New Mexico Tourism | Learn | Ecoregions

Ecoregions: Arizona/New Mexico Mountains, Arizona/New Mexico Plateau, Chihuahuan Deserts, Colorado Plateau, Madrean Archipelago, Southern Rockies, Southwestern Tablelands, Western High Plains

Chihuahuan Deserts

This desertic ecoregion extends from the Madrean Archipelago in southeastern Arizona to the Edwards Plateau in south-central Texas. The region comprises broad basins and valleys bordered by sloping alluvial fans and terraces. Isolated mesas and mountains are located in the central and western parts of the region. Vegetative cover is predominantly arid grass and shrub land, except on the higher mountains where oak-juniper woodlands occur.

Flora:

The Chihuahuan Basins and Playas: Desert shrubs, creosote bush, tarbush, fourwing saltbush, acacias, gyp grama, alkali sacaton, and horse crippler.

The Low Mountains and Bajadas: Sotol, lechuguilla, yucca, ocotillo, lotebush, tarbush, prickly pear, black grama, juniper, piñon, gray oak, velvet ash, walnut and oaks.

The Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands: Oaks, junipers, piñon pines, ponderosa pine, southwestern white pine, Douglas-fir, big tooth maple, madrone, little walnut, oak chaparral, and grapevines.

The Chihuahuan Desert portion of the Rio Grande Floodplain: Salt cedar, orchards, vineyards, and small farms.

The Lava Malpais: Mixed shrubs and grasses.

Fauna: The varied habitats provide cover for mule deer, bobcat, javelina, Montezuma quail, Mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, sandhill cranes, snow geese, rodents, reptiles and bats. In addition, it has a high diversity of dragonflies and damselflies, including the continent’s largest and smallest dragonfly species.