated and had a shape similar to what can be seen today. Likewise, during this period the species of birds and mammals diversified, as well as flowers and plants expanded.

The formation of this mountain range was due to the subduction of one of the tectonic plates under another: the Cocos Plate and the Caribbean Plate. A subduction consists of a process of sinking an oceanic strip of a plate under the edge of another plate.

This phenomenon, which can be defined as a kind of push of the blocks, brings as a consequence a wave of constant earthquakes and volcanic explosions; finally, subduction contributes to the formation of mountainous areas.

General characteristics

The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is located mainly in the Mexican state that gives it its name, Chiapas, which is characterized by being constituted within a complex relief, consisting mainly of sedimentary rocks (mostly limestone) and alluvial deposits.

This territory also suffers from the phenomenon of heatwave, which means that there is a considerable decrease in rainfall during the months of July and August.

Chiapas also generally consists of good soils, mostly quite fertile due to its deep and alluvial character; however, in some areas there are stony soils.

Vegetation and hydrography of the Chiapas area

In general, the vegetation of this territory is classified as low deciduous forest, which means that it is a dense or semi-dense vegetation of trees that consists of climates composed of brief rainy seasons and prolonged dry seasons.

This type of forest is also known by the name of dry forest; in turn, the leaves of these trees are characterized by being wide.

Regarding its hydrography, it can be established that the hydrological resources of this region are quite abundant, since they constitute 30% of all those found in Mexico.

There are two main slopes, which are divided by the Sierra Madre: one is the Pacific, characterized by its annual floods; the other is the Atlantic, which drains into rivers.

The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is the largest mountain range in Central America, since it extends through a wide mountain system that extends to the northwest and southwest for more than 600 km.

A curious fact is that most of the volcanoes located in Guatemala belong to this mountain range, which reach 4000 meters above sea level.

Flora and fauna

According to the researchers, in the area corresponding to the Sierra Madre de Chiapas there are about 1500 species of vertebrates, made up of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, these being accompanied by more than 10,000 different types of plants.

Among these species there are a large number of endemic creatures, which means that their existence and development is only possible within a particular habitat, with a specific type of climatic conditions.

Fauna

In this vast territory you can find animals such as crocodiles -among them the swamp crocodile, endemic to this region-, boas, wild boars, water birds, monkeys, toucans, turtles and the famous jaguar.

The latter is considered the largest feline in the American continent, which has inspired countless legends and stories within the indigenous imagination.

You can also find valuable specimens such as the harpy eagle, this being one of the largest birds in the world. Another of the birds that can be found within this sector is the Platalea ajaja, whose strange name is as unique as its pink appearance.

Swamp crocodile or Crocodylus moreletii

In general, the male crocodile is larger than its female counterpart; this fact is known as sexual dimorphism. It has a very wide snout and can have between 66 and 68 teeth.

Harpy Eagle or Harpia harpyja

This enormous bird is the only species in the genus harpy, which gives it considerable value within the zoological classification. It lives mainly in the neotropical zone, which is why it can be found in the Chiapas region.

It is considered the most powerful bird of prey. The female is larger than the male, reaching 200 cm in wingspan.

Platalea ajaja or roseate spoonbill

This particular species is considered one of the most beautiful and strange birds. It is a relative of herons and has a long, flattened beak, similar to the shape of a spoon, which it uses to filter food in rivers and lakes.

It is characterized by being a large bird, reaching 71 cm in height. Its body is almost entirely pink, while its head is yellowish-green.

Flora

Regarding its flora, the Chiapas region -as in much of the Sierra Madre- has 3000 plant species.

These specimens include red cedar, peanut, mahogany, cypress, ash, laurel, grasslands, pine, lichens, oak, and mulatto wood, among others. In this area, mezcal or mahogany trees can reach up to 80 meters high.

Mahogany trees or Swietenia macrophylla

Mahogany is a wood that has a characteristic reddish color. It is known for being one of the preferred woods when carrying out carpentry work since, as a manufacturing material, it is of excellent quality and category.

It can be found in these areas of the sierra, in the Amazon forest of Brazil and in Honduras.

Ash or Fraxinus trees

The fraxinus (commonly known as ash) is a tree species belonging to the oleaceae, of which between 45 and 65 subspecies have been cataloged. These trees are usually of regular or large size, whose leaf type is deciduous.

Ash trees are currently in serious danger due to a beetle that was accidentally introduced from the Asian continent. This insect is xylophagous and has multiplied massively, threatening the lives of seven billion ash trees. Despite this difficulty, actions are being taken to control the situation.

Weather

The climate of the region is characterized by being mostly humid, despite the fact that the sierra consists of a type of dry forest. Generally, the temperature of the region remains between 18 and 22 ° C. In the higher altitude parts, the temperature is quite low in comparison, being between 12 and 18 ° C.

In other words, it is difficult to establish an exact temperature for this area, since the climate undergoes severe modifications due to its varied relief. In the mountains you can perceive 4 groups of climate depending on the season and altitude: cold, temperate, semi-warm and warm.

Relief

The highest altitudes in the region have been recorded in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. The Tacana volcano is the one with the highest elevation, since it consists of about 4093 meters above sea level. Its relief is usually rugged because it has steep slopes.

Although its soils are thin, there is a great diversity within the vegetation due to the variation in its climate and its height.

Given the wide extension of the mountain range and its diverse geographical features, it is possible to find many dissimilar species there that adapt to the specific conditions of each area.

The Sierra Madre is considered a very vulnerable area to different disasters or natural phenomena, such as fires, earthquakes, tropical storms, landslides and cyclones. This results in a negative impact and great risk to the ecosystem, putting the towns that inhabit the region at risk.

Gastronomy

Thanks to the wide biodiversity that is manifested in this region, the dishes of the Sierra de Chiapas area are usually just as varied.

For example, some of the most popular dishes are iguana tamales, stewed armadillo, turtle with chicken, black beans along with roast beef, shuti broth, chipilin broth, mole turtle and some combinations of seafood and fish.

Iguana tamales

This dish has a very ancient origin and stands out for being one of the main dishes on the Easter menu.

The ingredients it contains are: corn dough, meat and iguana eggs - given that this species is spawning just at that time - and mole or sauce made with pumpkin seeds.

Shuti broth

A type of snail that is commonly found in rivers and streams is called "shuti". The shuti is characterized by having a black shell and by its various ways of preparing it; One of the most common is to cook it together with tomatoes, onions, chamborote peppers and butter or oil to taste.

Stewed armadillo

In many places it is customary to eat armadillos; The Chiapas region is one of the places where this dish is most consumed.

It is usually accompanied by condiments such as coriander, garlic, guajillo chili, onion and achiote. In order to cook it, it is necessary to remove the shell and remove the viscera, and then wash it several times with plenty of lemon juice.

References

1. Rodríguez, R. (sf) Towards a Regional Strategy for the conservation of biodiversity in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. Retrieved on November 28, 2018 from Pro natura sur: pronatura-sur.org
2. Monterrosa, A. (2009) Resilience and vulnerability in the basins of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico. Retrieved on November 28, 2018 from SIDALC: sidalc.net
3. Peña, J. (2000) Socioeconomic determinants of labor migration: the case of the indigenous Mam of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico. Retrieved on November 28, 2018 from Scielo: scielo.org.mx
4. Rzedowski, J. (1991) Endemism in the Mexican phanerogamic flora: a preliminary analytical appreciation. Retrieved on November 28, 2018 from Inecol: abm.ojs.inecol.mx
5. Waibel, L. (1998) The Sierra Madre de Chiapas. Retrieved Nov 28. of 18 from Scielo: scielo.org.mx
6. Roseate Spoonbill. Retrieved on November 28, 2018 from Red List: iucnredlist.org.