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Botanical explorations on the Cofre de Perote Mountain

From Humboldt to the present, Cofre de Perote Mountain has attracted explorers and botanists. My research seeks to answer: Who has explored and described the vegetation of the Cofre de Perote Mt.? Which native plants are distinctive to this area? Which are well represented in botanical collections? I've also been part of continuous expeditions in search of unknown populations of narrow endemic, endangered or not described species.

Now, with Humboldtian eyes, scroll down and journey through the vegetation belts of Cofre de Perote—from alpine landscapes at 4,200 masl to the Gulf of Mexico coast.

Top of the Cofre de Perote Mountain
4,250 masl

Calamagrostis schiedeana (Poaceae)
Alpine vegetation
4,000 - 4,250 masl

Cirsium nivale (Asteraceae)
Alpine vegetation
4,000 - 4,250 masl

Alpine vegetation
4,000-4,250 masl

Draba nivicola (Brassicaceae)
Alpine vegetation
4,000 - 4,250 masl

Juniperus monticola (Cupressaceae)
Alpine vegetation
4,000 - 4,250 masl

Eryngium proteiflorum (Apiaceae)
Pine forest
3,500 - 4,000 masl

“Nowhere can you better see the admirable order with which the different types of vegetation follow each other, one above the other, than traveling from the coast of Veracruz towards the Plateau of Perote”
— A. Von Humboldt, 1966.

Calandrinia acaulis (Montiaceae)
Alpine vegetation
4,000 - 4,250 masl

Berberis alpina (Berberidaceae)
Alpine vegetation
4,000 - 4,250 masl

Pinus hartwegii (Pinaceae) and the shrub Juniperus monticola (Cupressaceae)
Treeline forest
3,500 - 4,000 masl

Sedum obcordatum (Crassulaceae)
Alpine and Pine forest
4,200 - 3,000 masl

Beschorneria yuccoides (Asparagaceae)
Pine and Fir forest
3,000 - 4,000 masl

Castilleja tenuiflora (Orobanchaceae)
Pine and Fir forest
3,000 - 4,000 masl

Monotropa hypopitys (Ericaceae)
Fir forest
3,000 - 3,500 masl

Abies religiosa (Pinaceae)
Fir forest
3,000 - 3,500 masl

Lupinus montanus (Fabaceae)
Pine and Fir forest
3,000 - 4,000 masl

Alnus jorullensis (Betulaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest
2,800 - 3,100 masl

Rubus trilobus (Rosaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest
2,800 - 3,100 masl

Salix paradoxa (Salicaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest
2,800 - 3,100 masl

Quercus rugosa (Fagaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest
2,800 - 3,100 masl

Tree density, richness, and basal area at the Cofre de Perote National Park (Mexico

Mixed coniferous forest
2,800 - 3,100 masl

Miguel Chazaro & Hector Narave (2011), prestigious botanists and conservationists who have focused much of their work on the Cofre de Perote Mtn.

Alnus acuminata (Betulaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest and cloud forest
1,800 - 2,800 masl

Arbutus xalapensis (Ericaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest and cloud forest
1,800 - 3,200 masl

Cloud forest
1,600 - 2,800 masl

Cloud forest
Lots of deforestation in the mountain though…

Cloud forest
Water, the most valuable resource communities obtain from the mountain

Taxus globosa (Taxaceae)
Mixed coniferous forest and cloud forest
2,400 - 2,900 masl

Eugenia naraveana (Myrtaceae)
Cloud forest
2,000 - 2,600 masl

Tillandsia macrochlamys (Bromeliaceae)
Cloud forest
2,300 - 2,800 masl

Cloud forest
1,600 - 2,800 masl

Juglans pyriformis (Juglandaceae) nuts
Cloud forest
1,500 - 2,000 masl

Heliocarpus appendiculatus (Malvaceae) seeds Secondary cloud forest 1,200 - 2,100 masl

Heliocarpus appendiculatus (Malvaceae) seeds
Secondary cloud forest
1,200 - 2,100 masl

Tillandsia ionantha (Bromeliaceae)
Cloud forest and Middle altitude oak grove
1,000 - 1,600 masl

Dioon edule (Zamiaceae)
Dry tropical forest and coastal oak forest
100 - 1,000 masl

Sideroxylon contrerasii (Sapotaceae) fruits
Cloud forest
1,600 - 2,500 masl

Clusia sp. (Clusiaceae)
Cloud forest
1,600 - 2,500 masl

Oreomunnea mexicana (Juglandaceae) bark
Cloud forest
1,700 - 2,000 masl

Ficus aurea (Moraceae)
Cloud forest to coastal vegetation
10 - 2,300 masl

Cirsium mexicanum (Asteraceae)
Cloud forest and Middle altitude oak grove
1,000 - 1,600 masl

Tropical dry forest
100 - 1,000 masl

Bursera simaruba (Burseraceae)
Tropical dry forest
100 - 1,000 masl

Pachycereus sp. (Cactaceae)
Tropical dry forest
600 - 800 masl

Cochlospermum vitifolium (Bixaceae)
Tropical dry forest
100 - 800 masl

Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae)
Tropical dry forest
100 - 800 masl

Sedum jarocho (Crassulaceae)
Tropical dry forest
600 - 800 masl

Agave pendula (Asparagaceae) on rocks
Tropical dry forest
600 - 800 masl

Opuntia stricta (Cactaceae)
Tropical dry forest and dune vegetation
10 - 800 masl

Coastal wetlands
50-0 masl

Sabal mexicana (Areacaceae)
Coastal wetlands
50-0 masl

Nymphaea ampla (Nymphaeaceae)
Coastal wetlands
50-0 masl

Guilandina bonduc (Fabaceae)
Dune vegetation
10 - 0 masl

Agave angustifolia (Asparagaceae)
Dune vegetation
10 - 0 masl

Rhizophora mangle (Rhizophorceae)
Coastal wetlands
50-0 masl

Randia laetevirens (Rubiaceae)
Dune vegetation
10 - 0 masl

Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae)
Dune vegetation
10 - 0 masl

Batis maritima (Bataceae)
Dune vegetation
10 - 0 masl

Dune vegetation & Seagrass meadows
0 masl