Los Mármoles National Park is a special area that is protected to keep its natural beauty. It is located in the western part of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, which is in northern Hidalgo, Mexico.
Geography
The national park covers an area of 231.5 square kilometers. It is located in the municipality of Zimapán, northeast of the town.
The park is situated between the Sierra Gorda and the Sierra de Pachuca. It is part of a mountain chain that runs from north to south, located to the west of the main Sierra Madre mountain range. The highest point in the park is Cerro Cangando, which reaches an elevation of 3,000 meters. The lowest areas are found in Barranca San Vicente, a ravine that drops to 600 meters and flows into the Moctezuma River.
The climate is temperate subhumid in most parts of the park and semiwarm subhumid at lower elevations. Summer is the rainy season, with average yearly rainfall ranging from 1,500 mm to 450 mm in the driest areas. The park is mostly in the rain shadow of the Sierra Madre Oriental.
Flora and fauna
The park has several main plant communities, including pine forest, oak forest, pine–oak forest, juniper forest, woodland, and dry scrubland. Oak forests are found at mid-elevations, and the most common species are Quercus crassifolia, Quercus laeta, Quercus mexicana, and Quercus affinis. Pine forests have two main types: one includes Pinus cembroides and Juniperus deppeana, and the other includes Pinus greggii, Pinus teocote, Pinus patula, and Pinus pseudostrobus. Dry scrubland is located in low ravines, and common plants there include Acacia berlandieri, Caesalpinia mexicana, Dalea bicolor, Karwinskia humboldtiana, Mimosa aculeaticarpa, and Senna racemosa.
There are 18 native oak species in the park, and the most common are Quercus affinis, Quercus crassifolia, Quercus laeta, and Quercus mexicana.
The park is home to 11 bat species and is an important place for protecting bats in Mexico. These species include the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), Aztec fruit-eating bat (Dermanura azteca), lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), California myotis (Myotis californicus), southwestern myotis (Myotis auriculus), hoary bat (Aeorestes cinereus), and desert red bat (Lasiurus blossevillii). Other native mammals include the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus). Native birds include the white-eared hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis). Native reptiles include the lagarto alicante del Popocatepetl (Barisia imbricata) and the spiny lizard (Sceloporus minor).