Baja California desert

Baja California desert
Baja California desert near Cataviña
Location of the Baja California desert
Ecology
RealmNearctic
BiomeDeserts and xeric shrublands
Borders
Geography
Area76,296 km2 (29,458 sq mi)
CountryMexico
States
Conservation
Conservation statusRelatively stable/intact
Global 200Yes
Protected45,940 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.

  1. ^ 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]
  2. ^ 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.