Central Basin and Range from space |
|
Central Basin and Range ecoregion (13) |
|
| Ecology | |
|---|---|
| Ecozone | Nearctic |
| Biome | North American Desert |
| Borders | Northern Basin and Range (ecoregion) (80), Sierra Nevada (ecoregion) (5) and Wasatch and Uinta Mountains (ecoregion) (19) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Nevada, Utah, California and Idaho |
The Central Basin and Range ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with 26 different Level IV ecoregions.[1] Its northern boundary is determined by the highest historical shoreline of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville.
| code | |
|---|---|
| 13a | Salt Deserts |
| 13b | Shadscale-Dominated Saline Basins |
| 13c | Sagebrush Basins Sagebrush Slopes |
| 13d | Woodland Low Mountains Shrub-Covered Low Mountains |
| 13e | Carbonate High Elevation Mountains |
| 13g | Wetlands |
| 13h | Lahontan Playas Tonopah Playas |
| 13j | Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin |
| 13k | Lahontan Sagebrush Slopes |
| 13l | Lahontan Uplands |
| 13m | Upper Humboldt Plains |
| 13n | Mid-Elevation Ruby Mountains |
| 13o | High Elevation Ruby Mountains |
| 13p | Carbonate Sagebrush Valleys |
| 13q | Carbonate Woodland |
| 13r | Central Nevada High Valleys |
| 13s | Central Nevada Mid-Slope Woodland Central Nevada Mid-Slope Brushland |
| 13t | Central Nevada Bald Mountains |
| 13u | Tonopah Basin |
| 13v | Tonopah Sagebrush Foothills |
| 13w | Tonopah Uplands |
| 13x | Sierra Nevada-Influenced Ranges |
| 13y | Sierra Nevada-Influenced High Elevation Mountains |
| 13z | Upper Lahontan Basin |
| 13aa | Sierra Nevada-Influenced Semiarid Hills Sierra Nevada-Influenced Semiarid Basins |
Salt deserts within the Central Basin and Range ecoregion are geographic sinks between 41°N and 37.5°N latitude of Nevada. The Level IV ecoregions are generally surrounded by Shadscale-Dominated Saline Basins and are in low valleys. The largest occupies most of the Goshute Valley which is ~700 sq mi (1,800 km2), and the smallest is south of the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge.[1] The 19 salt deserts of the Central Basin and Range are in various Nevada valleys:[1]