Deserts, NevadaEcology

Desert Biome Less than 25 cm rain/year May be hot or cold Animals: scorpions, lizards, snakes,

birds Plants: cacti, sagebrush, grasses Both flora and fauna are adapted to

conserve water.

Fun Facts 3,872 known species in Nevada

2,875 are plant species 309 species found only in Nevada Only 10 states are richer in biodiversity than Nevada

*Endemic: term used for a native species not found anywhere else

*Major Ecoregions

*Great Basin*Mojave Desert

*Columbia Plateau

*Sierra Nevada

Fun Fact:68 Percent of NV is covered

by which ecoregion??

Great Basin Ecoregion*“Cold desert” - Most precipitation falls in the winter

*Landlocked drainage basin - Rivers have no natural outlet to the ocean

*Bordered by mountains (Rockies, Sierra Nevada)

Great Basin Fauna

rattlesnake soundhttp://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/rattlesnakesounds.html

*Rattlesnake

*Mountain lion

Lizards

Bighorn sheep

Mojave Ecoregion*Located in southern NV (Las Vegas)Fewer mountain ranges and broader valleys than Great Basin

Temperatures range from 110 degrees in the summer to 25 degrees in the winter

*Receives less water than the other NV ecoregionsUsually less than 5 inches of rain, can get several feet of snow at the higher elevations

Lower Sonoran (below 400ft)Upper Sonoran (4000-5000ft)

*Joshua Tree

White Bursage

*YuccaAlso numerous cacti throughout the ecoregion

*Desert Tortoise Barrel Cactus

Flora and Fauna of the Mojave

Creosote

Columbia Plateau

*Located in northern NV*Contains tablelands, intermountain basins, dissected lava plains and scattered mountains

*Cooler climate

*Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk

Lower elevations – *juniper

Higher elevations – *Douglas fir and aspen

Flora and Fauna of the Columbia Plateau

Sierra Nevada Ecoregion*Higher in elevation, receive more

precipitation than the other regionsRivers like Truckee and Walker provide water

to Great BasinMany mountain lakes and meadow/prairie

areasAt the highest elevations, alpine conditions

exist

Eastern slopes – white fir and lodgepole pine

Western slops - Jeffery pine and lodgepole pine

Higher elevations – red fir, mountain hemlock, western white pine

Flora of the Sierra Nevada*Primarily

Coniferous forest

Fauna of the Sierra Nevada

Black Bears Clark’s

Nutcracker