| Baja California desert | |
|---|---|
 Baja California desert near Cataviña | |
 Location of the Baja California desert | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Nearctic |
| Biome | Deserts and xeric shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 76,296 km2 (29,458 sq mi) |
| Country | Mexico |
| States | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Relatively stable/intact |
| Global 200 | Yes |
| Protected | 45,940 km2 (60%)[1] |
The Baja California desert (Spanish: desierto de Baja California) is a desert ecoregion of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.[2] This ecoregion occupies the western portion of the Baja California peninsula, and occupies most of the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Baja California. It covers 77,700 square kilometers (30,000 square miles). The climate is dry, but its proximity of the Pacific Ocean provides humidity and moderates the temperature. The flora mostly consists of xeric shrubs and over 500 species of recorded vascular plants.
- ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
- ^ Taylor H. Ricketts, Eric Dinerstein, David M. Olson, Colby J. Loucks, et al. 1999. Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press, Washington DC.