The pine-oak forest develops at altitudes between 1600 and 3000 meters, where the climate is temperate and humid with summer rain, with temperatures ranging between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius (which are likely to fall), and with rainfall that varies between 700 and 1500mm.
In contrast, at lower altitude and with the same exposure, you can find Cornus disciflora, Garrya laurifolia, Mexican Clethra, and ferns in the lowest layer.
In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, in the Malintzin and Citlaltépetl volcanoes, between 2500 and 3000 meters above sea level, the arboreal layer above 32m is dominated by the red torch pine (Pinus patula), fir (Abies religiosa), ocote brush (Pinus michoacana) and ayacahuite (Pinus ayacahuite); in the 10m layer you can find laurelillo (Quercus laurina), milkweed (Quercus crassifolia) and madrone (Arbutus glandulosa); in the 4.5m layer you can find Salix paradoxa, brush (Ageratina glabratum), wild cherry (Prunus capuli), alder (Alnus jorullensis), and strawberry trees (Arbutus glandulosa); in the 0.5m layer you find Baccharis conferta, sage (Salvia sp.
In the southeast, from the western slopes of Sierra de Zongolica until the municipality of Nicolas Bravo, an area of pine-oak forest is located more than 2500 meters above sea level.
In Mexico, most of these types of forests have been intensively exploited for timber extraction in the form of logs, firewood, and charcoal.