PINACATE BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MEXICO The Pinacate Biosphere Reserve lies in the state of Sonora (Mexico) just south of the border with the USA. It covers more than 1500 km2 (600 square miles) and is a unique landscape of volcanic cones, lava formations and Sonoran desert plants. The desert plant and animal communities are similar to those in other parts of the Sonoran Desert, although there is a distinctive variety of the pronghorn antelope and a large population of the desert stink beetle (Pinacate beetle; not on this server). This is a hostile landscape, with little rain and temperatures above 40oC in summer. Plants typically are widely spaced in the low-lying areas covered by a layer of cinder, or they root in cracks in the uplifted lava formations. Click on the thumbnails for text and larger images:
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