Lara-Falcón dry forests

Lara-Falcón dry forests (NT0219)
Peak of Cerro Galicia, Curimagua, Sierra de San Luis
Ecology
Realm	Neotropical
Biome	Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Geography
Area	16,835 km2 (6,500 sq mi)
Countries	Venezuela
Coordinates	10°52′44″N 69°09′07″W / 10.879°N 69.152°W / 10.879; -69.152Coordinates: 10°52′44″N 69°09′07″W / 10.879°N 69.152°W / 10.879; -69.152
Climate type	Aw: equatorial, winter dry

The Lara-Falcón dry forests (NT0219) is an ecoregion that extends inland from the Caribbean coast of northwestern Venezuela. To the east and west the dry forests of the hilly region transition into xeric shrublands. There are several endemic bird species including the vulnerable yellow-shouldered amazon, in demand as a pet. There are few protected areas. Despite the relatively infertile soils, a large part of the ecoregion has been converted to farmland or pasturage.

The Lara-Falcón dry forests ecoregion is in parts of the states of Lara and Falcón. It has an area of 1,683,492 hectares (4,160,000 acres). It is south of the Paraguaná Peninsula and north of the Venezuelan Andes to the east of Lake Maracaibo. It extends from just south of Coro, Falcón state, to just north of Barquisimeto, Lara state. The ecoregion extends to the Caribbean sea in the northeast, with patches of Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves along some sections of the shore. To the southeast it transitions into the La Costa xeric shrublands and a section of the Cordillera de la Costa montane forests. To the south, west and northwest it gives way to Paraguana xeric scrub.

The Lara-Falcón dry forests ecoregion contains the Sierra de San Luis, the most eastern part of the Sierra de Falcón. In the south it reaches the Sierra de Aroa. The mountains, valleys and plains have elevations of 100–1,300 metres (330–4,270 ft) above sea level. There are varied microclimates at different elevations. Soils are relatively infertile ultisols and oxisols. Major rivers include the Hueque, and Aroa.