Flora
The original habitats of the Sierra Madre Occidental included forest of pines and Douglas-firs at the higher elevations with oak-wooded grassland on the lower slopes. The pines and oaks are especially important as there are so many different species of each including a number of endemics. Predominant conifers among the 27 species found here include Apache Pine (Pinus engelmannii), Chihuahua Pine (Pinus leiophylla), Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides), Lumholtz's Pine (Pinus lumholtzii), Yécora Pine (Pinus yecorensis), Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca), and Mexican Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga lindleyana).
Oaks (Quercus) are the dominant broadleaf trees, with 21 different species found including Quercus albocincta, Arizona oak (Q. arizonica) Q. carmenensis, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. cordifolia, Q. durifolia, Emory Oak (Q. emoryi), Q. grisea, Mexican blue oak (Q. oblongifolia), Q. santaclarensis, and Q. tarahumara. Madroño (Arbutus xalapensis and A. arizonica) is found in association with oaks. Q. carmenensis and Q. deliquescens are two oaks endemic to the sky islands portion of the ecoregion.
Read more about this topic: Sierra Madre Occidental Pine-oak Forests
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