The Sierra de la Laguna dry forests cloak the lower and middle slopes of the Sierra de la Laguna at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. This is a deciduous tropical dry forest of low trees and shrubs over an herbaceous understory, with characteristic species including mauto (Lysiloma divaricatum), palo blanco (Lysiloma candidum), the elephant tree Bursera microphylla, and palo zorrillo (Hesperalbizia occidentalis), alongside biznaga barrel cacti (Ferocactus). The climate is warm and dry subtropical, with annual precipitation generally less than 500 millimeters concentrated in late summer and a prolonged dry season during which most trees shed their leaves. The ecoregion is a notable center of endemism on the isolated peninsula and is partly safeguarded within the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve. For gardeners in hot, arid climates, the region is home to the endemic fan palm Brahea brandegeei, a drought-adapted ornamental.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 23.7°N, 109.8°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
12b-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.7°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 6 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
1,538 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Recover (Dinerstein NNH 3)
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
Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's CHELSA-derived current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.
Currently suited · 4
These plants fit the ecoregion as it is today, but the mid-century projection moves them outside their stated zone range — plan for them to struggle by 2070.
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: