The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range on the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. It lies at the southern end of the peninsula in the state of Baja California Sur, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges. Baja California (highlighted) Baja California or Lower California is a peninsula in the west of Mexico. ... Baja California Sur is one of the 31 States of Mexico, occupying the part of the Baja California Peninsula south of the 28th parallel. ... The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges which stretch 900 miles from southern California to the southern tip of Baja California, part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. ...

The southern tip of the peninsula, including the Sierra de la Laguna, was formerly an island, and it has a distinctive flora and fauna, with many affinities to southern Mexico. The Sierra is home to many endemic species and subspecies. The dry San Lucan xeric scrub extends from the coast to 250 meters elevation. The Sierra de la Laguna dry forests occupy lower portion of the range, from 250 to 800 meters elevation. Above 800 meters elevation, the dry forests transition to the Sierra de la Laguna pine-oak forests. The composition of the pine-oak forests varies with elevation; oak woodlands predominate from 800 to 1200 meters elevation, with oak-pine woodlands between 1200 and 1600 meters elevation, transitioning to pine-oak forests above 1600 meters elevation. The predominant pine is a local subspecies of Mexican Pinyon, Pinus cembroides subsp. lagunae. In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or one of various ways of being not native (e. ... The Sierra de la Laguna dry forests are a subtropical dry forest ecoregion of the southern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. ... Species About 115. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Limber Pine woodland, Toiyabe Range, central Nevada Biologically, a woodland is differentiated from a forest. ... Binomial name Pinus cembroides Zucc. ...

The forests are exploited commercially for timber, and cattle-raising is common in the oak woodland and dry forest zones. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lumber. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called cows in vernacular usage, or kine [archaic]) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ...

UNESCO has designated the Sierra de la Laguna a global biosphere reserve: "This semi arid to temperate subhumid climate area represents highly important and contrasted ecosystems, including arid zones, matorrales, low deciduous forest type, evergreen oak: Quercus devia (“encino”) woods, pine-evergreen oak mix woods and oases with palms and “guerivos” situated throughout the gallery forest following the long river basins." The Biosphere reserve was established by a Mexican presidential decree of 6 June 1994, which designated a core area and buffer zones. The core area is centered on the higher-elevation oak-pine forests, while the transition area includes the communities of Todos Santos, El Pescadero, El Triunfo, San Antonio, San Bartolo, Buena Vista, Los Barriles, Las Cuevas, Santiago and Miraflores. UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Matorral is a Spanish word for shrubland. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV in Roman) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

External link

• Sierra de la Laguna (UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Directory)