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Mojave Desert!
MOJAVE DESERT PLANTS and ANIMALS
The Mojave Desert (Mojave is used for the desert while Mohave is used for the native people) occupies a significant portion of southern California and smaller parts of southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, and northwestern Arizona, in the United States. Named after the Mohave tribe of Native Americans, it occupies over 22,000 mi² (35,000 km²) in a typical Basin and Range topography.
The Mojave Desert is bounded in part by the Tehachapi together with the San
Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges. The mountain boundaries are quite
distinct since they are outlined by the two largest faults in California: the
San Andreas and the Garlock. Its northern and eastern boundaries are less
distinct. One way to determine entry is by observing the presence of Joshua
Trees. The desert is believed to have
between 1,750 and 2,000 species of plants.
Climate
The Mojave Desert receives less than 6 inches (150 mm) of rain a year and is
generally between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (1,000 and 2,000 m) in elevation. The
Mojave Desert also contains the Mojave National Preserve and the lowest and
hottest place in North America:
Death
Valley, where the temperature normally
approaches 120°F (50°C) in late July and early August. Despite its aridity, the
Mojave (and particularly the Antelope Valley in its southwest) has long been a
center of alfalfa production, fed by irrigation coming from groundwater and (in
the 20th century) from the California Aqueduct.
The Mojave, like all deserts in general, is known for its summer heat; however,
much less renowned is the Mojave's wintertime cold. Snow, although uncommon,
does fall in parts of the Mojave. Amounts range from just a trace to a foot or
more of heavy wet snow which can lead to freeway traffic closures and being
"snowed in". The coldest wintertime temperature ranges have been below freezing
yet above 0°F. That said, many parts of the Mojave typically range from highs of
around 95–105°F in the summer to lows of around 20–30°F in the winter.
Wind is also a weather factor. Las Vegas, situated on the desert's east, may
have relatively few winds, but the community of Mojave, situated at its western
end, can have wind nearly every day — even winds surpassing fifty miles per
hour. Nearby Tehachapi Pass, due to the high likelihood of reliable wind, is
home to an extensive electrical Wind turbine "Wind farm" which converts wind, a
renewable-clean-resource, into electricity.
The Mojave Desert contains a number of ghost towns, the most significant of
these being the silver-mining town of Calico, California and the old railroad
depot of Kelso. Some of the other ghost towns are of the more modern variety,
created when Route 66 (and the lesser-known US Highway 91) were abandoned in
favor of the Interstates. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways
Interstate 15, Interstate 40, US Highway 395 and US Highway 95.
More Books about the Mojave Desert
Among the more popular and unique tourist attractions in the Mojave is the self
described World's Largest Thermometer at 135 feet high, reportedly also the
highest °F temperature ever recorded in the region, which is located along
Interstate 15 in Baker, California. Kelso Dunes is also a popular recreation
spot.
The Mojave River is an important source of water in this arid land. A part of
the Colorado River also traverses its far eastern portion.
The Mojave Desert is not entirely rural as a few cities do exist there. Las
Vegas, Nevada is the Mojave's largest city and metropolitan area. Palmdale is
the largest city by population on the California side of the desert and is part
of the Lancaster/Palmdale Urbanized Area, a U.S. Census Bureau defined term.
Other incorporated cities include Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Laughlin in
Nevada; Victorville, Barstow, Ridgecrest, and Needles in California; and
Hurricane, St. George, Santa Clara, and Washington in Utah.
Angelenos often refer to its southwestern portions, the Antelope Valley and the
Victor Valley, as the High Desert.
Native Mojave plants and animals
Plants
Joshua Tree
Jumping Cholla
Teddy-bear Cholla
Mojave yucca
Mojave sage
desert lily
Animals
Chuckwalla
Desert horned lizard
Desert iguana
Desert kit fox
Desert tortoise
Fringe-toed lizard
Rattlesnake (Mojave Green and Western Diamondback)
Zebra-tailed lizard
The source of this article is
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this
article is licensed under the
GFDL
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