· Driest of the Dry
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
· Looking Ahead

Global 200 Snapshot

The Atacama-Sechura Deserts ecoregion has distinctive desert plants, particularly ferns, cone-bearing plants, cacti, and flowering plants. This Global 200 ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Sechura desert; Atacama desert

Driest of the Dry

Deserts are defined by being dry, so it might seem hard to judge which one is actually the driest. But scientists seem to agree that it might be the Atacama-Sechura Deserts ecoregion, where some areas receive virtually no rain. Even with so little moisture, however, this ecoregion supports hundreds of species of plants, as well as diverse animal communities.

Special Features

The Atacama-Sechura Deserts ecoregion stretches for about 1,300 miles (3,500 km) from north to south. The ecoregion is bordered by mountains and isn’t nearly as hot as some deserts, with average temperatures ranging from only 66° F (19° C) in winter to 72° F (22° C) in summer. Rivers such as the Cascajal and the Piura flow from the Andes Mountains through the ecoregion but usually disappear quickly into the sandy plains and gravel beds. Most of the moisture in the ecoregion comes from fog and low clouds, although there are some underground water sources in the Atacama.

The Atacama-Sechura Deserts are so dry mainly because of their position along the Pacific Ocean. When the Humboldt current brings cold water from the Antarctic to the Pacific, it creates cold air at the surface of the ocean but warm air higher up. This produces a lot of fog and low clouds but no rain. Some parts of the ecoregion are so influenced by the Humboldt current that they can go without rain for years.

Wild Side

It can’t be easy to grow in a place as dry as the Atacama-Sechura Deserts, but about 550 species of ferns, cone-bearing plants, and flowering plants rise to the challenge. More than half of these survive by absorbing moisture from fog and dew and are well adapted to conditions in the ecoregion. Some species are very rare and have only recently been discovered, including some cacti, members of the dogwood family, and a kind of bromeliad. Endemic birds include the slender-billed finch, great Inca-finch, and Raimondi's yellow-finch, as well as the pied-crested tit-tyrant. Guanacos and sea lions are two species of mammals found along the coast.

Cause for Concern

A lot of people live near the Atacama-Sechura Deserts. Cities and towns are expanding and more roads are being constructed. Mining, cutting of firewood, commercial plant collection, and livestock grazing pose major threats to this ecoregion.

Looking Ahead

Check back soon for more about the conservation of this ecoregion.