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Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Mountains

Ecoregion in Sonoran Desert in CA, AZ

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The Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Mountains are the erosional highlands of exposed bedrock that rise above the more gently sloping sediment-filled basins (81j). Unlike the Western Sonoran Mountains (81a) in California west of the Imperial Valley, these ranges receive more summer precipitation, but less than the Arizona Upland (81k, 81l) to the east. The rugged terrain is dissected by dry washes that can flood during the infrequent rainfall events. The climate is hot, arid, and continental. The soil temperature regime is hyperthermic with a typic aridic soil moisture regime. Soil moisture is driest from May to June and intermittently moist during the July to September and the December to February periods. The vegetation of this mostly rocky terrain is typically Sonoran creosotebush scrub transitioning into succulent scrub with ocotillo and numerous cacti. Species include creosotebush, white bursage, brittlebush, ocotillo, teddy bear and staghorn cholla, range ratany, barrel cactus, beavertail cactus, and littleleaf paloverde. Shrub and cacti density is typically sparser compared to Ecoregion 81k.

— EPA

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