Death Valley freshwater ecoregion
The Death Valley freshwater ecoregion is a
Most of the ecoregion lies between 610 and 1,220 meters elevation. It consists of north–south trending mountain ranges that rise along fault zones, separated by sedimentary basins. The ecoregion reaches to the peak of Mount Whitney (4,421 metres (14,505 ft)) in the Sierra Nevada, and descends to the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, which is the lowest point in North America at −86 metres (−282 ft).[2]
Fauna
The ecoregion is home to several endemic species and subspecies of fish, some of which have very limited ranges. Several are adapted to extreme environments. The small and isolated ranges and populations of many native species and subspecies make them particularly vulnerable to extinction.
There are four endemic species of
The Devil's Hole pupfish is found only in a single spring-fed limestone cavern in
The Owens sucker (Catostomus fumeiventris) is endemic to the Owens River basin, and has been introduced to June Lake in the Mono Lake basin as well as the Santa Clara River in coastal Southern California. The ecoregion is home to endemic subspecies of Tui chub (Gila bicolor), and three endemic subspecies of speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus). The endemic Ash Meadows killifish (Empetrichthys merriami) is thought to be extinct.[2]
Conservation and threats
For over a century the ecoregion's rivers and streams have been altered by water diversion for agriculture and cities and groundwater extraction. Construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in the early 20th century diverted Owens Valley and Mono Lake headwater streams to coastal Los Angeles, hundreds of miles south, and desiccated the Owens River.
Introduced species also threatened native and endemic species.
Protected areas
Protected areas include
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-55963-734-3.
- ^ a b c d e "Death Valley". Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Retrieved 17 September 2021.