page_title: Paraguana xeric scrub
section_title: Inland regions
hierarchical_section_title: Paraguana xeric scrub / Ecology / Inland regions
caption_attribution_description: Español: Asentamiento informal en las afueras de la ciudad de Barquisimeto. Lara. Venezuela English: Shanty town on the out of the city of Barquisimeto. Lara. Venezuela
context_page_description: The Paraguana xeric scrub is an ecoregion in Venezuela to the north and east of Lake Maracaibo along the Caribbean coast.
  The region holds flora and fauna adapted to the very dry conditions of the coastal dunes and inland areas of bush, scrub, briars and cacti.
  There are several endangered species of animals and birds.
  Efforts at protecting the environment have been ineffective.
  Most of the original trees have been cut down, dunes are being destabilized by loss of vegetation, scrub is replaced by farmland and vegetation is destroyed by grazing goats.
context_section_description: The bush lands are a transitional habitat between dry forests and briars.
  They contain trees under 5 metres (16 ft) high and bushy plants.
  The low and even storey is mainly composed of Opuntia caracasana, Lippia origanoides and Croton flavens.
  Many annual plants spring up in the rainy season.
  The most common species include Croton heliaster, Borreria cumanensis, Caesalpinia mollis, Randia gaumeri, Jacquinia aristata, Caesalpinia coriaria, Pithecellobium dulce, Capparis odoratissima, Capparis linearis, Caesalpinia coriaria, Pereskia guamacho, Prosopis juliflora, Stenocereus griseus, Malpighia species, Bursera tomentosa and Morisonia americana.
  The scrub contains low bushy plants from 3–8 metres (9.8–26.2 ft) high, mostly very dense, and may be seen as degraded deciduous forests.
  Many of the species have thorns, spines, and prickles. 
  Common species include Prosopis juliflora, Castela erecta, Stenocereus griseus, Opuntia caracasana, Croton crassifolius, Ipomoea carnea, and Parkinsonia praecox.
  The driest parts of the arid and semi-arid areas hold dense or sparse vegetation of stunted thorny bushes and cacti.
  The areas where cacti columns are most common are called cardonales. 
  Common bush species include Castela erecta, Prosopis juliflora, Parkinsonia praecox, Bourreria cumanensis, Pithecellobium dulce, Vachellia tortuosa, Acacia flexuosa, Stenocereus griseus, Opuntia caribea, Ipomoea carnea, Croton heliotropiifolius, Ipomoea carnea, Indigofera suffruticosa, Tephrosia senna, Aristida venezuelae, Calotropis procera and Capraria biflora.
  Common cacti include Acanthocereus tetragonus, Cereus hexagonus, Opuntia elatior and Pilosocereus lanuginosus.
caption: Shanty town on the outskirts of Barquisimeto
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