Blue Planet Biomes – Mojave Desert Biome
The Mojave or Mohave
Desert, is the smallest of the four North American deserts.
It lies in South Eastern California at 35° to 36°
latitude North and 115° to 117° longitude East.
The Mojave Desert is situated between the Great Basin Desert
to the north (a cold desert) and the Sonoran desert to the
south (a hot desert). The Colorado River runs through the
east of it, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the
west.
The Mojave Desert is
special because it has a little bit of everything. People
refer to the Mojave Desert as a “high desert” because it has
an elevation of 2,000 to 5,000 feet. It changes from a cold
desert in the northern section and a hot desert in the
southern section. The Mojave Desert covers 25,000 square
miles. There are some fascinating features to be found in
this desert, especially the Kelso Dunes. The Kelso Dunes are
the largest of the Mojave dune fields, reaching 500 to 600
feet in height. When you run down these dunes you can hear
an unusual “barking” sound. It is not entirely understood
yet but some people believe that grains of quartz and
feldspar rubbing against each other cause it.
It is a desert
filled with desert scrub like the Brittlebush,
Creosote Bush,
Joshua Tree, and
the Sagebrush. The Joshua tree is found in no other place in
the world, except in some places in the Mojave
Desert.
The Mojave Desert
lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The
hot, moist air from the Pacific Ocean goes up the Sierra
Nevadas and is turned back by the cold air in the mountains.
Although some of the rain goes over the mountains, most of
it is evaporated by the hot air of the desert before it can
reach the ground. The Mojave Desert is considered a dry
desert because of the rain shadow effect. Rainfall in the
Mojave is very changeable from day to night, and can range
from 2.23 to 2.5 inches a year. A large amount of rain that
the Mojave gets is in the winter season from October to
March.
Animals of the
Mojave have light colored feathers and fur to reflect the
light of the sun. Desert tortoises
have a good adaptation for the desert. They can store up to
one quart of water in their bladder. They feed on plants in
the spring so that they have enough water to last them the
rest of the year.
Plants have
adaptations also, such as shallow root systems, spines, and
thorns. Shallow root systems can easily absorb rain because
they are so close to the surface. Spines store water by
expanding like an accordion. In addition, thorns protect the
plants from danger.
The Mojave Desert is
jeopardized by large cities, such as Los Angeles, which are
spreading rapidly through the desert. Military bases are
moving in, and farms are developing along the Colorado
River. Off-road vehicles are ruining the desert by churning
up sand and destroying the shallow root systems. Due to
wells and agriculture, the underground water tables are
dropping to very low levels. In spite of all these dangers,
half of the desert remains in it original
condition.
Christopher R. 2001
Bibliography:
“Mojave Desert.”
Academic American Encyclopedia. Grolier Inc.
“Mojave Desert,
California, Nevada, and Utah.” http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/ca/mojave.htm
“One World Magazine:
Deserts.” (Rev. 1996). http://www.oneworldmagazine.org/focus/deserts/toced.htm
Adams, J., Holland,
B., and Orians, G. “Welcome to the High Desert.” (Rev.
1999). http://www.islandpress.com/
Alonso, Alejandro
“The Mojave Desert Field Study.” (Rev. 1994).
http://www.bcf.edu/~aaloso/Academic/mojave.html
Royo, A.R. “The
Mojave Desert.” http://www.desertusa.com/du_mojave.html
Royo, A.R. “The
North American Deserts.” (Rev. 2001). http://www.desertusa.com/glossary.html
Woodward, Susan L.
“Desert Scrub.” (Rev. 1997). http://www.runet.edu/~swoodward/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/desert/desert.html
Woodward, Susan L.
“North American Deserts.” (Rev. 1996). http://www.runet.edu/~swoodward/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/desert/namdesrt.html
