Climate and desert shrubs in southern Nevada and south central Washington
The climates of Yucca Flat, Nevada in the Mojave Desert and the Hanford Site in interior Washington State are characterized by low annual precipitation, 5.75 and 6.28 inches respectively and an autumn-winter precipitation periodicity. Summer air temperatures are similar but winter maximum air temperatures are lower at the Hanford Site. Desert shrubs are the dominant features of plant communities at both locations but there are more shrub taxa in Yucca Flat. Only spiny hopsage, Grayia spinosa, and winterfat, Eurotia lanata, are present at Hanford and at Yucca Flat. Cold winter weather rather than aridity is probably the factor most responsible for the paucity of shrub taxa at Hanford as compared to Yucca Flat. 13 references, 2 figures.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6214938
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-10422; ON: DE85006089
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ARID LANDS
CLIMATES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DESERTS
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION X
NEVADA
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
POPULATION DENSITY
SHRUBS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
USA
WASHINGTON