Sierra Blanca: Plants and Their Pollinators During and After El Niño

“Sierra Blanca: Plants and Their Pollinators During and After El Niño” is a satellite expedition designed to document this climatic phenomenon on one of the most emblematic mountains in the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California. With abundant winter rainfall expected, this event offers an ideal opportunity to monitor the region as native species emerge from dormancy and germinate from their seed banks. We will also examine how these and other temporary conditions may influence the presence of pollinators associated with Baja California’s flora.

From November 2026 to September 2027, a series of monthly visits will be conducted at the site. The monitoring will focus on identifying and locating native, endemic, threatened, and rare species to produce an inventory of vascular plants and their associated pollinators. Because the area has previously been visited by botanists specializing in the northwestern Baja California Peninsula, historical records provide a valuable baseline for comparing previously documented species with those expected to occur based on past collections.

From the mountain peaks of Sierra Blanca, which rise to 1,320 meters above sea level, to its chaparral, valleys, and riparian vegetation, these landscapes provide more than a refuge for flora and fauna. They also hold significant biocultural importance for the Kumiai community of San Antonio Necua, whose members live along the mountain’s foothills and depend on the organisms and bodies of water with which they share the territory.