Sierra de Tamaulipas
The Sierra de Tamaulipas is an isolated, semi-tropical mountain range in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Its highest point is 4,134 feet (1,260 mts). There are no cities or towns in the Sierra and the small population is largely agricultural. The higher elevations of the Sierra have forests of oak and pine, contrasting with the semi-arid brush that dominates at lower altitudes. Several archaeological sites establish that the Sierra de Tamaulipas was the northern outpost of the agricultural Mesoamerican peoples of eastern Mexico
The Sierra de Tamaulipas is about 70 miles (110 km) north to south and 40 miles (64 km) east to west at its widest point in the southern part of the range. It covers a total area of 1,289 square miles (3,340 km2). The Sierra is located between 23 and 24 north latitude and 98 and 99 west longitude. Elevation ranges from 1,000 feet (300 m) to 4,134 feet (1,260 m).
The Sierra de Tamaulipas has the characteristics of a Sky island—isolated from the Sierra Madre Oriental and rising high enough to have cooler and wetter conditions than the adjacent land at lower elevations. The area surrounding the Sierra at elevations below 1,000 feet (300 m) is vegetated primarily by a tropical thorn forest (Tamaulipan mezquital). The Sierra, with higher rainfall and lower temperatures, has three major vegetation types. Tropical deciduous forest (Veracruz moist forests) is found at elevations of 1,000 to 2,300 feet (300 to 700 m). The average height of this closed-canopy forest is about 25 feet (7.6 m). Montane scrub is found in dry areas between 2,000 and 2,900 feet (610 and 880 m) elevation. This vegetation type consists of low thickets and savanna. Huisache is a common shrub. Pine-oak forests found at elevations of greater than 2,600 feet (790 m) are an island of temperate forest in the ecoregion of Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests. In areas undisturbed by agriculture and logging, vegetation at the higher altitudes can be luxuriant with many ferns.
In the southeastern part of the Sierra in the municipality of Aldama, Tamaulipas is a limestone karst area in which many caves and cenotes (water-filled sinkholes) are found, including Zacatón which is the deepest sinkhole in the world with a depth of 1,112 feet (339 m). In 1994, cave-diving pioneer Sheck Exley died attempting to dive to the bottom of Zacatón.
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