Algodones Dunes
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The Algodones Dunes are located southeast of the Salton Sea in southern California at the border with Arizona and Baja California del Norte, 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 eastern 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).
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, as it was closed as part of the 1994 California Desert Protection Act, a large "green strip" of vegetation can be seen on both the north and south sides of California State Route 78 extending several miles south through the vehicular recreation area. 25,890 acres of dunes north of State Highway 78 has been protected as the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness by the federal government in the early 1980s. 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, 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".
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[edit] Endemic species
As they are the largest dune ecosystem in the nation, 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 if so, the region overall is nonetheless biologically unique on a global scale.
For example, among plants, there is the only species from the Algodones presently on the Endangered Species List:
- 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. Over 71,000 plants were found in the open areas, and it is suspected at least that many more in the closed areas. [2]
Among insects, there are dozens of species known only from Algodones or its neighboring areas, among which are:
- 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 that a listing under the Endangered Species Act of 16 insects was not warranted. News Articles
[edit] Trivia
The dunes were used to film parts of Tatooine in the Star Wars series of movies.
Also used for various Science Fiction movies in the 80's and 90's, including the popular Stargate SG-1 starring Kurt Russell.
[edit] References
- Center for Biological Diversity - [3]
- North American Atlas 2006, pg. 17
- Algodones Dunefield, California. NASA Earth Observatory. Retrieved on 2006-05-01.
- Wilderness Net - [4]
