Sierra de la Laguna dry forests

The Sierra de la Laguna dry forests are a subtropical dry forest ecoregion of the southern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico.

Sierra de la Laguna dry forests
Ecology
RealmNeotropical
Biometropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
BordersSan Lucan xeric scrub and Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests
Geography
Area3,968 km2 (1,532 sq mi)
CountryMexico
StatesBaja California Sur
Conservation
Conservation statusVulnerable
Protected839 km² (21%)[1]

Location

The dry forests cover the lower elevations of the Sierra de la Laguna, from 250 to 800 m (820 to 2,620 ft) elevation. They are surrounded at lower elevations by the San Lucan xeric scrub, which lies between sea level and 250 m (820 ft) elevation. Above 800 meters elevation, the dry forests transition to the subhumid and temperate Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests.

Flora

The predominant tree species of the dry forests are the Mauto (Lysiloma divaricatum), Palo blanco (L. candidum), Cajalosucho (Bursera microphylla) and Palo zorrillo (Hesperalbizia occidentalis).

Herbaceous plants are less prominent and include Caribe (Cnidoscolus angustidens), Buena mujer (Chloracantha spinosa), Solanum spp., and Biznaga (Ferocactus spp).[2]

The endemic palm here is Brahea brandegeei, that occurs in washes and along streams.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 839 km², or 21%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[3] Protected areas in the ecoregion include the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve.

See also
  • "Sierra de la Laguna dry forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  • Tropical Dry Forest of the Sierra de la Laguna (Los Cabos Guide)

References
  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.
  2. "Sierra de la Laguna dry forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
  3. 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.
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