List of ecoregions in North America (CEC)

The commission's 1997 report, Ecological Regions of North America, provides a framework that may be used by government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic researchers as a basis for risk analysis, resource management, and environmental study of the continent's ecosystems.

[1] Ecoregions may be identified by similarities in geology, physiography, vegetation, climate soils, land use, wildlife distributions, and hydrology.

This plant was important to Native Americans and served a number of purposes, including use for food and water and creating fish hooks from the spines.

With its shallow roots, it is able to take in a large quantity of water and store it in its pedals for extended periods of time.

This plant has an adaptive ability to photosynthesize during very dry conditions and gather large quantities of water when it is available.

[5] The Great Basin is also home to the oldest species in the world, the bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).

With these advantages come some drawbacks, including its very slow growth rate, which leaves it vulnerable to being out-competed by faster growing trees.

The cactus wren, Gambel's quail, burrowing owl, red-tailed hawk, hummingbird, desert tortoise, and vulture to name a few.

A single mountain lion can roam an area of hundreds of kilometers, in which deer, rabbits, and bird species are partly controlled by a predator of this caliber.

They will change the feeding behavior or where they decide to nest or burrow is largely a reaction to the mountain lions activity.

Higher elevations allow water to sink deeper into soils that are made of finer particles, and deep sedimentary fans exist.

There are common patterns of hydrological cycles throughout the North American Deserts, but specifics of times and source of water range.

[10] Being surrounded by mountains provides a rain shadow effect that contributes to the dry climate and creates the desert ecosystem.

[8] This leads to creation of playa lakes in the spring, as the snowfall melts and flows down surrounding mountains.

[13] The Sonoran Desert has a bimodal precipitation pattern that includes winter storms and summer monsoons, which help sustain flora.

Although the Northern American Deserts are characteristically dry, they still contain the water necessary to fuel their ecosystem and sustain the life of humans, animals, and plants alike.

These areas are affected by their interior position within the continent leading to broader temperature ranges and considerable rainfall.

More specifically, these areas are affected by the rain shadow created by neighboring mountain ranges, acting as a barrier to westerly flowing air carrying moisture.

This is due to the continental interior location on the leeward side of mountains, with constant subtropical high pressures.

Increased distance from a body of water leads to a lack of clouds, which is associated with much cooler nighttime temperatures because all the heat of the day is lost.

Also, the Chihuahuan desert is seeing the effects of agricultural expansions, invasive species, illegal poaching, and extractions of resources such as salt, lime, and sand.

The less heavily populated areas of the desert are being sought out and conserved in order to prevent future human habitation and disturbance.

The World Wildlife Fund is replanting disturbed, upland vegetation in order to retain species habitat and biodiversity.

North American Deserts, as in most arid systems, experience water and temperature change as the most limiting factors in this ecoregion.

Between 1931 and 2000, there have been measurable increases in seasonal rainfall during the summertime monsoon in the southern United States and northern Mexico.

The kangaroo rat, which also supported Mojave rattlesnake and burying owl populations, has essentially disappeared from the Chihuahan Desert, while the non-native Bailey’s pocket mouse has colonized the area.

As the effects of climate change continue to develop, North American Deserts will be increasingly affected, leading worsening biodiversity loss and decreases in the ecoregion productivity.

When these careful relationships are disturbed by the unpredictable and worsening effects of climate change, it will be very hard for these ecosystems to recover or endure.

Deserts within North America tend to have fields of solar panels, so they can reuse the sun as energy.

In the North American desert most of the oil is found within the Great Basin region and this resource is non-renewable.