Northern Mexico’s Landscape, Part II: The Biotic Setting across Time

An understanding of the terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems of northern Mexico (i.e., the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico north of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt; see fig. 1.1) must begin with an appreciation of past and current physical forces. Natural communities and ecosystems...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBiodiversity, Ecosystems, And Conservation In Northern Mexico
Main Authors Ferrusquía-Villafranca, Ismael, González-Guzmán, Laura I.
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, NY Oxford University Press 25.08.2005
Subjects
Biodivsersity and Conservation Biology
Invertebrates
Plant Sciences and Forestry
modified
terrestrial
climate
played
years
ecosystems
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Summary:An understanding of the terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems of northern Mexico (i.e., the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico north of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt; see fig. 1.1) must begin with an appreciation of past and current physical forces. Natural communities and ecosystems are dynamic over a wide range of tem-poral and spatial scales, and as demonstrated in chapter 1, they have been modified by geological events that occurred over tens of millions of years. Plate tectonic activity, volcanism, marine transgres-sion, and the associated shifts in climate and soil types all have played a large role in establishing the heterogeneity of current habitats and the distribu-tion of contemporary species and communities.
ISBN:9780195156720
0195156722
DOI:10.1093/oso/9780195156720.003.0003