| Weather
Along
with geological evolution there was another natural phenomenum that created
these mountains singular characteristics. There
are two existing environments: the plateau and the mountain (also
called Alta Tarahumara), and at the bottom of the canyons (also called
Baja Tarahumara). With altitudes over 7500 feet above sea level,
this region presents a climate variation that ranges from moderate to cold.
During
winter the presence of some rain and ocassionally abundant snow, provides
the mountain of a great white splendor, having in extreme cases -4°
F, while during the summer, it presents constant rain transforming the
plateau arid landscape and canyons into a great green with multicolored
tones, with the allowance of 68° F.
At
the bottom of the canyon, the climate is subtropical, and winter is nicer
than on the plateau, thanks to a constantly cloudy sky with an average
of the 62°F. During winter, the temperature ranges between 95°F
and had registered sometimes 111°F. In season, the developing
the vegetation´s splendor. Summertime in the Tarahumara
is fresher than in other parts of the Chihuahua territory, where the heat
sometimes hits without mercy.
Biodiversity
Nature
has given this region, a great variety of species of flora and fauna, lots
of them endemic, (those which can only be found in the area) as a consequience
of the topographic and climate conditions.
The
Sierra Tarahumara is covered with coniferous, with species such Pinus ponderosa
and Picea chihuahuana. It is easy to find the red twisted trunk
of the Madroño (Arbustus arizonica) contrasting with some variety
of oak (Quercus spp.), along with other plants, bushes and cactus which
have been used by the Raramuris as source of food and medicine. There
is a succession of vegetable communities from the mid part the Sierra to
the canyons depth, proliferating spiny bushes and agaves (Agave lechuguilla)
and some other cactaceous such as the sotol (Desylirion wheeleri).
Humid zones are conformed by species such ceibas (Ceiba sp.) reed-grass
(Otate bamboo) and burseras (Bursera spp) along with many others.
The
Tarahumara has fauna that live in hot and template habitat. Almost
30% of the land mamiferous species registered in Mexico can be located
in the Sierra Madre. It stands out the black bear (Ursus americanus),
the mountain lion (Felis concolor), the otter (Lutra canadensis), the whitetail
deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)
considered an endangered species. Concerning birds, there are
290 registered species, 24 of them are endemic and 10 are in danger of
extinction. The military wacaw (Ara militaris), the thick billed
parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) and the eared trogon (Euptilotis noxenus).
On the most far away places from human inhabitants, you can still see the
solitary flight of golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the peregrine falcon
(Falco peregrinus). During winter, the migratory birds visit
this land, specialy geese and ducks, that fly away from Canada and the
U.S. severe cold.
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