Deserts of California

The San Felipe Desert in the northeast part of the peninsula is the driest, with an average rainfall of 5 cm per year (Chaikin). The Gulf Coast Desert is a narrow strip that runs along the sea of Cortez from Bahia Los Angeles to the tip of the peninsula. This area receives moisture from tropical

storms and nearby mountains, which create arroyos and underground streams. On the Pacific side, the Vizcaino Desert is the largest sub-region, stretching from El Rosario 1000km to the south. Precipitation in this area is low, but plants receive moisture from the condensation of heavy coastal fog. South of the Vizcaino desert is the Magdalena Plains. Coastal mangroves, swamps, and large underground aquifers that support agriculture differentiate this region from the others.

Temperatures along the Baja California peninsula generally increase going south, and are higher at lower elevations (Chaiki

. . .
t encompasses the Colorado and Yuma deserts, which are spotted with mountains, sparse dunes, and shifting sands (Sonoran-Baja). As the Sonoran desert crosses the border from North America into Mexico, it merges with a dry desert zone, the Vizcaino Desert, that lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Despite a lack of water, the succulent boojum trees and jojoba and ocotillo plants grow throughout the Sonoran-Baja Deserts, along with the cardon, canddlabra, agaves, and saguaro, cholla, and organ pipe cacti (Baja-California; Sonoran-Baja). Other commonly found plants in the Sonoran Desert include creosote bush and bursage shrubs, and in the low deserts, forests of saguaro cacti. In the bajados that slope down the mountains the soil accumulates the mountain erosion resulting in a mixture of rocks, gravels, sands and silts (Chaikin). The mixture of particle sizes creates soil with an open structure which lets the water penetrate. This supports more diversity of plant growth such as paloverde and ironwood, succulents like boojum, cardon, agaves, and also candelabra cacti. Plants dating back to the Ice Age can be found at higher elevations (Sonoran-Baja). Fine-textured sites support datilillo, sour pitaya cactu
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Baja California, Sonoran Desert, Chaikin Mesquite, Chaikin Desert, Chaikin Pacific, Sonora ChihuahuaSonoran, Sonoran-Baja Fine-textured, Los Angeles, San Felipe, El Rosario, sonoran desert, baja california, elephant trees, vizcaino desert, baja california peninsula, desert plants, san felipe, 14 mar, california peninsula, water loss, felipe desert, san felipe desert, gulf coast desert, 2005 14 mar, sonoran-baja sonoran desert,
Approximate Word count = 1323
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Deserts of California