Sonoran Desert Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

This Sonoran Desert Essay example is published for educational and informational purposes only. If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic, please use our writing services. EssayEmpire.com offers reliable custom essay writing services that can help you to receive high grades and impress your professors with the quality of each essay or research paper you hand in.

The sonoran desert is one of the largest North American deserts, over 120,000 square miles (311,000 square kilometers), occupying the coastal plain and low elevation basins to the north and northeast of the Gulf of California. It comprises a part of Arizona and California in the United States, western Sonora, and the southern two-thirds of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. The physical features of the isolated mountains and outwash lowland plains place the region within the Basin and Range Province. The Sonoran Desert low to mid elevation mountains range from northwest to southeast in parallel to one another. The highest area, 3,957 feet (1,206 meters) in elevation, is in the western part of the ecoregion. The foothills of the western Sierra Madre Occidental dominate the southern part of the Mexican state of Sonora. The foundation of the Sonoran Desert basins is characterized by erosion and sedimentation processes. These valleys are identified as alluvial fans that are formed as rainwater streams wash weathered detritus minerals, eroded sands, and gravels from the mountain slopes.

The Sonoran Desert is characterized by an arid climate of extreme heat and extreme cold with an annual precipitation of about 3.9-5.1 inches (100-130 millimeters). The precipitation season is divided into two seasons. Winter rainfall with rains of Mediterranean type starts in November and continues with interruptions until March. Summer or monsoon rainfall lasts from July to September and has brief showers of tropical origin. Total precipitation in general increases from west to east. The Gulf of California is the major recipient of Sonoran Desert drainage. All major permanent streams of the Sonoran Desert originate outside the desert. The largest river with a permanent flow is the Colorado River. The Sonoran Desert soils are low humus and high salt content soils lacking a well-defined profile. The insufficient soil moisture and impaired drainage generate caliche hardpan, which reduces soil permeability and prevents root growth.

Unique features of the Sonoran Desert are the high species endemism and great species biodiversity that is well adapted to the harsh desert environment. The giant saguaro cactus is the most recognizable plant of the region. The region is known as an exceptional birding area, particularly for hummingbirds. Some of the desert mammals include species such as the mountain lion, bobcat, deer, and antelope.

Located on the Mexican-American border, the Sonoran Desert divides two countries with distinct cultures and contrasting levels of development. Transboundary conflict over Colorado River water rights and illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States are some of the political issues that arise between these two countries that have shared a border since 1848. Border-crossing migrants not only risk their lives when traversing the harsh desert environment but also create a threat to that environment by introducing invasive species, leaving garbage in wilderness areas, and being competitors to desert animals for scarce water resources. The different social, economic, and national goals of the two border countries, in addition to their technological progress and innovations, cause great pressure on indigenous cultures of the region. The largest environmental impact within the Sonoran Desert has resulted from anthropogenic activities to make the desert ecosystem a more human inhabitable place. The activities include irrigated agriculture, pasturing, grazing, development of military equipment, and off-road driving.

Bibliography:

Arizona Roadside Environments, “Arizona Regional Geology,” dana.ucc.nau.edu (cited December 2006);
Chris Clarke, “The Battered Border,” Earth Island Journal (v.21/4, 2006);
Roger Dunbier, The Sonoran Desert, Its Geography, Economy, and People (University of Arizona Press, 1968).