The Lara-Falcón dry forests stretch inland from the Caribbean coast across the Lara and Falcón states of northwestern Venezuela, occupying mountains, valleys, and plains south of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Vegetation is adapted to aridity, grading from dense drought-deciduous lowland woodland to thorn forest studded with cacti, mesquite, and spiny shrubs, with characteristic genera including Handroanthus, mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), columnar and prickly-pear cacti (Stenocereus griseus and Opuntia), divi-divi (Caesalpinia coriaria), and sweet acacia (Vachellia farnesiana). The climate is warm and dry, with mean temperatures around 27 to 28 degrees Celsius and annual rainfall ranging from roughly 300 to 1,000 millimeters concentrated in the summer months. Endemism is notable, with the single endemic plant Apoplanesia cryptantha confined to eastern deciduous woodlands and the vulnerable yellow-shouldered amazon among the distinctive birds, though illegal collection for the pet trade and extensive conversion to farmland and pasture leave the ecoregion under-protected and heavily degraded. Gardeners in hot, dry climates may recognize several drought-tolerant natives from here, including Opuntia, mesquite, and the ornamental divi-divi.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 10.9°N, 69.2°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.1°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 Dry Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
6,538 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome
Tropical forests that pass through a pronounced dry season, when many trees drop their leaves to conserve water. They hold high biodiversity but are among the most threatened tropical habitats, sensitive to fire and to clearing for agriculture.
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 dry broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: