Parent material which produces saline outcrops as a factor in differential distribution of perennial plants in the northern Mojave Desert

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Great Basin Nat.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6640548

Wallace, A; Romney, E M; Wood, R A; El-Ghonemy, A A; Bamberg, S A

An area of 0.46 km/sup 2/ divided into six zones in the northern Mojave Desert transitional with the Great Basin Desert has been studied. Diversity is high among the perennial plant species within the 0.46 km/sup 2/ area. Common species for the two deserts that are present in the area studied are Atriplex confertifolia (Torr. and Frem.) S. Wats., Ceratoides lanata (Pursh) J.T. Howell, Grayia spinosa (Hook.) Moq., Ephedra nevadensis S. Wats. Some other species present include Lycium andersonii A. Gray, Lycium pallidum Miers, Ambrosia dumosa (A. Gray) Payne., Larrea tridentata (Sesse and Moc. ex DC) Cov., Acamptopappus shockleyi A. Gray, and Krameria parvifolia, Benth. Some of the species are relatively salt tolerant and some are relatively salt sensitive. A total of 4282 individual plants were measured. There was considerable variation in distribution of the 10 dominant species present, apparently due to zonal variations of salinity dispersed within the study area. Correlation coefficients among pairs of the species for different zones illustrate interrelationships among the salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive species. Observations on an adjacent hillside with rock outcroppings indicate that the saline differences in this area are partly due to outcroppings of parent volcanic rock materials that yield Na salts upon weathering.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 6640548
• Journal Information: Great Basin Nat.; (United States), Journal Name: Great Basin Nat.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN GRBNA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510100* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ARID LANDS
CORRELATIONS
DATA
DESERTS
DISTRIBUTION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
NEVADA
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANTS
ROCKS
SALINITY
SHRUBS
SOILS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
USA
WEATHERING
WESTERN REGION