Cedros Island
State Baja California | | |
Demographics | ||
---|---|---|
Population | 1,350 |
Cedros Island (Isla de Cedros, "island of cedars" in
There was human presence of the island already about 11,000 years ago. The
Geography
Cedros Island is located in
Between Cedros Island and Isla Natividad runs the 28th parallel north, which defines the border between the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The Islas San Benito to the west, about 25 km (16 mi) west and 3.899 km2 (1.505 sq mi) in area, are administratively part of Cedros Island.
The Isla de Cedros was named by early Spanish explorers who mistakenly associated the large amounts of
visible on the crest of the island.The two main elevations are Cedros hill, located at the south-center of the island, and Pico Gill to the north.[3]
Climate
Cedros Island has a desert climate, BWh in the Köppen climate classification system and BWab (desert, hot summers, warm winters) in the Trewartha climate classification. Most precipitation occurs during the winter.
Climate data for Isla Cedros 10 metres (33 ft) above sea level 28°08′N 115°10′W / 28.133°N 115.167°W | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.8 (73.0) |
23.4 (74.1) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
26.2 (79.2) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.4 (84.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28.6 (83.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) |
19.1 (66.4) |
19.2 (66.6) |
20.5 (68.9) |
21.0 (69.8) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.0 (77.0) |
23.8 (74.8) |
21.4 (70.5) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.5 (70.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.3 (57.7) |
14.7 (58.5) |
14.7 (58.5) |
15.7 (60.3) |
16.3 (61.3) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
19.1 (66.4) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.1 (62.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 10 (0.4) |
10 (0.4) |
5.1 (0.2) |
2.5 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.5 (0.1) |
5.1 (0.2) |
5.1 (0.2) |
10 (0.4) |
53 (2.1) |
Source: [4] |
The only weather station on the island is located on the southeastern coast. The northern and western parts of the island are several degrees cooler because the cold waters surrounding the island cause heavy fog and clouds, especially during spring and summer. The condensation from the fog permits lusher vegetation to flourish, similar to the "fog oases" (lomas) of the arid Pacific Coast of South America. Precipitation is also greater at the higher elevations of the island, reaching possible annual totals of 200 millimetres (7.9 in). Rarely, heavy rains caused by unstable tropical air masses and chubascos cause flooding.[5]
Population and settlements
It constitutes one of the 24 subdivisions (delegaciones) of the
The borough "seat" is Cedros, also known as Isla Cedros or Cedros town ("Pueblo Cedros"), on the southeast coast. The town was founded by fishermen in 1922, and in 2010 the town had a population of 747 people.[7] The local economy is dependent on fishing, and largely associated with Pescadores Nacionales de Abulón, the lobster and abalone fishing cooperative based on the island.
The second town is Puerto Morro Redondo (in short, El Morro), close to the southeastern point of the island, El Morro. It is a "company town," built by the joint
The remaining settlements are smaller. Jerusalem is just west of El Morro, but on the western side of the airport, with regularly arranged residential units. It is frequently considered part of El Morro.
Lomas Blancas, a mining town with 17 buildings, is located between Cedros town and El Morro.
San Agustín, a typical fishing village with about 20 buildings, is located 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of the southwestern point of the island, Cabo San Agustín.
La Colorada, on the southwest coast, with about 10 buildings, is 4 km (2 mi) north of San Agustín.
Wayle, 15 buildings on the western side of the southern bight Bahía del Sur, is 3 km (1.9 mi) northeast of San Agustín.
The mining town of Punta Norte (about 25 buildings) is located on the northeast coast, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) southeast of the northern end of the island, which is also called Punta Norte. Two kilometres (1 mi) to the southeast is Los Crestones mine.
List of settlements and locations:
- Cedros, 28°05′45.5″N 115°11′12.4″W / 28.095972°N 115.186778°W
- Puerto Morro Redondo, 28°02′18.6″N 115°11′12.0″W / 28.038500°N 115.186667°W
- Jerusalem, 28°02′24″N 115°11′29″W / 28.04000°N 115.19139°W
- Lomas Blancas, 28°04′44″N 115°11′07″W / 28.07889°N 115.18528°W
- San Agustín, 28°04′54.6″N 115°20′20.6″W / 28.081833°N 115.339056°W
- La Colorada, 28°07′01.2″N 115°21′07.0″W / 28.117000°N 115.351944°W
- Wayle, 28°05′34″N 115°18′47″W / 28.09278°N 115.31306°W
- Punta Norte, 28°21′15″N 115°11′39″W / 28.35417°N 115.19417°W
Archaeology
The long-held theory that the first human beings in the Americas arrived by land through an ice-free corridor in western Canada has been called into question by archaeological discoveries along the
Earliest fishhooks in the Americas
The discovery of the earliest fishhooks in the Americas was reported from Cedros Island in 2017. They date to about 11,000 B.P. The people making these fishhooks were fishing for deepwater species, which indicates that they were using boats.[11]
Similar fishhooks have also been reported from Isla Espíritu Santo, also in Baja California.
History
- Spanish colonial period
In 1539, when the Spanish expedition led by
Hunters seeking seals and sea otters worked out the island between 1790 and 1850.[13]
- 20th century
Gold and copper mining took place near Punta Norte between 1890 and 1914.[14] The fishing village and cannery at Puerto Cedros were established in 1920. The fishing cooperative was founded in 1943, and the deepwater salt dock at the south end of the island was built in 1966. The island was mapped in detail by Mexican and U.S. geologists during the 1970s.
Natural history
Cedros Island is at most some 38 kilometres (23.6 mi) long in N-S direction and 6.4 to 8 kilometres (4 to 5 mi) wide in the northern half; the southern end is some 17 kilometres (11 mi) wide in a NW-SE direction.[15] The island consists of a variety of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks, including part of an ophiolite complex and high-pressure, low temperature blueschists. Most of the rocks are of Mesozoic age, though some late Cenozoic strata crop out near the town in the southeastern corner of the island. Its highest peak, Monte Cedros, has an elevation of 1,205 metres (3,953 ft).
Flora
The most common vegetation for more than 90 percent of the land on the island is desert scrub of many different species. The lower elevations, especially the south, receive very sparse rainfall. However, the northern and western parts of the island are often shrouded in fog, and some plants have adapted to receiving moisture from fog. The fog, plus the slightly greater rainfall at higher elevations, has permitted the existence of
At the highest elevations of the island, above and mixed in with the pine forests, chaparral vegetation is found. The chaparral averages 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height and consists of several woody species including Quercus cedrosensis, the Cedar Island live oak. Chaparral covers 2.4 percent of the land area of Cedros Island.[17]
Vargas or El Aguaje de Vargas is the most important spring, with a flow of 180 drums of 200 L or 55 US gal every 12 hours; springs on the island are usually marked by groves of palm trees.[citation needed]
Fauna
Large sea lion colonies are found on the rocks on the west side as well as the anchorage on the north end.
There are feral
Fish are abundant around Cedros Island. California yellowtail, a subspecies of yellowtail amberjack, are very plentiful in the waters around the island, as it is their breeding ground. These fish like to live in the kelp beds of the island. Other fish, such as calico bass and sheepshead are also very plentiful near the island.
Endemism
Cedros Island is home to a number of
- Animals
- [18]
- Cedros side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburianaconcinna - endemic
- Cedros Island Bewick's wren, Thryomanes bewickii cerroensis - near-endemic[19]
- Cedros Island mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus cerrosensis - endemic
- Cedros Island brush rabbit, Sylvilagus bachmani cerrosensis - endemic -[citation needed]
- Cedros Island cactus mouse, Peromyscus eremicus cedrosensis - endemic -[citation needed]
- Plants
- [20]
- Cryptantha maritima var. cedrosensis - endemic
- Dudleya cedrosensis - endemic
- Dudleya pachyphytum (Cedros Island Liveforever) - endemic
- Eriogonum molle (Cedros soft buckwheat) - endemic
- Ferocactus chrysacanthus - endemic
- Harfordia macroptera ssp. fruticosa - endemic
- Linanthus veatchii - endemic
- Lotus cedrosensis - endemic
- Mammillaria goodridgei var. goodridgei- endemic
- Mammillaria goodridgei var. rectispina- endemic
- Diplacus stellatus - endemic
- Monardella thymifolia - endemic
- Penstemon cedrosensis - endemic
- Pinus radiata var. binata (Guadalupe Island Monterey pine)— near-endemic; possibly separable as var./ssp. cedrosensis and in this case endemic.
- Porophyllum cedrense - endemic
- Quercus cedrosensis (Cedros Island oak) — near-endemic
- Rhus integrifolia var. cedrosensis - endemic
- Salvia cedrosensis (Cedros Island sage) - endemic
- Senecio cedrosensis - endemic
- Verbesina hastata - endemic
- Xylonagra arborea ssp. arborea - endemic
See also
Footnotes
- ISBN 978-1-60781-007-0.
- ^ DigitalGlobe et al. (2007)
- ^ a b "Puerto de Cedros, B.C" (PDF). Secretaria de Marina. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Isla Cedros, Baja California", Weatherbase, https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=982027&cityname=Isla+Cedros%2C+Baja+California%2C+Mexico, accessed 20 Jun 2018
- ^ Oberbauer, Thomas A. (1987). "Floristic Analysis of Vegetation Communities on Isla de Cedros, Baja California, Mexico". Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ^ INEGI (2007)
- ^ "Catálogo Localidades". www.microrregiones.gob.mx. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ISSN 0030-8870.
- ISSN 0036-8075. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ^ Davis, Loren (2012-01-01). "Island of Fogs: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Investigations of Isla Cedros, Baja California". Ethnohistory. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- S2CID 165030382.
- ISBN 9780816521197.
- ^ Des Lauriers, Matthew R. "Good Water and Firewood: The Island Oasis of Isla Cedros, Baja California, Mexico1" (PDF). scholarspace.
- ^ Núñez Tapia, Francisco Alberto. "Ahoy, Red Rock! —American Mining Investors in Cedros Island, Baja California". Journal of the Southwest. 63 (1): 1–38.
- ^ DigitalGlobe et al. (2007). The measurements in Thayer & Bangs (1907) are in nautical miles.
- ^ Oberbauer, pp. 118-120
- ^ Oberbauer, pp. 118-119
- ^ Thayer & Bangs (1907)
- ^ Nowadays includes T. b. atricauda from the adjacent mainland.
- ^ CMICD (2007)
References
- California/Mexico Island Conservation Database (CMICD) (2007): Plant accounts: Guadalupe Island. Retrieved 2007-OCT-10.
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática (INEGI) (2007): Principales resultados por localidad 2005 (ITER) ["Principal results of the 2005 census by locality"] [in Spanish]. Retrieved 2007-OCT-10.
- DigitalGlobe, Europa Technologies, NASA & TerraMetrics (2007): [Google Earth satellite image of Cedros Island]. Retrieved 2007-OCT-10.
- Thayer, John E. & Bangs, Outram (1907): Birds Collected by W. W. Brown, Jr., on Cerros [
- Des Lauriers, Matthew R., Island of Fogs: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Investigations of Isla Cedros, Baja, 2010. ISBN 978-1-60781-007-0
- Land area of islands in Mexico INEGI
External links
Isla de Cedros.
- Mexico Desconocido Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine Article in Spanish.
- Baja Quest Article about Cedros Island.
- Globe Trotters Travel Travelogs Travel experience to Cedros Island.
- Geologic Map
- Mining Map
- geology and minerals information