Habitats of the Sonoran Joint Venture Region

The SJV covers in whole or part ten Bird Conservation Regions (BCR). Elevation in the SJV ranges from below sea level at the Salton Sea (-300'), to sea level coast line and islands, to relatively flat desert areas, to high plateaus and mountain ranges (9,900'). The climate is largely desertic with extremely low rainfall occurring in late summer, high intensity storms or low intensity, winter storms. The topography and climate produce a diversity of habitats including: desert shrublands, riparian, Madrean pine-oak, pine, mixed conifer, fir, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert grasslands, rock outcrops, tropical deciduous forest, desert thorn-scrub, palm groves, semi-deciduous forest, freshwater wetlands, coastal dunes, coastal shrublands, mangroves, estuarine, brackish and salt water wetlands, coastal lagoons, rocky islands, and halophytic brushlands. Of these, the desert shrublands and grasslands, Madrean pine-oak, and various coastal environments are the most unique biotas.

View a list of habitats of the SJV Region (PDF format)