Sierra de Huautla: Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)

Sierra de Huautla: Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)

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The Sierra de Huautla is a mountain range in south-central Mexico. The Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve is located in the Balsas River basin. Its rough topology contains a broad representation of ecosystems constituting a rich reservoir of species endemic to Mexico.

Sierra de Huautla

The Sierra de Huautla is a mountain range in south-central Mexico, a southern extension of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt range that extends into the Balsas River basin.

Its rough topology varies from 700 to 2,240 m (2,297 to 7,349 ft) in elevation and contains a broad representation of ecosystems that constitute a rich reservoir of species endemic to Mexico.

Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve

The Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve is located in the Balsas River basin. Established in 2006, it covers 59,031 ha (145,869 acres) in the municipalities of Amacuzac, Tlaquiltenango, Tepalcingo, Jojutla, and Puente de Ixtla.

The broad range of ecosystems in the Biosphere Reserve includes low deciduous forests, gallery vegetation, and pine-oak forests.

The low deciduous forests harbor a high percentage of life forms exclusive to Mexico, and the number of endemic species is higher than in other vegetation types.

Various species of wildlife endemic to the Balsas basin, Mesoamerica, and Mexico are represented in the Sierra de Huautle Biosphere Reserve: seven species of mammals, 34 species of birds, 28 species of reptiles, and six species of amphibians.

Flora and Fauna

Nine hundred and thirty-nine species of native vascular plants have been recorded out of the 3,345 reported for the State of Morelos.

Representative species include: Tepehuaje (Lysiloma acapulcense), Guayacán (Conzattia multiflora), (Lysiloma divaricata), (Quercus glaucoides), (Quercus conspersa), Espino, huizache (Acacia constricta var. farnesiana), Borreguilla (Acacia cochliacantha), Espino (Mimosa polyantha), and Mesquite (Prosopis laevigata).

Seventy-one species of mammals, 208 species of birds, 53 species of reptiles, 18 species of amphibians, and 14 species of fish have been recorded.

Species of fauna present include the Short-horned Baronia butterfly (Baronia brevicornis brevicornis), the Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum), the Military Macaw (Ara militaris), the Rufus-backed Robin (Turdus rufopalliatus), the Balsas Screech-Owl (Otus seductus), the Pileated Flycatcher (Xenotriccus mexicanus), the Puma (Puma concolor), the Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), the Margay (Leopardus wiedii), the Bobcat (Linx rufus), and the Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi).

Relict populations of 44 species of butterflies, representative of a warm, humid region, are found in the Biosphere Reserve.