02b_Deserts

Views:
 
     
 

Presentation Description

No description available.

Comments

Presentation Transcript

DESERTS OF THE SOUTHWEST : 

DESERTS OF THE SOUTHWEST Great Basin Mojave Chihuahuan Sonoran

MAP : 

MAP Great Basin-- Great Basin NP Mojave-- Death Valley NP Sonoran-- Saguaro NP Chihuahuan-- Big Bend NP

GREAT BASIN DESERT : 

GREAT BASIN DESERT Precipitation: year-round; more than half falls as snow (cold desert). Vegetation: mostly a few species of low, small-leafed shrubs; very few trees, succulents, or annuals. Indicator Species: Big Sagebrush Photo by Tom Van Devender

MOJAVE DESERT : 

MOJAVE DESERT Precipitation: mostly winter rain. Vegetation: mostly low shrubs; in wet years may have many annuals. Few trees and succulents. Indicator Species: Joshua Tree Photo by Mark Chidlaw

CHIHUAHUAN DESERT : 

CHIHUAHUAN DESERT Precipitation: mostly summer rain Vegetation: mainly low shrubs, leaf succulents, and small cactuses. Trees are rare. Indicator Species: Tarbush Photo by Mark Chidlaw MacMahon 1985

SONORAN : 

SONORAN Precipitation: winter and summer rain. Mild winters differentiate from other NA deserts. Vegetation: diverse, including trees, shrubs, succulents, and annuals. Indicator Species: Columnar Cactuses (e.g., saguaro) and Leguminous Trees (e.g., paloverde)

MAP: SonoranDesert : 

MAP: SonoranDesert Arizona Upland Subdivision -- Location of Tucson, AZ

BIOTIC COMMUNITIES : 

Plant and animal life changes with elevation, from desert scrub to desert grassland to oak woodland to pine forest, to spruce-fir forest, and finally to alpine tundra. These different plant-animal communities may be arbitrarily separated into separate biotic communities BIOTIC COMMUNITIES

SKY ISLANDS : 

These biotic communities (e.g., Ponderosa Pine forest) are isolated from other such communities by the distance separating mountain ranges. These isolated mountains and their biotic communities are referred to as sky islands. SKY ISLANDS

RIPARIAN HABITATS : 

Riparian habitat occurrs beside permanent and temporary streams (dry washes) and other sources of water. Support at least 80% of vertebrate species despite occupying less than 5% of the area. Disappearing RIPARIAN HABITATS