Golden eagles graciously soar over tall pine trees as tiny broad-handed moles burrow through leaf litter in search of grubs and worms. An "island" of forest in a "sea" of dry landscape, these pine-oak forests are home to many endemic and endangered species. These coniferous forests grow in two mountain ranges, the Sierra Juarez and Sierra de San Pedro Martir, in Baja California, Mexico. Altitudes range between 3,600 and 9,200 feet (1100 and 2800 m) and the climate is temperate subhumid with winter rains. Precipitation levels in these mountains are the second highest on the Baja peninsula (16-28 inches or 40-70 cm per year), and many rivers carve deep valleys as they flow down the slopes. Dominant tree species are pines, white fir, juniper, and oaks.
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