The Central American Atlantic moist forests span the Caribbean lowlands of southeastern Guatemala, the northern coast of Honduras, and roughly the eastern half of Nicaragua, with two small patches in Belize, stretching from Lake Izabal eastward. About half the ecoregion is closed-canopy tropical broadleaf evergreen forest, with the tallest trees reaching around 50 meters; characteristic lowland species include gumbo-limbo, crabwood, Spanish cedar, kapok, Spanish elm, mahogany, and Terminalia amazonia, while elfin forest with Clusia salvinii and Magnolia sororum caps the highest elevations near 1,000 meters. The climate is tropical monsoon, with every month averaging above 18 degrees Celsius, a pronounced dry season, and heavy annual rainfall. It is recognized as an Endemic Bird Area, home to restricted-range birds such as the snowy cotinga and streak-crowned antvireo alongside the margay, Geoffroy's spider monkey, and giant anteater, though deforestation ran just under one percent per year in the 1990s and only about 30 percent of the territory is protected. Among its natives, the fast-growing kapok is cultivated well beyond the region as a striking ornamental and shade tree, though its great size suits parks and open ground rather than small gardens.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 14.3°N, 85.6°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.4°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
34,662 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: