Baja California Desert

Baja California Desert

The Baja California desert is a Desert ecoregion of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula.

etting

The ecoregion covers 77,700 square kilometers (30,000 square miles), and includes most of the Peninsula's western slope. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Peninsular Ranges. North of 30º north latitude, the Baja California desert transitions to the California chaparral and woodlands. The southern tip of the peninsula lies within the San Lucan xeric scrub ecoregion.

The climate is dry and subtropical. Although rainfall is low, the Pacific Ocean provides some humidity and moderates the temperature compared to the Sonoran desert, which lies on the east slope of the Peninsular Ranges.

Flora

The ecoregion is mostly covered by xeric shrubs, which create varying associations based on elevation and soil conditions. The ecoregion has close to 500 species of vascular plants, of which a number are endemic, for example the Boojum tree or Creeping Devil.

References

* Ricketts, Taylor H., Eric Dinerstein, David M. Olson, Colby J. Loucks, et al. (1999). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment". Island Press, Washington DC.

External links

* [http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/na/na1301_full.html Baja California desert (World Wildlife Fund)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Baja California peninsula — This article is about the peninsula in North America. For the Mexican state, see Baja California. For other uses, see Baja California (disambiguation). Coordinates: 28°00′N 113°30′W /  …   Wikipedia

  • Baja California — Infobox Settlement name = Baja California other name = native name = Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California nickname = settlement type = State motto = imagesize = image caption = flag size = 140px image seal size = image shield = Escudo Baja… …   Wikipedia

  • Baja California — /bah hah kal euh fawr nyeuh, fawr nee euh/; Sp. /bah hah kah lee fawrdd nyah/ a narrow peninsula in NW Mexico between the Gulf of California and the Pacific, forming two territories of Mexico. 1,434,000; 55,634 sq. mi. (144,090 sq. km). Caps:… …   Universalium

  • Baja California — Para otros usos de este término, véase Baja California (desambiguación). Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Estado de México …   Wikipedia Español

  • Baja California Sur — Infobox Settlement name = Baja California Sur other name = native name = Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur nickname = settlement type = motto = imagesize = image caption = flag size = 140px image seal size = image shield = Escudo de… …   Wikipedia

  • Baja California Rat Snake — Taxobox name = Baja California Rat Snake image width = 192px regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Reptilia ordo = Squamata familia = Colubridae genus = Bogertophis species = B. rosaliae binomial = Bogertrophis rosaliae binomial authority …   Wikipedia

  • Ensenada Municipality, Baja California — Ensenada Municipality Municipio de Ensenada   Municipality   Camp on the beach NW of Punta Colonet, Baja Californi …   Wikipedia

  • Mexicali Municipality, Baja California — Mexicali Municipality Municipio de Mexicali   Municipality   …   Wikipedia

  • Tecate Municipality, Baja California — Tecate Municipality Municipio de Tecate   Municipality   …   Wikipedia

  • Tijuana Municipality, Baja California — Tijuana Municipality   Municipality   Municipio de Tijuana Municipality of Tijuana …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”