The Sonoran Desert

By Sarah Weber

I’ve selected the study area for my Biodiversity Stewardship as the Sonoran Desert, a region that spans from a small portion of southeastern California, the southern third of Arizona, into the state of Sonora, Mexico, and down the Baja California peninsula. The Sonoran Desert is considered one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world, and the most diverse of the four U.S. deserts. “More than 100 reptiles, 2,000 native plants, 60 mammals, and 350 birds call this desert home” (Center for Biological Diversity, n.d.). It houses species that can be found only in the Sonoran Desert like the Saguaro cactus, the Long-tongued bat, the Cactus mouse, and the Antelope jackrabbit, as well as the only population of jaguars in the U.S. In addition to the vast biodiversity, there is a rich history of human ecology in the desert, and the indigenous communities. 

I live in Tucson, Arizona, a city situated firmly in the Sonoran Desert, and I’ve cultivated a deep appreciation for the landscape and habitats in the desert. Unfortunately, there are many threats to the Sonoran desert including habitat fragmentation due to agriculture, mining, urban development and creation of the border wall, invasive species, groundwater depletion, and increased weather extremes (both hot and cold). These are issues that warrant education, awareness, and action to preserve these unique and vulnerable ecosystems.

Source: National Park Service
                      

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