Araya and Paria xeric scrub

Araya and Paria xeric scrub (NT1301)
Stenocereus heptagonus on the Macanao Peninsula of Margarita Island
Ecology
Realm	Neotropical
Biome	Deserts and xeric shrublands
Geography
Area	5,180 km2 (2,000 sq mi)
Countries	Venezuela
Coordinates	10°32′38″N 63°15′29″W / 10.544°N 63.258°W / 10.544; -63.258Coordinates: 10°32′38″N 63°15′29″W / 10.544°N 63.258°W / 10.544; -63.258

The Araya and Paria xeric scrub (NT1301) is an ecoregion in Venezuela that stretches along the Caribbean coast to the west of Trinidad, and that includes Margarita Island and some smaller islands. The ecoregion includes dune herbs, dry thorn scrubs and deciduous forests. The mountains on Margarita Island hold montane forests similar to those in the mainland coastal range. The beaches are used for breeding by sea turtles. Some endemic bird species are threatened with extinction by illegal capture for the pet trade. Deforestation and over-grazing by goats are also problems.

The west of the ecoregion covers the Araya Peninsula and the coastal area around Cumaná to the south of the peninsula. The ecoregion covers the coastal area to the east of the Araya Peninsula, and extends over parts of the Paria Peninsula. It excludes two mountain areas of the Paria peninsula, which are in the Cordillera de la Costa montane forests ecoregion. To the north it includes the Margarita, Cubagua and Coche islands in the Caribbean. It has an area of 517,997 hectares (1,280,000 acres).

Parts of the coast of the mainland and Margarita Island are lined with Amazon-Orinoco-Southern Caribbean mangroves. To the south the Araya and Paria xeric scrub transitions into La Costa xeric shrublands. The most northern arm of the Orinoco Delta swamp forests reaches the ecoregion in the east.

The region is part of the Venezuelan Coastal Range, formed during the Tertiary period. The rocks are mostly schist and gneisses, in some places underlain by granites. The soils are mostly entisols and ultisols.