The western and eastern Sierra Madre mountains include relict forests with relatively undisrupted fire regimes and are priority conservation sites with extraordinary ecological value. Some areas in the Sierra Madre mountains are home to significant numbers of people, while other areas are more isolated from human populations.

In 2007, the research team sampled seven sites in the eastern Sierra Madres. Four of the seven sites sampled for fire scars, including Las Bateas, Las Manzanas, La Armenia, and La Viga, were located near Saltillo, in the state of Coahuila.

The other three sites, called Mesa Acunya, San Onofre, and El Diferencial, were located in Ejido La Encantada, in the state of Nuevo León.

All sites were located at or above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level.  Dominant species of trees include pines (Pinus hartwegii, Pinus ayacahuite), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and fir (Abies vejerri).

Last updated: November 18, 2007