Algodones Dunes

The Algodones Dunes are located southeast of the Salton Sea in southern California at the border with Arizona and Baja California, Mexico. The field is approximately 72 kilometers long by 10 kilometers wide (45 miles by 6 miles) and extends along a northwest-southeast line that correlates to the prevailing northerly and westerly wind directions. The dunefield is a wilderness area, with the only significant human structures being the All-American Canal that cuts across the southern portion from west to east and the Coachella Canal on the western border of the dunefield. The name "Algodones Dunes" refers to the entire geographic feature, while the administrative designation for that portion managed by the Bureau of Land Management [1] is the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (also sometimes called the Glamis Dunes). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (589x875, 89 KB)Algodones Dunes, Colorado Desert (California) This Image was taken by Jeff T. Alu at Algodones Dunes. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (589x875, 89 KB)Algodones Dunes, Colorado Desert (California) This Image was taken by Jeff T. Alu at Algodones Dunes. ... The Salton Sea (with local/regional cities) The Salton Sea is an inland saline lake, located in the Colorado Desert in Southern California, north of the Imperial Valley. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Baja California (literally lower California in Spanish) is the northernmost state of Mexico. ... The All-American Canal brings Colorado River water to the Imperial Valley in California. ... US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling approximately 261 million surface acres (1,056,229. ...

The Algodones Dunes

The dunes are west of the Chocolate Mountains in Imperial County, and are crossed by California State Route 78, which passes through the "town" of Glamis at the extreme eastern edge of the dunefield. The area to the north of this road is presently off-limits to vehicular traffic; 25,890 acres of dunes north of State Highway 78 has been protected as the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness by an act of the federal government in the early 1980s, and closed as part of the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. Much of the area south of this road remains open for OHV use. The site's large sand dunes are a preferred terrain for many motorcycle, sandrail, ATV, and 4 wheel drive owners. Open camping is permitted and on major winter holidays a substantial population of visitors can appear (as many as >150,000 in a single weekend [2]). These recreationalists bring an economic boom during the cooler months, positively impacting the towns of Brawley, California, Yuma, Arizona and El Centro, California the county seat of Imperial County, California, a county considered to be the poorest of all California counties. The dunes are also now separated at the southern end by agricultural land (see accompanying photo) from the much more extensive Gran Desierto de Altar, to which they once were linked as an extreme peripheral "finger". Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3069x1650, 101 KB)Imperial Sand Dunes, Glamis, CA. Taken 8/8/03 by Pretzelpaws with a Canon 10D camera and cropped using the Gimp. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3069x1650, 101 KB)Imperial Sand Dunes, Glamis, CA. Taken 8/8/03 by Pretzelpaws with a Canon 10D camera and cropped using the Gimp. ... The Chocolate Mountains of California are located in Imperial County and Riverside County in the Colorado Desert in southern California. ... Imperial County is a county located in the far southeast of California, on the border with Arizona and Mexico, in the Imperial Valley. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-5 SD 0. ... Glamis, California is one of a series of former railroad stops along the eastern edge of the Algodones Dunes, in Imperial County, California, located where the railway crosses California State Route 78; other former stops in this area include Acolita, Clyde, Ruthven, and Ogilby. ... A sandrail, or sand rail, is a lightweight motor vehicle specifically built for travelling across sandy terrain. ... Brawley is a city located in Imperial County, California. ... Yuma Crossing and RR bridge in 1886. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, and borders both Arizona and Mexico. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The Gran Desierto de Altar is one of the major portions of the Sonoran Desert of Mexico, including the only active erg dune region in North America. ...

Endemic species

As they are the largest dune ecosystem in the United States, it is not surprising that there are many species which are endemic to the Algodones system (though in this case endemicity does not necessarily indicate these species are restricted to the United States - historically, the Algodones as defined here were part of an even greater dune system that now resides primarily in Sonora, Mexico, with a few extensions also in southwestern Arizona, especially in the vicinity of Yuma). Accordingly, it is likely that many of the species presently known only from the Algodones also occur in the Gran Desierto de Altar in Mexico, but this is difficult to ascertain without biological surveys of the latter area. Even so, the region overall is nonetheless biologically unique on a global scale. In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... This article is about the Mexican state of Sonora. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Yuma Crossing and RR bridge in 1886. ... The Gran Desierto de Altar is one of the major portions of the Sonoran Desert of Mexico, including the only active erg dune region in North America. ...

For example, among plants, there is the only species from the Algodones presently on the Endangered Species List: Endangered Species List can be used in multiple contexts. ...

• Pierson's Milkvetch, a perennial plant that has been the focus of much controversy. The plant has been found to store a large seedbank, only germinating during years of sufficient rainfall. During one such year, over 71,000 plants were found in the open areas, and it is suspected at least that many more in the closed areas. [3]

Among insects, there are dozens of species known only from Algodones or its neighboring areas, among which are: Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ...

• Pseudocotalpa andrewsi - (a scarab beetle)
• Pseudocotalpa sonorica - (a scarab beetle)
• Anomala hardyorum - (a scarab beetle)
• Megasoma sleeperi - (a scarab beetle)
• Trigonoscuta rothi rothi - (a weevil)
• Trigonoscuta rothi algodones - (a weevil)
• Trigonoscuta rothi imperialis - (a weevil)
• Trigonoscuta rothi punctata - (a weevil)
• Lepismadora algodones - (a buprestid beetle, the only member of its genus)
• Agrilus harenus - (a buprestid beetle)
• Prasinalia imperialis - (a buprestid beetle)
• Microbembex elegans - (a Sand wasp)
• Stictiella villegasi - (a Sand wasp)
• Plenoculus n. sp. - (a crabronid wasp)
• Perdita glamis - (an andrenid bee)
• Perdita algodones - (an andrenid bee)
• Perdita flavicincta - (an andrenid bee)
• Perdita frontalis - (an andrenid bee)
• Euparagia n. sp. - (a vespid wasp)
• Dasymutilla nocturna - (a velvet ant)

In August of 2006 Federal wildlife officials decided against a listing of these species under the Endangered Species Act, due primarily to insufficient documentation of their distribution and phenology; biological survey work is planned to address this. News Articles subfamily Aegialiinae Aphodiinae Cetoniinae Dynastinae Euchirinae Hopliinae Idiostominae Melolonthinae Orphninae Pachypodinae Phaenomerinae Phileurinae Rutelinae Scarabaeinae Sericinae Taurocerastinae Trichiinae Valginae The family Scarabaeidae consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. ... subfamily Aegialiinae Aphodiinae Cetoniinae Dynastinae Euchirinae Hopliinae Idiostominae Melolonthinae Orphninae Pachypodinae Phaenomerinae Phileurinae Rutelinae Scarabaeinae Sericinae Taurocerastinae Trichiinae Valginae The family Scarabaeidae consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. ... subfamily Aegialiinae Aphodiinae Cetoniinae Dynastinae Euchirinae Hopliinae Idiostominae Melolonthinae Orphninae Pachypodinae Phaenomerinae Phileurinae Rutelinae Scarabaeinae Sericinae Taurocerastinae Trichiinae Valginae The family Scarabaeidae consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. ... subfamily Aegialiinae Aphodiinae Cetoniinae Dynastinae Euchirinae Hopliinae Idiostominae Melolonthinae Orphninae Pachypodinae Phaenomerinae Phileurinae Rutelinae Scarabaeinae Sericinae Taurocerastinae Trichiinae Valginae The family Scarabaeidae consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. ... Families Nemonychidae - pine flower weevils Anthribidae - fungus weevils Belidae - primitive weevils Attelabidae - leaf rolling weevils Brentidae - straight snout weevils Caridae Ithyceridae - New York weevil Curculionidae - true weevils Wikispecies has information related to: Curculionoidea A weevil is a beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. ... Families Nemonychidae - pine flower weevils Anthribidae - fungus weevils Belidae - primitive weevils Attelabidae - leaf rolling weevils Brentidae - straight snout weevils Caridae Ithyceridae - New York weevil Curculionidae - true weevils Wikispecies has information related to: Curculionoidea A weevil is a beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. ... Families Nemonychidae - pine flower weevils Anthribidae - fungus weevils Belidae - primitive weevils Attelabidae - leaf rolling weevils Brentidae - straight snout weevils Caridae Ithyceridae - New York weevil Curculionidae - true weevils Wikispecies has information related to: Curculionoidea A weevil is a beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. ... Families Nemonychidae - pine flower weevils Anthribidae - fungus weevils Belidae - primitive weevils Attelabidae - leaf rolling weevils Brentidae - straight snout weevils Caridae Ithyceridae - New York weevil Curculionidae - true weevils Wikispecies has information related to: Curculionoidea A weevil is a beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. ... Genera about 450 genera The jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles are a family Buprestidae of beetles known for their glossy iridescent colors. ... Genera about 450 genera The jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles are a family Buprestidae of beetles known for their glossy iridescent colors. ... Genera about 450 genera The jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles are a family Buprestidae of beetles known for their glossy iridescent colors. ... Genera Bembecinus Bembix Bicyrtes Editha Glenostictia Microbembex Stictiella Stictia Zyzzyx, etc. ... Genera Bembecinus Bembix Bicyrtes Editha Glenostictia Microbembex Stictiella Stictia Zyzzyx, etc. ... Genera Many, see text Crabronidae (Latreille, 1802) is a family of wasps. ... Subfamilies Alocandreninae Andreninae Oxaeinae Panurginae The family Andrenidae is a large cosmopolitan bee family, with most of the diversity in temperate and/or arid areas, including some truly enormous genera (e. ... Subfamilies Alocandreninae Andreninae Oxaeinae Panurginae The family Andrenidae is a large cosmopolitan bee family, with most of the diversity in temperate and/or arid areas, including some truly enormous genera (e. ... Subfamilies Alocandreninae Andreninae Oxaeinae Panurginae The family Andrenidae is a large cosmopolitan bee family, with most of the diversity in temperate and/or arid areas, including some truly enormous genera (e. ... Subfamilies Alocandreninae Andreninae Oxaeinae Panurginae The family Andrenidae is a large cosmopolitan bee family, with most of the diversity in temperate and/or arid areas, including some truly enormous genera (e. ... Genera The vespids are a family of wasps, including all social wasps and some solitary wasps. ... Mutillidae or velvet ants, also known as cow killers, are not actually ants but a type of wasp. ... Phenology is the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena. ...

The Algodones Dunes from space. The Cargo Muchacho Mountains can be seen in the upper part of the image, beneath the clouds. A checkerboard pattern of farms in the Colorado River floodplain is visible on the Mexican side of the border (far right); the image is rotated about 50 degrees to the West.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x662, 459 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cargo Muchacho Mountains Algodones Dunes ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x662, 459 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cargo Muchacho Mountains Algodones Dunes ... Cargo Muchacho Mountains and the Algodones Dunes from space. ... The Colorado River from the bottom of Marble Canyon, in the Upper Grand Canyon Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River from Laughlin The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,330 km) long...

Trivia

The dunes were used to film parts of Tatooine in the Star Wars series of movies. In George Lucass Star Wars saga, Tatooine is the home planet of the Skywalker family, the setting for much of the action in the sagas films (as well as several of the novels and other pieces of written fiction) and one of the most iconic Star Wars planets. ... This article is about the series. ...

Also used for various Science Fiction movies in the 80's and 90's, including the popular movie Stargate starring Kurt Russell. Stargate is a science fiction/action film released in 1994, directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, with a soundtrack by David Arnold. ...

References

• Center for Biological Diversity
• North American Atlas 2006, pg. 17
• Algodones Dunefield, California. NASA Earth Observatory. Retrieved on 2006-05-01.
• Wilderness Net

NASA Earth Observatory is an online publication of NASA where the public can access satellite imagery and scientific information about our planet for free. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

External links

• Glamis Picture Gallery
• Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area - Dune Guide
• Glamis Sand Dunes on Dirtopia