Mojave desert

Mojave desert

Mojave desert is the driest desert in North America, located in the south-western part of North America. It is found between Southern Nevada and South Eastern California and lies on one hundred and twenty-four thousand kilometers square. Some of the Mojave deserts extend towards Arizona and Utah. It borders on Colorado plateau to the East, the Great Basin Desert to the North, Sonoran, and Colorado deserts to the South. Other topographical boundaries include; Inyo and Sierra Nevada mountains in Northwest, Sierra Pelona Ridge and Tehachapi Mountains to the West, San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains to the South. Two rivers run across it; Mojave and Colorado. The boundaries created are distinctly outlined by two California faults- Garlock and San Andreas. It is within (35° 0.5’N, 115° 28.5’W) longitudinal and latitudinal measures. Mojave desert shows regular basin and range topographical outlines. In this study, I intend to discuss Mojave basin and range, climatic conditions, characteristics of organisms that exist there and summarized ecological research.

The Mojave Desert experiences below fifty-one millimeters of rain annually and is between two thousand and five thousand feet in elevation terms. Elevations above two thousand feet are known as High Desert. Elevations below five hundred feet are referred to as Low Desert. Mojave contains both high desert and low desert elevations. A higher percentage of the Mojave consists of the high desert. At the same time, Death Valley, which is only two hundred and eighty feet below sea level, levels up to cause a temperature of 49°c between the end of June and the beginning of August. Utah contains Zion National park, which is at the junction of Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Desert, Mojave. Despite all the aridic conditions, Mojave has, for a long time, been famous for the production of fodder, motivated by groundwater and California Aqueduct.

Mojave basin and range experience extreme temperature changes and several distinct seasons. Months within the winter season have bearable temperatures during the day. From time to time, they reduce to about 25°F equivalent to -4°C on the valley floor points and below 0°F or -18°C at the highest of elevation zones. Storms from the Pacific Ocean can cause rain and even snow in some places. Rainshadow caused by the the Sierra Nevada and mountain ranges brings forth a windy and cloudy atmosphere. In the occurrence of long storm periods, temperatures in the valleys can kick up to 27°C (80°F). Weather conditions in the spring period result from the influence of Pacific storms. However, rainfall is typical and happens mostly before April. Through to early June, Pacific storms rarely affect the region’s weather, so temperatures recorded after mid-May are above 32°C (90°F) and often above 38°C (100°F). Summer conditions are marked by excessive heat production. On the valley floors, temperatures shoot above 49°C (120°F), and lowest elevation zones experience up to 54°C (130°F). Factors like high temperatures, low pressure, and humidity, pull moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and cause thunderstorms, termed as North American monsoon, which cut across the desert towards the southwest. As much as Mojave fails to experience rainfall like the Sonoran desert, the monsoon moisture causes thunderstorms in Central valley in California from the middle of June to the beginning of September. The weather in Autumn is the most pleasant, with around one or two storms from the Pacific, which leads to rain occurrences in the region. Mojave experiences October as one of the driest and hottest periods, with average temperatures playing along 21°C (70°F) and 32°C (90°F) on the low elevation points. Second, to heat, the wind is another vital weather aspect in Mojave. Windy days are frequent across the region and in areas closer to the California and Mojave border points because they low elevation zones, including Tehachapi, Soledad Canyon, and Cajon Pass areas. Around June, cooler air travels from Southern California to the central parts of the desert. During Santa Ana wind, warmer air travels from the central parts of the desert to coastal areas and the Los Angeles basin. The wind is utilized around farms in these areas as a source of power generation.

A lot of travelers have the notion that deserts in California are desolate, wasted lands that bear monotonous creosote thickets. On more profound research, they get to discover a diverse plant life with amazing adaptation techniques for desert survival. Because of high desert temperatures and low rainfall amounts, evaporation supersedes precipitation. For coping purposes, plants have had to evolve in terms of structure and physiology for minimization of moisture loss. The drought-resistant plants are best known as xerophytes and are in various forms. First, are the annual plants. They tend to germinate, grow, flower, seed, and die within a single year. In this way, they escape drought in the seed stage. Second are the succulent plants which store moisture in leaves and stems. They also have wax cuticles to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the leaves’ surfaces. The third type of desert plants is shrubs. They are the commonest in California. Most of them are drought deciduous; they drop leaves to reduce moisture loss by the process of transpiration as soon as conditions become unfavorable. Others are drought enduring and maintain their evergreen leaves all year round, withstanding heat through their formation of divided surfaces of the leaves or the hairy nature on the leaves that reflect sunlight. The fourth xerophyte type is Joshua tree woodland. It is quite a unique plant to Mojave. They thrive best in elevation zones between two thousand five hundred and four thousand five hundred feet as they receive six to fifteen inches of rain. There are so many other plants found in these arid areas and have different adaptations. Some trees have deep roots to reach water table underground, there are plants with spikes to prevent moisture transpiration, and there are plants whose leaves overlap to stop water loss. Mojave is also home to many animal species that adapt individual lifestyles to survive sparse vegetation and water. First, desert horned lizards survive by feeding on various insects in the area. Second, venomous rattlesnakes feed on critters. Third, kangaroos survive by being on the lookout from predators. Being on the run under such horrid climatic conditions, they sweat minimally as they canes afford water loss. Fourth, cougars feed on large animals whenever possible, but also feed on tiny critters when they cannot find a deer or antelope. Lastly are the hawks, which spot preys and avoid predators easily from sky view.