The Chihuahuan Desert in northern Mexico is crossed by the Río Conchos and includes the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve.
It is a high-elevation desert spread across parts of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Compared with the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan has extensive grasslands, shrublands, mountain ranges, and broad desert basins. Creosote bush, yuccas, agaves, and other drought-adapted plants are common.
The Río Conchos is one of the most important rivers in the Chihuahuan Desert and a major tributary of the Río Grande. Its water supports agriculture and settlements in an otherwise dry region. The Mapimí Biosphere Reserve protects desert ecosystems in the Mexican state of Durango.
The Chihuahuan Desert is often confused with the Sonoran Desert because both cross the Mexico-United States border. Their elevations, rainfall patterns, vegetation, and geographic distributions differ substantially.