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The Southern Rockies ecoregion is the southernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains, which enter into New Mexico within the extreme northcentral to northeast area of the state. The Southern Rockies in New Mexico consists of two separate arms of the Rocky Mountains which are the San Juan Mountains in the northcentral area and the Sangre Del Cristo in the northeastern area.
The San Juan Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains both extend south from Colorado into New Mexico and both mountain ranges are part of the Rock Mountain Cordilla
In New Mexico, there are numerous peaks above ten thousand feet, many over eleven thousand feet, twelve thousand feet and just a few over thirteen thousand feet including Truchas Peak at 13,102 feet and Wheller Peak at 13,161 feet.
The Santa Fe Mountains round out the bottom of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico, located east of the Rio Grande River and north of the Pecos River.
Southern Rockies ecoregion Information:
Description:
The Southern Rockies are composed of steep, rugged mountains with high elevations. Although coniferous forests cover much of the region, as in most of the mountainous regions in the western United States, vegetation, soil and land use, follows a pattern of elevational diversity gradient, which is an ecological pattern where biodiversity changes with elevation.
The lowest elevations are generally grass or shrub covered and heavily grazed. Low to middle elevations are also grazed and covered by a variety of vegetation types including Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, aspen, and juniper-oak woodlands. Middle to high elevations are largely covered by coniferous forests and have little grazing activity. The highest elevations have alpine characteristics.
Location:
Geographical Region:
Rocky Mountains
As part of the Second Migration across the land bridge into North America, came those who are of the
Uto-Aztecan cultures, also know as the Puebloan or Desert Cultures which are divided into many family groups. The name that I personally have use for these desert cultures, a name which I use because it is a descriptive name, is the
Stone Stacker. The use of this name allows me to highlight on an entirely separate web page, the physical remains of this culture in their many settlements.
However, the people that I call the stone stackers, which include tribes of the ancient Anasazi who were the ones at
Bandelier,
Canyon of the Ancients,
Canyon de Chelly,
Chaco Canyon,
Mesa Verde, and others, did not entirely disappear, as many would believe. Instead, these people due to a long duration drought, moved from their homes at the above places in order to find other well watered regions. Many of these cultures move to the lands where there descendants are among the
Tanoan speaking people.
One such location of this Puebloan Family are the Tewa tribes which include the: Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo), Nambe Pueblo, Pojoaque Pueblo and Tesuque Pueblo.
To the east of the Tewa are the northern Tiwa family including the Taos Pueblo, the Picuris Pueblo and others.
South of the Tewa family group are another division of familes, the Towa tribes which include Jemez Pueblo and Pecos Pueblo.
Rio Grande High Bridge Rest Stop
Carson National Forest
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Pecos National Historic Park
Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Bandelier National Monument
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad-New Mexico
Jemez Historic Site and Hot Spring
Wheeler Peak, 13,161 feet (NM high point)
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