The Islas Revillagigedo dry forests cover four small volcanic islands of the Pacific archipelago of the same name, Socorro, Clarión, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida, which lie a few hundred kilometers off Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Tropical dry forest is the dominant habitat, with hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa), Guettarda insularis, and figs typical of the interior and green buttonwood mangrove (Conocarpus erectus) along the coast, the plant communities shifting with elevation, soils, and exposure. The islands are markedly dry, the leeward isolation of an oceanic archipelago, and their soils are entirely of volcanic origin. Endemism is exceptional: essentially all the terrestrial vertebrates are unique to the islands, the critically endangered Socorro mockingbird is the flagship species, and the archipelago has been protected as a biosphere reserve and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For gardeners, the native flora includes drought-hardy ornamental genera such as hopbush (Dodonaea) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia).
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 18.8°N, 111.0°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.3°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
83 sq mi
Conservation tier
Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 1)
About the tropical & subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome
Tropical forests that pass through a pronounced dry season, when many trees drop their leaves to conserve water. They hold high biodiversity but are among the most threatened tropical habitats, sensitive to fire and to clearing for agriculture.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: