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Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Basins

Ecoregion in Sonoran Desert in CA, AZ

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The Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Basins include the broad alluvial plains, fans, and bajadas that occur between the higher relief mountain ranges of Ecoregion 81i. Large areas are dominated by creosotebush and white bursage. Ocotillo, brittlebush, and cholla occur on alluvial fans and coarser soils. Shrub density is low to moderate, with shrub spacing from several feet to tens of feet. The Colorado Desert is more open and sparsely vegetated compared to the eastern Sonoran regions (81k, 81l), leading to a less diverse avifauna. Desert saltbush scrub occurs, often on finer-textured, poorly drained soils with high alkalinity and salinity. Allscale is the dominant shrub, along with some fourwing saltbush, mesquite, and bush seepweed. In the washes and ephemeral streams, mesquite and exotic tamarisk are mixed with creosotebush. Microphyll woodland habitat is found along some dry-wash channels, with blue paloverde, ironwood, smoke tree, or desert willow.

— EPA

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