sonoran biodiversity

10 Aug sonoran biodiversity

The summer is almost over, and I’ve learned so much working in Saguaro National Park. I have worked in different projects, and I’ve had the chance to meet and work with amazing people. Most of the time we worked in the field, and during this time we’ve encountered plants and animals that I’ve never seen before. The Sonoran Desert is full of wildlife that includes insects, reptiles, plants, mammals, etc. some of which are endemic to the Sonoran Desert, like the Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). Sometimes I feel that the desert is underappreciated, even in the scientific literature most of the research is usually done in forest ecosystems for example. But the desert is much as active as any other environment. One of my goals this summer was to learn more about the Sonoran Desert, and I definitely did. Although I come from a similar background (Chihuahuan Desert), I thought wildlife was going to be pretty much the same, but I was wrong. Even though both are desert ecosystems, they have their own characteristics that makes them unique in each way. There is something new to learn everyday in Saguaro National Park. My stay in the park will last the whole year and I’m really excited to see what comes ahead. I hope to keep sharing these exciting adventures, but for now I’ll share some wildlife pictures that I took while I was working on the field, and that I thought were really cool!