The Pantanos de Centla ecoregion is an expansive tropical wetland in southern Mexico, occupying the delta of the Usumacinta and Grijalva rivers where they empty into the Gulf of Mexico across the states of Tabasco, Campeche, and Chiapas. Its mosaic of seasonally flooded forests, freshwater swamp forests, and marshlands gives way to semi-evergreen forest where kapok rises in the upper canopy alongside mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and cedar (Cedrela odorata), with orchids, bromeliads, and ferns common throughout. The climate is hot and humid year-round, averaging about 26°C, with abundant rains concentrated in the summer months. The region is one of the last strongholds of the critically endangered Central American river turtle, its flagship species, and its core wetlands have been safeguarded as the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve since 1992 and recognized as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. For gardeners, native ornamentals here include the epiphytic orchids and bromeliads of its humid canopy.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 18.1°N, 92.3°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: +3.2°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
6,643 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Recover (Dinerstein NNH 3)
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: