Written by student.

Deserts cover almost one fifth of the worlds landmass, and carry many types of endemic species. The Sonoran desert covers part of the United States and moves into the state of Sonora of Mexico. The Sonoran Desert was created when a volcanic area in the Gulf of California formed a Lava spill, which formed many types of cinder cones around the Pinacata area (Beradlt 2009). The rest of the Desert is composed of plateaus, sand dunes, and some mountain ranges. These mountains reach elevations of 1000-2000m and were created by volcanic activity during the Cenozoic era (2001). These same volcanic occurrences make the soil sandy and alkaline. A large portion of land covers a vast range of environmental effects that occur. The area that resides in Arizona receives on average 100-300mm of rain annually and the southern portion of the desert receives a little more (Mcginley 2008). The temperature across the desert is high year round.

The unusual environment contributes to the vast array of endemic plant and animal life that resides in the desert. This region has the greatest diversity of vegetative growth of any desert in the world. Approximately 560 species call the Sonoran Desert home and around 160 of the species have complex relationships that make survival easier with other species in the environment. These relationships often rely on legumes such as ironwood and mesquite for their ability to help partner plants regenerate damage. Another well-known and most recognizable plant individual in this region is the Saguaro Cactus. The Saguaro is in great danger of extinction due to the loss of its many animal pollinators to disease and habitat loss (Beradli 2008). The Bailey’s pocket mouse is an animal that is endemic to the Sonoran desert and it uses both the Saguaro cactus and ironwood legume as home and nourishment.

Many people find the Sonoran Desert a tourist attraction, not for the many cool sites that one can see, but for its ability to show the worlds natural beauty. The Sonoran Desert lets people see the unchained and majestic beauty that the world has to offer.



Want to Learn More?

Beraldi, H., 2008. Floral trait associations in hawkmoth-specialized and mixed pollination systems: Datura wrightii and Agave spp. in the Sonoran Desert. 6-8. Commun Integr Biol.

2001. California chaparral and Woodlands. World Wildlife Fund. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/g200/g121.html

McGinley, M,. 2008. Sonoran Desert. World Wildlife Fund. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Sonoran_desert.

Beraldi, H,. 2009. Effect of biological soil crusts on soil elemental concentrations: implications for biogeochemistry and as traceable biosignatures of ancient life on land. Geobiology. 348-59.

Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World

Freshwater Ecoregions of the World

Marine Ecoregions of the World







This page was created from an environmental education writing project generated in the Fall 2009 Bio245 Conservation Biology class. Content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Gustavus Adolphus College.

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