The Southern Pacific dry forests stretch along the Pacific coastal lowlands and foothills of southern Mexico, across the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, climbing from sea level to about 1,400 meters with the Balsas River marking the ecoregion's western edge. This is tropical dry deciduous forest, where most trees shed their leaves during the winter dry season; characteristic plants include the copal trees Bursera excelsa, the hardwood Lysiloma divaricatum, and Ceiba aesculifolia, which can reach 25 meters. The climate is tropical and dry, with most areas receiving around 800 millimeters of rain a year that falls mainly in summer after a long dry season. The region is botanically exceptional, holding more endemic species of Acacia, Ipomoea, and Euphorbia than anywhere else in Mexico, and it ranks as the richest area for spiders in the country; despite this, it is considered critical or endangered, with only roughly a tenth of it protected. Gardeners may recognize natives such as frangipani (Plumeria rubra) among its flora.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 16.6°N, 97.4°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
12a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
12a-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
16,378 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
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
Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's CHELSA-derived current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.
Climate-resilient picks · 4
These plants fit this ecoregion today AND remain in range under the mid-century SSP3-7.0 projection. Lead with these for a planting that holds up as the climate shifts.
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: