The Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Region

The Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Region (MCDBR) is a vast area of 25 million acres - the size of Ohio – stretching from Death Valley National Park in the north all the way to the U.S. – Mexico border in the south. It contains North America’s hottest, driest, and lowest places, thousands of desert-adapted species, generations of human history, and opportunities for rural economic development. The MCDBR and its partners collaborate to conserve our region’s natural and cultural landscapes, and to maintain the benefits that they provide to the natural world and society. The Death Valley National Park is proud to be one of the MCDBR’s core conservation areas, together with Mojave National Preserve/Castle Mountains National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Beyond these protected areas, the MCDBR also includes working lands, military installations, tribal nations, and communities totaling around one million residents.

What is a Biosphere Region?

The biosphere is the thin upper zone of the Earth where land, water, and air interact to support life. It is the sum of all ecosystems around the world. Simply put, the biosphere is where all life on Earth exists. Biosphere regions (or sometimes biosphere reserves) are specific sites around the globe with special ecological, economic, and cultural significance. They are recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Programme. UNESCO recognition of biosphere regions in the U.S does not affect private property rights or impact on the sovereign jurisdiction of the United States or the authorities of local, state, tribal and federal governments.Biosphere Regions work on projects that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Work is supported by the three pillars:

1. Conservation: Contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species, and cultural heritage.

2. Development: Foster economic and human development that is socially compatible and environmentally sustainable.

3. Logistic Support: Provide support for projects, education and training, and research and monitoring.

What does the MCDBR Do?

Many of the issues the region faces are larger than one land management agency or one community. The scale of work required to ensure a healthy, sustainable future rises to the landscape level. We believe that this vision can be accomplished together, through collaborative conservation and sustainable development.The MCDBR is a voluntary, internationally recognized partnership open to local, state, and federal agencies, tribal governments, nonprofits, universities, working lands, community groups, and the private sector working to connect people and nature. The MCDBR facilitates the sharing of knowledge and best practices at the regional, national, and international scales through our membership in the United States Biosphere Network and World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Learn More

• To learn more about how Biosphere Regions and National Parks work together, click here

• For a video from UNESCO featuring Biosphere Regions from around the world, click here

• To view a map of all the Biosphere Regions in the United States, click here [USBN map]

• Discover more ways that Death Valley National Park works together with other parks and partners around the region and the world: Inventory & Monitoring Network, International Dark Sky Park

Explore the beauty and culture of the special places in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Region. Plan before you go to ensure your safety and enjoyment!