Gulf of California xeric scrub
Encyclopedia
The Gulf of California xeric scrub is a xeric shrubland
ecoregion
of Mexico
's Baja California Peninsula
.
, and extending to several of the islands in the gulf. The Peninsular Ranges
, which run the length of the peninsula, separate the Gulf of California xeric scrub from the Baja California Desert
which lies along Baja California's Pacific slope. To the north, the Gulf of California xeric scrub transitions to the Sonoran Desert
. At the southern end of the peninsula, the Gulf of California xeric scrub yields to the San Lucan xeric scrub
.
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's Baja California Peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
.
Setting
The Gulf of California xeric scrub covers an area of 23600 square kilometres (9,112 sq mi), lying on the eastern side of the peninsula along the Gulf of CaliforniaGulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
, and extending to several of the islands in the gulf. The Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
, which run the length of the peninsula, separate the Gulf of California xeric scrub from the Baja California Desert
Baja California Desert
The Baja California Desert is a Desert ecoregion of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula.-Geography and climate:The ecoregion covers 77,700 square kilometers 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...
which lies along Baja California's Pacific slope. To the north, the Gulf of California xeric scrub transitions to the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
. At the southern end of the peninsula, the Gulf of California xeric scrub yields to the San Lucan xeric scrub
San Lucan xeric scrub
The San Lucan xeric scrub is a xeric shrubland ecoregion of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula.-Setting:The San Lucan xeric scrub covers an area of at the southern tip of the peninsula. The xeric scrub extends from coast up to 250 meters elevation, where the Sierra de la Laguna dry forests...
.