Mojave Desert Biome information

1. Mojave Desert Biome
“Beside the water””
By Kara Allen

2. The name
“Mojave”
originated from the
Mojave Indians, a
shorter version of
Hamakhaave. The
name means,
“beside the water”

4. The land
covers a
large portion
of southern
California,
southern
Nevada, the
western
border of
Arizona, and
a touch of
south
western
Utah.

5. Often it is called the “High Desert”, with elevations extending from
2,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level.
The Mojave is also home to the lowest point in the US, Badwater
Basin in Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level.

6. The Mojave is a typical Basin and Range topography. It is surrounded by
mountain ranges…

7. Tehachapi Mountains

8. San Gabriel Mountains

9. and the San Bernardino
Mountains

10. With the desert
being surrounded
by these mountain
ranges, it is in a
rain shadow.
Leaving the
animal and plant
life to survive off
of the two main
water sources: the
Colorado River
and groundwater

12. It is a hot/cold desert,
with average
temperatures ranging
from 8⁰F in January to
119⁰F in August.
On July 10, 1913 the
temperature in Death
Valley reached a
scorching 134⁰F, the
highest in recorded
history.

13. E — Endangered
T — Threatened
C — Candidate
S — Sensitive
The Mojave is home to
over 2,500 species of
wildlife and vegetation,
and many have been
placed on a protected list

14. Amargosa southern pocket gopher-C
Desert bighorn sheep-S

15. Mountain lion-CTownsend’s big-eared
bat-C
Bald eagle-T

16. California
brown pelican-E
Least Bell’s vireo-E
Mexican
spotted owl-T

17. Yuma clapper rail-E
Coachella Valley
fringe-toed lizard-T Desert tortoise-T

18. Lowland leopard frog-C
Badwater snail-C

19. Bear-paw poppy-C
Foxtail
cactus-
C
Eureka Valley Evening Primrose-E Panamint daisy-C
Sticky
buckwheat
-C

22. During this
experiment,
researchers exposed
undisturbed plots of
the Mojave desert to
elevated levels of
Co2 at 550 ppm,
what is believed the
levels will be in
2050. When the soil
was removed for
findings, the Co2
level in the soil had
increased indicating
the desert land had
absorbed the carbon
dioxide.

24. Within the borders of the Mojave, there are four National
parks protecting this wondrous land

25. Death Valley National Park

26. Joshua Tree National Park

27. Mojave National Preserve

28. California State Park,
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

29. Even with over
half of this land
protected, much
has been taken
over for
development of
cities. With
growth of cities,
comes growth of
population, thus
drying out the
water table.

30. The desert is well
known for
motocross and
other recreational
doings.
Unfortunately,
with these
human activities
comes land
pollution and
plant destruction

31. Renewable energy reasources are taking over many acres of
land, destroying animal habitats

33. It is our responsibility to
protect this beautiful land
from becoming
inhabitable. The desert
wildlife and vegetation
already survive on little
water, we can do our part
to help preserve the water
and the land

34. Be conscious of your
water usage….
when
watering
outdoors
by taking
shorter
showers
And running only full
loads in dish and clothes
washers

37. Be sure to take
any trash with
you, and if you
see any pick it
up!
Litter left
behind can
harm animals
and suffocate
plant life.

38. Just a few fun facts
about the Mojave
Desert…

39. The Mojave is home to a
well known Christmas
decoration, and a parasite,
Mistletoe. The seeds of
this parasite penetrate the
bark of desert trees, using
a modified root. The
parasite steals the
nutrients it needs from the
host. The good news is the
parasites invasion is rarely
enough to kill its host

40. Arachnophobia
at its finest--
There is a
spider in the
Mojave known
as the “wind
scorpion”. It’s
actual name is a
camel spider.
This spider gets
it name from
the ability to
run up to 10
mph.

41. Survival of the
creepiest--
The “horny toad”
looks like a toad and
has a crown of horns,
yet when threatened
by a predator puffs
up to double its body
size. If that’s not
enough, it will squirt
noxious blood from
its eyes

42. Old age—
There is a bush, called the creosote
bush in the Mojave. Indians used it
for many medicinal purposes. They
would chew a piece of the branch to
cure diarrhea. Other tribes would use
dried leaves to make a tea to treat the
common cold and with a touch of
honey to the tea would relieve kidney
pain. Leaf nodes were used to soothe
bruises and wounds. Scientists have
dated this bush to have been around
since the Ice Age. There is one of
these creosote bushes near Lucerne
Valley known as the “King Clone”. It
has an average of 45 feet in diameter
and is estimated to be 11,700 years
old!