Peninsular Ranges

Coordinates: 29°57′N 114°43′W / 29.95°N 114.72°W / 29.95; -114.72
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Peninsular Ranges
Sierra San Pedro Mártir and Devils Peak, Southern Baja California, Mexico
Highest point
PeakSan Jacinto Peak
Elevation10,834 ft (3,302 m)
Geography
CountriesMexico and United States
StatesBaja California Sur, Baja California and California
Geology
Age of rockMesozoic
Type of rockGranite

The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province

Pacific Coast from Alaska to Mexico. Elevations
range from 150 to 3,300 m (500 to 10,834 ft).

Geography

Topographic depiction of the Peninsular Mountains within the US consisting of the Santa Ana, Palomar and Laguna Mountains from north to south

The Peninsular Ranges include the

San Diego County, as are Viejas Mountain and the San Ysidro Mountains. The Peninsular Ranges run predominantly north-south, unlike the Transverse Ranges
to their north, which mostly run east-west.

Geology

Rocks in the ranges are dominated by

Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. They are part of a geologic province known as the Salinian Block which broke off the North American Plate as the San Andreas Fault and Gulf of California came into being.[citation needed
]

Between this set of ranges and the Transverse Ranges is the complex Malibu Coast—Santa Monica—Hollywood fault, which exists as the border between these two mostly geologically unitary provinces.[2]

Ecology and flora

Nearctic

Anza Borrego Desert State Park
on the right of the background.

Most of the Peninsular Ranges are in the

terrestrial ecoregions cover portions of the Peninsular Ranges. On the western side of the northern portion of the ranges, the California montane chaparral and woodlands sub-ecoregion of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion covers southern California and northern Baja California. On the western side of the southern portion of the ranges, the Baja California desert ecoregion covers the southern portion of the Peninsular Ranges in Baja California and Baja California Sur. On the eastern side of the northern ranges, the Sonoran Desert ecoregion covers southeastern California and northeastern Baja California as far south as the town of Loreto, Baja California Sur. On the eastern side of the Laguna Mountains in San Diego County, the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is known for its springtime profusion of Colorado Desert (Sonoran) wildflowers. On the eastern (Gulf of California) side of the southern portion of the ranges, the Gulf of California xeric scrub
ecoregion covers the range in Baja California Sur.

The higher portions of the Peninsular Ranges, especially the west-facing slopes, are home to

Parry pinyon (Pinus quadrifolia), white fir (Abies concolor), California incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), and junipers. Oak species include coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii), canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis), and Baja oak (Quercus peninsularis). These higher portions of the Peninsular Ranges harbor many rare and endemic
species.

The Sierra de la Giganta in Baja California Sur

Neotropic

Southern Baja California Sur is part of the

Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests, and San Lucan xeric scrub
.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0-12-088253-1
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0-8137-2365-5
    .

29°57′N 114°43′W / 29.95°N 114.72°W / 29.95; -114.72

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