Viernes 11 de mayo de 2012
Dr. Robert Webb (US Geological Survey)
Succulent plant biodiversity is extremely high
on the Baja California peninsula, and several researchers have claimed that the
highest diversity of succulent plants and cacti in the Sonoran Desert -- and
therefore in North America -- occurs on a hill east of San Ignacio, Baja
California Sur. We have surveyed 1400 sites in the deserts of Baja California,
listing all perennial species within a 100-m radius. The results suggest that
the species richness of succulent plants and cacti is highest in a broad band
spanning the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. This band
extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra la Libertad and southeast across
the Sierra San Francisco to the San Ignacio area. This part of Baja California
represents the triple junction of significant winter precipitation, significant
summer precipitation, and prevalent summer fog.