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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 regions
Rivers like Truckee and Walker provide water to Great
Basin
Many mountain lakes and meadow/prairie areas
At 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