Sierra Madre Occidental Pine-oak Forests - Conservation and Threats

Conservation and Threats

The pine forests have been cleared by the logging and paper industries since the 1800s and only a very small percentage of original foest remains. This removal of habitat has resulted in the presumed extinction of the Imperial Woodpecker, once the largest woodpecker on earth. Areas prioritised for conservation include Bavispe/Sierra del Tigre and Copper Canyon, while the only protected area is La Michilía. There are a number of protected areas of Madrean sky islands in Arizona which are part of the ecoregion although not the Sierra Madre Occidental themselves, including Chiricahua National Monument, Galiuro Wilderness, the Rincon Mountain district of Saguaro National Park, the Huachuca Mountains, Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area, the Santa Teresa Mountains and the Pajarito Mountains.