The La Costa xeric shrublands (NT1309) is an ecoregion in Venezuela that stretches along the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

coast. The dry scrub and savanna has been subject to modification since the 16th century by European colonists who replaced it by a patchwork of farm fields and pasturage. Little of the original habitat remains.

Geography

Location

The La Costa xeric shrublands ecoregion extends along Venezuela's Caribbean coast, covering plains, hills and isolated mountains.

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

, the capital of Venezuela, lies partly in this ecoregion. It reaches from

Sucre Sucre (; ) is the ''de jure'' capital city of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the sixth most populous city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . This relatively high ...

state in the east to

Yaracuy Yaracuy (, ;) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela. Yaracuy is located in the Central-Western Region, Venezuela. It is bordered by Falcón State, Falcón in the north, in the west by Lara State, Lara, in the south by Portug ...

state in the west. The ecoregion includes areas of savanna, dry forest, moist forest, swamp and scrub. It has an area of . In the west the shrubland transitions into the Lara-Falcón dry forests ecoregion. The extreme west of the La Costa xeric shrublands merges into the

Paraguana xeric scrub The Paraguana xeric scrub (NT1313) is an ecoregion in Venezuela to the north and east of Lake Maracaibo and along the coast of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. The region holds flora and fauna adapted to the very dry conditions of the coastal dunes ...

just east of

Barquisimeto Barquisimeto (; ) is a city in Venezuela. Barquisimeto is located in the Central-Western Region, Venezuela. It is the capital of the state of Lara (state), Lara and head of Iribarren Municipality. It is an important urban, industrial, commercial a ...

. To the south the La Costa xeric shrublands transitions into the

Llanos The Llanos ( Spanish ''Los Llanos'', "The Plains"; ) is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, ...

. There are regions of

Cordillera de la Costa montane forests The Cordillera de la Costa montane forests is a montane ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, in the Venezuelan Coastal Range (''Cordillera de la Costa'') on the Caribbean Sea in northern Venezuela. Location The ...

along the Caribbean coastline. The coastal area in the east of the region is covered by

Araya and Paria xeric scrub The Araya and Paria xeric scrub (NT1301) is an ecoregion in Venezuela that stretches along the Caribbean coast to the west of Trinidad, and that includes Margarita Island and some smaller islands. The ecoregion includes dune herbs, dry thorn scrub ...

. In the extreme east the ecoregion transitions into

Orinoco Delta swamp forests The Orinoco Delta swamp forests (NT0147) is an ecoregion of eastern Venezuela and northern Guyana covering the large and shifting Orinoco Delta. The vegetation is mostly permanently flooded rainforest. The ecoregion is relatively intact apart fro ...

Terrain

The xeric shrublands are in the Coastal Cordillera geographical region. The shrublands, which blend into the Llanos grasslands to the south, surround the mountains of the

Venezuelan Coastal Range The Venezuelan Coastal Range ( or ), also known as Venezuelan Caribbean Mountain System (), is a mountain range system and one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela, that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coa ...

. Elevations rise from sea level to in the upper foothills of the mountains. Along the coast there are sandy beaches, mangroves, lagoons and hilly patches of moist forest.

Climate

Average annual temperature is around . Annual rainfall is . At a sample location at coordinates the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

is "Aw": equatorial, winter dry. At this location the mean temperature varies from in July to in April. Total yearly rainfall is about . Monthly rainfall varies from in March to in July.

Ecology

The ecoregion is in the

neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeogra ...

realm, in the

deserts and xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habitat ...

biome.

Flora

The lowest regions from above sea level are semi-arid and hold dense xerophytic scrub vegetation include thorny plants high, mostly from the

cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

, ''

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

'' and ''

Capparaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 15 genera and about 430 species. The largest genera are ''Capparis'' (about 1 ...

'' families. Species in the dense thorn forest include ''

Bourreria cumanensis ''Bourreria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as strongbark or strongback. The generic name was chosen by Patrick Browne to honour German pharmacist Johann Ambrosius Beur ...

'', ''

Caesalpinia coriaria ''Libidibia coriaria'', synonym ''Caesalpinia coriaria'', is a leguminous tree or large shrub native to the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and northern and western South America. Common names include divi-divi, cascalote, guaracabuya, guata ...

'', '' Caesalpinia vesicaria'', ''

Cereus hexagonus ''Cereus hexagonus'' or lady of the night cactus is a species of columnar cactus found in northern South America. Description ''Cereus hexagonus'' grows like a tree with erect shoots that branch out from near the base and can reach heights of gr ...

'', ''

Chloroleucon mangense ''Chloroleucon'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It contains 11 species native to the tropical Americas, ranging from Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and South America to northern Argentina. Some authorities ...

'', ''

Coccoloba ramosissima ''Coccoloba'' is a genus of 177 species of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae, which is native to the Neotropics. There is no overall English name for the genus, although many of the individual species have widely used common names. Ran ...

'', ''

Cynophalla hastata ''Morisonia hastata'' is a species of flowering plant in the caper family, Capparaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the fam ...

'', ''

Parkinsonia praecox ''Parkinsonia'' , also ''Cercidium'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas. The name of the genus honors English apothecary ...

'', ''

Pereskia guamacho ''Pereskia'' is a small genus of about four species of cactus, cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial Leaf, leaves and non-succulent Plant stem, stems. The genus is named after Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a ...

'', '' Piptadenia flava'', ''

Prosopis juliflora ''Neltuma juliflora '' (, ''Cuji'' in Venezuela, ''Trupillo'' in Colombia, ''Aippia'' in the Wayuunaiki language and long-thorn kiawe in Hawaii), formerly ''Prosopis juliflora'', is a shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae, a kind of mesquit ...

'', ''

Vachellia macracantha ''Vachellia macracantha'' is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. Its native range spans from southern Florida to South America. References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15545373, from2=Q9566669 Flora of Florida Flora of Central America Flora ...

'', ''

Vachellia tortuosa ''Vachellia tortuosa'', the twisted acacia , poponax or huisachillo, is a woody, leguminous thorn tree of the Caribbean, Florida, southern Texas, northeastern and central Mexico, and northern South America. It is found in tropical and desert habi ...

'', '' Xylosoma benthamii'' and species from the ''

Erythroxylum ''Erythroxylum'' is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Erythroxylaceae. Many of the approximately 200 species contain the tropane alkaloid cocaine,Bieri S, Brachet A, Veuthey J, Christen P. Cocaine distribution in wild Erythroxyl ...

'', ''

Jacquinia ''Jacquinia'' is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees in the family Primulaceae, native to Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was established by Linnaeus in 1760 and named by him in honor of Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin Nikolaus J ...

'' and ''

Mimosa ''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 600 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. Species are native to the Americas, from North Dakota to northern Argentina, and to eastern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, and ...

'' genera. There are savannas with tall grasses, shrubs and palms throughout the region, with plants such as '' Axonopus aureus'', '' Borreria aristeguietana'', ''

Bowdichia virgilioides ''Bowdichia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the sub ...

'', ''

Byrsonima crassifolia ''Byrsonima crassifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Malpighiaceae, native to tropical America. Common names used in English include nance, maricao cimun, craboo, and golden spoon. In Jamaica it is called hogberry. The plan ...

'', '' Casearia sylvestris'', ''

Cochlospermum vitifolium ''Cochlospermum vitifolium'' or ''rosa amarilla'' is a tree belonging to the family Bixaceae. It reaches up to in height and its leaves are deciduous. Its flowers are showy, yellow, solitary, and large, up to across. They resemble roses but do ...

'', ''

Copaifera officinalis ''Copaifera officinalis'', the copaiba balsam, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to Bolivia, Brazil, and Venezuela. It has been introduced to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Sierra Leone, India, and ...

'', ''

Curatella americana ''Curatella americana'', commonly known as the wild cashew tree, sambaı́ba, and the sandpaper tree, is a species of tree in the family Dilleniaceae. It is the sole accepted species in genus ''Curatella''. Description ''Curatella americana'' i ...

'', ''

Godmania aesculifolia ''Godmania aesculifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae () is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Ver ...

'', '' Leptocoryphium lanatum'', ''

Polycarpaea corymbosa ''Polycarpaea'' is a genus of plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. It contains 79 species native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa and Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, southern China, Taiwan, the Phili ...

'', '' Stilpnopappus pittieri'', ''

Trachypogon plumosus ''Trachypogon'' is a small genus of African and Latin American plants in the Poaceae, grass family. Crinkleawn grass is a common name for plants in this genus. ; Species * ''Trachypogon chevalieri'' (Stapf) Jacq.-Fél. – western and central Af ...

'', '' Vochysia venezolana'' and species of the ''

Andropogon ''Andropogon'' (common names: beard grass, bluestem grass, broomsedge) is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as Southern Europe and various oceanic islands. Over 100 speci ...

'', ''

Bulbostylis ''Bulbostylis'' is a genus of plants in the Cyperaceae, sedge family. They are sometimes called hairsedges. There are over 200 species of these clump-forming plants of dry grasslands and warm and tropical savannas worldwide. They have solid, rou ...

'', ''

Panicum ''Panicum'' (panicgrass) is a large genus of about 250 species of Poaceae, grasses native throughout the tropical regions of the world, with a few species extending into the northern temperate zone. They are often large, Annual plant, annual or P ...

'' and ''

Rhynchospora ''Rhynchospora'' (beak-rush or beak-sedge) is a genus of about 400 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes both annual and perennial species, mostly with erect 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves. The achenes bear a ...

'' genera. The west of the region has herbaceous savannas that include ''

Axonopus canescens ''Axonopus'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, known generally as carpet grass. They are native primarily to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas with one species in tropical Africa and another on Easter Island. They are ...

'', ''

'', '' Leptocoryphium lanatum'', '' Trachypogon plumus'' and ''

Paspalum ''Paspalum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The group is widespread across much of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Commonly known as paspalum, bahiagrasses, crowngrasses or dallis grasses, many of the species are tall per ...

'' species. '' Borreria aristeguietana'' and '' Stilpnopappus pittieri'' are endemic to the ecoregion.

Fauna

Endemic mammals found in this and other dry forest ecoregions in Colombia and Venezuela include the Guajira mouse opossum (''Marmosa xerophila'') and

Hummelinck's vesper mouse Hummelinck's vesper mouse (''Calomys hummelincki'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Aruba, Brazil, Colombia, the Netherlands Antilles, and Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezue ...

(''Calomys hummelincki''). Endemic birds include the

yellow-shouldered amazon The yellow-shouldered amazon (''Amazona barbadensis''), also known as the yellow-shouldered parrot, is a parrot of the genus '' Amazona'' that is found in the arid areas of northern Venezuela, the Venezuelan islands of Margarita and La Blanquill ...

(''Amazona barbadensis''),

Maracaibo tody-flycatcher The Maracaibo tody-flycatcher (''Todirostrum viridanum''), also known as the short-tailed tody-flycatcher,Walther, B. and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Maracaibo Tody-Flycatcher (''Todirostrum viridanum''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Ho ...

(''Todirostrum viridanum''),

pygmy palm swift The pygmy palm swift (''Tachornis furcata''), also known as the pygmy swift, is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Bi ...

(''Tachornis furcata''),

buffy hummingbird The buffy hummingbird (''Leucippus fallax'') is a species of bird in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Leucippus''. This bird lives in dry forest and scrubland in northern South America where it feed ...

(''Leucippus fallax''), chestnut piculet (''Picumnus cinnamomeus''), white-whiskered spinetail (''Synallaxis candei''), black-backed antshrike (''Thamnophilus melanonotus''), slender-billed inezia (''Inezia tenuirostris''), Tocuyo sparrow (''Arremonops tocuyensis'') and

vermilion cardinal The vermilion cardinal (''Cardinalis phoeniceus'') is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The vermilion cardinal is monotypic. It an ...

(''Cardinalis phoeniceus''). Endangered birds include the rusty-flanked crake (''Laterallus levraudi''),

plain-flanked rail The plain-flanked rail (''Rallus wetmorei'') is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is endemic to Venezuela.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of ...

(''Rallus wetmorei'') and

red siskin The red siskin (''Spinus cucullatus'') is a small endangered finch. Distribution It is native to tropical South America - in northern Colombia, northern Venezuela (where it is called the "cardenalito") and Guyana. It was common in the early 20 ...

(''Spinus cucullatus'').

Status

The

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...

gives the ecoregion the status of "Critical/Endangered". There is a large human population that dates back to 16th century colonists from Europe. Most of the natural habitat has been destroyed, particularly in the lower areas, replaced by a patchwork of towns, farm fields and pastures. A few areas of natural savanna and thorn forest remain. The

El Ávila National Park The Ávila National Park, officially known as Waraira Repano National Park for its indigenous Island Caribs, Cariban name, protects part of the Cordillera de la Costa Central mountain range, in the coastal region of central-northern Venezuela. T ...

and

San Esteban National Park The San Esteban National Park (in Spanish Parque Nacional San Esteban) is located in Carabobo, Venezuela. The park lies on the Northeastern part of Carabobo and it links with the Henri Pittier National Park of Aragua (state), Aragua. Both are ...

hold small areas of xeric shrubland. Other protected areas include the

Mochima National Park Mochima National Park ( ) is located in the States of Anzoátegui and Sucre, on the northeastern coast of Venezuela. The park covers 94,935 hectares and is made up of an exclusively marine area in its western sector (Anzoátegui State), a coastal ...

and the

Henri Pittier National Park Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest national park in Venezuela, originally created in 1937 under the name of ''Rancho Grande'' by decree of President Eleazar López Contreras. In 1953 the park was renamed in honor of Henri Pittier, a distin ...

Notes

Sources

* * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:La Costa xeric shrublands Neotropical ecoregions Ecoregions of Venezuela Deserts and xeric shrublands