El Salvador’s Diverse Vegetation Zones

Six Main Vegetation Types

1. Tropical Forests – coastal lowlands & valleys; mahogany, cedar, rosewood, epiphytes (bromeliads, orchids).
2. Cloud Forests – higher central/western elevations; oaks, tree ferns, mosses, epiphytes; cool, humid, frequent mist.
3. Pine‑Oak Forests – above cloud forests; Pinus oocarpa, P. pseudostrobus, various oaks.
4. Subalpine Forests – highest elevations; stunted firs (Abies religiosa), junipers, shrubs; cold, humid.
5. Mangrove Forests – Gulf of Fonseca coast; red, black, white mangroves adapted to salinity.
6. Grasslands – eastern region & dry central valleys; Bermuda grass, Guinea grass; lower rainfall.

Over 3,000 plant species, ~800 endemic, make El Salvador botanically rich.