The Sierra de los Tuxtlas moist forests cover an isolated volcanic massif along the southeastern Gulf coast of Veracruz, Mexico, formed by a compound of seven volcanoes including the San Martin Tuxtla and Santa Marta peaks, which rise above 1,700 meters. This is the largest and northernmost intact tract of tropical moist broadleaf forest in Mexico, and its vegetation shifts with elevation: lower slopes hold kapok, fig trees (Ficus yoponensis and F. tecolutensis), and palms, mid-elevations are dominated by Nectandra lundellii, and higher ground carries shorter trees such as Juglans olanchana and Mexican elm. The climate is tropical with heavy summer rains, on the order of 4,700 mm per year. Standing at a crossroads of Neotropical and Nearctic influences, the region is exceptionally rich, with roughly 940 plant species and several endemics such as the critically endangered Veracruz pygmy salamander, and much of it is now protected within the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, though the surrounding forest remains highly fragmented. For gardeners, its native palms and figs are a reminder of the warm, humid lowland-tropical conditions these plants favor.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 18.3°N, 95.0°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: +3.2°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
1,506 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: