Mojave Desert: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Desert in the southwestern United States}}
{{Short description|Desert in the southwestern United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
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|biome = [[Deserts and xeric shrublands]]
|biome = [[Deserts and xeric shrublands]]
|animals =
|animals =
|bird_species =
|bird_species = 230<ref name=Atlas>{{Cite web|title=The Atlas of Global Conservation|url=http://maps.tnc.org/globalmaps.html|access-date=2020-11-20|website=maps.tnc.org}}</ref>
|mammal_species = 98<ref name=Atlas/>
|mammal_species =
|border1 = [[California montane chaparral and woodlands]]
|border1 = [[California montane chaparral and woodlands]]
|border2 = [[Colorado Plateau shrublands]]
|border2 = [[Colorado Plateau shrublands]]
|border3 = [[Great Basin montane forests]]
|border3 = [[Great Basin montane forests]]
|border4 = [[Great Basin shrub steppe]]
|border4 = [[Sonoran Desert]]
|border5 = [[Sierra Nevada forests]]
|border5 = [[Sierra Nevada Mountains]]
|border6 = [[Sonoran Desert]]
|border6 =
|area = 276987
|area =
|country = [[United States]]
|country = [[United States]]
|state1 = [[Arizona]]
|state1 = [[Arizona]]
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}}
}}


The '''Mojave Desert''' ({{IPAc-en|m|oʊ|ˈ|h|ɑː|v|i|,_|m|ə|-}} {{respell|moh|HAH|vee|,_|mə|-}};{{refn|{{Citation |last=Jones |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Jones (phonetician) |title=English Pronouncing Dictionary |editor1=Peter Roach |editor2=James Hartmann |editor3=Jane Setter |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |orig-year=1917 |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-12-539683-8 }}}}{{refn|{{Dictionary.com|Mojave}}}}<ref>{{cite OED|Mojave|id=120733}}</ref> {{lang-mov|Hayikwiir Mat'aar}}) is an arid [[rain shadow|rain-shadow]] desert and the driest and smallest<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Mojave Desert|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na1308#:~:text=The%20Mojave%20Desert%20is%20the,division%20of%20the%20Sonoran%20desert.|url-status=live|access-date=July 22, 2021|website=World Wildlife Fund}}</ref> [[desert]] in North America.<ref name=MDW/> It is in the [[Southwestern United States]], primarily within southeastern [[California]] and southern [[Nevada]], and it occupies 47,877 sq mi (124,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). It is named for the [[Mohave people|Mojave people.]]<ref>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Mojave Desert". ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', 25 Mar. 2021, <nowiki>https://www.britannica.com/place/Mojave-Desert</nowiki>. Accessed 22 July 2021.</ref> Small areas also extend into [[Utah]] and [[Arizona]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Mojave desert Map|url=http://digital-desert.com/regions/ }}</ref> Its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua trees]], which are native only to the Mojave Desert and are considered an [[indicator species]], and it is believed to support an additional 1,750 to 2,000 species of plants.<ref>Mazzucchelli, Vincent G., "The Southern Limits of the Mohave Desert, California", ''The California Geographer'', 1967, VIII: 127–133. This study provides original maps of the Mohave and adjacent deserts in the southwestern states.</ref> The central part of the desert is sparsely populated, while its peripheries support large communities such as [[Las Vegas]] in Nevada, [[Barstow, California|Barstow]], [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]], and [[Victorville, California|Victorville]] in California, and [[St. George, Utah|St. George]] in Utah.


The '''Mojave Desert''' ({{IPAc-en|m|oʊ|ˈ|h|ɑː|v|i|,_|m|ə|-}} {{respell|moh|HAH|vee|,_|mə|-}};{{refn|{{Citation |last=Jones |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Jones (phonetician) |title=English Pronouncing Dictionary |editor1=Peter Roach |editor2=James Hartmann |editor3=Jane Setter |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |orig-year=1917 |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-12-539683-8 }}}}{{refn|{{Dictionary.com|Mojave}}}}<ref>{{cite OED|Mojave|id=120733}}</ref> {{lang-mov|Hayikwiir Mat'aar}}) is a [[xeric]] desert in the rain shadow of the [[Sierra Nevada]] mountains located in the [[Southwestern United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Mojave Desert|url=https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.php#:~:text=The%20Mojave%20Desert%20lies%20in,cold%20air%20in%20the%20mountains.|url-status=live|website=Blue Planet Biomes}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Mojave Desert|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na1308#:~:text=The%20Mojave%20Desert%20is%20the,division%20of%20the%20Sonoran%20desert.|url-status=live|website=World Wildlife Fund}}</ref> It is the smallest and driest desert of the four American deserts. It is named for the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] [[Mohave people|Mojave]] people. It is located primarily in the Southeastern California and Southwestern Utah, though small portions do extend into Utah and Arizona.<ref name=":1">Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Mojave Desert". ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', 25 Mar. 2021, <nowiki>https://www.britannica.com/place/Mojave-Desert</nowiki>. Accessed 22 July 2021.</ref><ref name=":0" />
The Mojave Desert is bordered by the [[Great Basin Desert]] to its north<ref name=MDW>''Mojave Desert Wildflowers'', Pam MacKay, 2nd Ed. 2013, p. 1</ref> and the [[Sonoran Desert]] to its south and east.<ref name=MDW/> Its topographical boundaries include the [[Tehachapi Mountains]] and the [[Sierra Pelona Ridge]] to the west, the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] and the [[Inyo Mountains]] to the northwest, and the [[San Gabriel Mountains]] and [[San Bernardino Mountains]] to the south. The mountain boundaries are distinct because they are outlined by the two largest faults in California – the [[San Andreas Fault|San Andreas]] and [[Garlock Fault|Garlock]] faults. The Mojave Desert displays typical [[basin and range]] topography. Higher elevations above {{convert|2000|ft|abbr=on}} in the Mojave are commonly referred to as the High Desert; however, [[Death Valley]] is the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level and is one of the Mojave Desert's harshest climates and most notable places. Large parts of the Mojave Desert are often referred to as the "high desert", in contrast to the "low desert", that is the Sonoran Desert to the south. Most of the Mojave Desert is above {{convert|2000|ft|abbr=on}}, with only Death Valley and the Colorado River basin in the east (including the neighboring Las Vegas Valley) being lower. The Mojave Desert, however, is generally lower than the even higher Great Basin Desert to the north. The Mojave Desert occupies less than 50,000 sq mi (130,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), making it the smallest of the North American deserts.<ref name=MDW/>


[[File:Joshua Tree NP - Joshua Tree 2.jpg|thumb|Joshua trees, such as the one depicted are endemic and exclusive to the Mojave desert.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mojave Desert Biome|url=https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.php#:~:text=The%20Mojave%20Desert%20lies%20in,cold%20air%20in%20the%20mountains.|url-status=live|access-date=July 23, 2021|website=Blue Planet Biomes}}</ref>]]
The spelling ''Mojave'' originates from the Spanish language while the spelling ''Mohave'' comes from modern English. Both are used today, although the [[Mohave people|Mojave]] Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling ''Mojave''; the word is a shortened form of '''{{lang|mov|Hamakhaave}}''', their [[exonym and endonym|endonym]] in their native language, which means "beside the water".<ref>{{cite web |title=American Indian History |url=http://www.bigorrin.org/mojave_kids.htm}}</ref>


Along with the [[Sonoran Desert|Sonoran]], [[Chihuahuan Desert|Chihuahuan,]] and [[Great Basin Desert|Great Basin]] deserts, a larger North American Desert is formed. The Mojave Desert is bordered to the west by the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the California Montane Scrub, to the South and East by the Sonoran Desert, although the boundaries to the east of the Mojave desert are less distinctive than the other boundaries as there is no distinctive presence of an indicator species, such as the [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua Tree (Yucca Brevifolia)]],<ref name=":3">Rundel, Philip W., and Arthur C. Gibson. ''Ecological communities and processes in a Mojave Desert ecosystem''. Cambridge University Press, 2005.</ref> which is endemic to the Mojave desert. The Mojave Desert is distinguished from the Sonoran Desert and other deserts adjacent to it by its warm temperate climate, as well as [[flora and fauna]] such as [[ironwood]], (''Olneya'' ''tesota''), [[Parkinsonia florida|blue Palo Verde]] (''Parkinsonia Florida''), [[Justicia californica|chuparosa]] (''Justicia californica''), [[Menodora spinescens|spiny menodora]] (''Menodora spinescens''), [[desert senna]] (''Cassia armata''), [[Psorothamnus arborescens|California dalea]] (''Psorothamnus arborescens''), and [[Acamptopappus|goldenhead]] (''Acamptopappus shockleyi'') As such, the extent of these plants generally serve as a boundary between the nearby Sonoran desert.<ref name=":0" /> The Mojave Desert displays typical [[Basin and range topography|basin and range topography,]] that is, generally having a pattern of a series of parallel mountain ranges and valleys. The Mojave Desert is also the site of various [[silver]], [[tungsten]], [[iron]] and [[gold]] deposits.<ref name=":4">Dibledee, 1967. p. 124</ref> The Mojave Desert is also the site of [[Death Valley]], which is the lowest elevation in North America. The Mojave desert is often colloquially called the "high desert" as most of the desert lies between 610 and 1,220 m.
==Climate==
The Mojave Desert is generally between {{convert|2000|and|5000|ft}} in elevation. The Mojave Desert also contains the [[Mojave National Preserve]], as well as the lowest and hottest place in North America: [[Death Valley National Park|Death Valley]] at {{convert|282|ft|abbr=on}} below sea level, where the temperature often surpasses {{convert|120|F|C|abbr=on}} from late June to early August. The driest parts of the Mojave Desert receive less than {{convert|2|in|mm|-1|disp=or}} of precipitation per year – the lowest in North America – whilst the desert’s edges receive about {{convert|9|in|mm|-1|disp=or}}.


The spelling ''Mojave'' originates from the Spanish language while the spelling ''Mohave'' comes from modern English. Both are used today, although the [[Mohave people|Mojave]] Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling ''Mojave''; the word is a shortened form of '''{{lang|mov|Hamakhaave}}''', their [[Exonym and endonym|endonym]] in their native language, which means "beside the water".<ref>{{cite web|title=American Indian History|url=http://www.bigorrin.org/mojave_kids.htm}}</ref>
[[Zion National Park]] in [[Utah]] lies at the junction of the Mojave, the [[Great Basin Desert]], and the [[Colorado Plateau]]. Despite its aridity, the Mojave (and particularly the [[Antelope Valley]] in its southwest) has long been a center of [[alfalfa]] production, fed by irrigation coming from [[groundwater]] and from the [[California Aqueduct]].
[[File:Mustard Blue Sunset.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Mustard blue summer sunset at [[Landers, California]]]]


== Conservation Status ==
The Mojave is a desert of temperature extremes and two distinct seasons. Winter months bring comfortable daytime temperatures, which occasionally drop to around {{convert|25|F|C|abbr=on}} on valley floors, and below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=on}} at the highest elevations. Storms moving from the [[Pacific Northwest]] can bring rain and in some places even snow. More often, the [[rain shadow]] created by the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] as well as mountain ranges within the desert such as the [[Spring Mountains]], bring only clouds and wind. In longer periods between storm systems, winter temperatures in valleys can approach {{convert|80|F|C|abbr=on}}.
The Mojave Desert has a relatively stable and intact conservation status. In fact, the Mojave Desert is one of the best protected distinct ecoregions in the United States,<ref name=":0" /> as a result of the [[California Desert Protection Act of 1994|California Desert Protection Act,]] which established the [[Death Valley National Park|Death Valley]], [[Joshua Tree National Park]]<nowiki/>s and the [[Mojave National Preserve|Mojave National Preserve.]]<ref>Wheat, Frank (1999). ''California Desert Miracle''. San Diego: Sunbelt Publications. [[ISBN (identifier)|ISBN]] [[Special:BookSources/0-932653-27-8|<bdi>0-932653-27-8</bdi>]].</ref> However, the Southwest and central East portions of the Mojave desert are particularly threatened as a result of off-road vehicles, human development, and agricultural [[grazing]].<ref name=":0" /> The World Wildlife Fund lists the Mojave desert as relatively "stable/intact."<ref name=":0" />


== Human Development ==
Spring weather continues to be influenced by Pacific storms, but rainfall is less widespread and occurs less often after April. By early June, it is rare for another Pacific storm to have a significant impact on the region's weather; and temperatures after the middle of May are normally above {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}} and frequently above {{convert|100|F|C|abbr=on}}.
In recent years, human development in the Mojave desert has become increasingly present. Human development at the major urban and suburban centers of [[Las Vegas]] and [[Los Angeles]] has had an increasingly damaging effect on the wildlife of the Mojave desert.<ref name=":0" /> An added demand for landfill space as a result of the large metropolitan centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles also has the real potential to drastically affect the flora and fauna of the Mojave desert. Agricultural development along the [[Colorado River|Colorado river,]] which is close to the Eastern boundary of the Mojave desert also causes habitat loss and degradation.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Areas that are particularly affected by human development include [[Ward Valley]] and Riverside country. The [[United States Armed Forces|United States military]] also maintains installations in the Mojave Desert. Thus, the Mojave desert is a critical training location for the United States Department of Defense.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mojave Desert|url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/mojave-desert/|url-status=live|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=Nature}}</ref>
== Geology and Physical Features ==
The Mojave Desert is bordered by the [[San Andreas Fault|San Andreas]] and the [[Garlock Fault|Garlock]] faults to the Southwest and to the North. The mountains elevated along the length of the San Andreas fault provide a clear border between the Mojave desert and the coastal regions to the West.<ref name=":2" /> The Garlock fault separates the Mojave Desert from the Sierra Nevada and [[Tehachapi Mountains|Tehachapi]] mountains, which also provides a natural border to the Mojave desert. There are also abundant [[Alluvial fan|alluvial fans]], which are called [[Bajada (geography)|bajadas,]] which form around the mountains within the Mojave desert and extend down toward the low altitude basins,<ref name=":3" /> which contain dried lake beds called playas, where water generally collects and evaporates, leaving large volumes of salt. These playas include [[Rogers Dry Lake|Rogers Dry Lake,]] and [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake|China Lake]]. Dry lakes are a noted feature of the Mojave desert landscape.<ref name=":0" /> The Mojave Desert is also home to the [[Devils Playground]], about {{convert|40|mi|km}} of dunes and salt flats going in a northwest-southeasterly direction. The Devil's Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is between the town of [[Baker, California]] and [[Providence Mountains]]. The [[Cronese Mountains]] are within the Devil's Playground.


Relatively, there is not much [[River|riverine]] activity within the Mojave desert. The intermittent [[Mojave River]], which begins on the San Bernardino mountains and disappears deeper into the Mojave Desert flows through the Mojave generally underground. The [[Amargosa River]] also flows partly through the Mojave desert along a southward path. The Manix, Mojave, and the Little Mojave lakes, are all large but shallow.<ref>Rundel, 2005, p. 7</ref> [[Soda Lake]] is the principal saline basine of the Mojave desert. [[Spring (hydrology)|Natural springs]] are typically rare throughout the Mojave desert,<ref>Rundel, 2005. p. 19</ref> however, there are two notable springs, [[Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge|Ash Meadows]], and [[Oasis Valley]]. Ash Meadows is formed from several other springs, which all draw from deep underground. Oasis Valley draws from the nearby Amargosa river.
Summer weather is dominated by heat. The temperature on the Valley Floors can reach above {{convert|120|F|C|abbr=on}} and above {{convert|130|F|C|abbr=on}} at the lowest elevations. Low humidity, high temperatures, and low pressure, draw in moisture from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] creating thunderstorms across the desert southwest known as the [[North American Monsoon|North American monsoon]]. While the Mojave does not get nearly the amount of monsoonal rainfall the [[Sonoran desert]] to the south receives, this monsoon can create thunderstorms as far west as California's [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] from mid-June through early September.
[[File:Desert Diablo.jpg|thumb|right|Clouds reflecting high wind conditions from [[orographic lift]] in the Mojave Desert]]


The Mojave Desert is also a source of various minerals and metallic materials. The deposits of gold, tungsten, and silver have been mined frequently prior to the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref name=":4" /> Additionally, there have been deposits of [[copper]], [[tin]], [[Lead zirconate titanate|lead-zinc,]] [[manganese]], [[iron]], and various [[Radioactive decay|radioactive substances]] but they have not been mined for [[Economy|commercial]] use.<ref name=":4" />
Autumn is generally pleasant, with one to two Pacific storm systems creating regional rain events. October is one of the driest and sunniest months in the Mojave; and average high temperatures usually remain between {{convert|70|F|C|abbr=on}} and {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}} on the valley floors.


== Climate ==
After temperature, wind is the most significant weather phenomenon in the Mojave. Across the region windy days are common; and also common in areas near the transition between the Mojave and the California low valleys, including near [[Cajon Pass]], [[Soledad Canyon]] and the [[Tehachapi, California|Tehachapi]] areas. During the [[June Gloom]], cooler air can be pushed into the desert from Southern California. In [[Santa Ana wind]] events, hot and very dry air from the desert blows into the [[Los Angeles basin]] and other coastal areas. [[Wind farm]]s in these areas generate power from these winds.
The climate of the Mojave Desert is characterized by extremes in temperatures throughout the seasons. Freezing temperatures as well as strong winds are not uncommon in the winter, as well as precipitation such as rain and snow in the mountains. In contrast, temperatures above 100 Fahrenheit are not uncommon during the summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Weather - Mojave National Park Reserve|url=https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/weather.htm|url-status=live|website=National Park Service}}</ref> There is an annual average precipitation of 2 to 6 inches, although regions at high altitudes such as the portion of the Mojave desert in the [[San Gabriel Mountains|San Gabriel mountains]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> Most of the precipitation in the Mojave comes from the Pacific Cyclonic storms that are generally present passing Eastward in November to April.<ref name=":2">Dibblee, Thomas W. "Areal geology of the western Mojave Desert, California." (1967).</ref> Such storms generally bring rain and snow only in the mountainous regions, as a result of the effect of the Sierra Nevada mountains, which [[Rain shadow|creates a drying effect on its leeward slopes]].<ref name=":2" />


During the late summer months, there is also the possibility of strong thunderstorms which bring heavy showers or cloudbursts. These storms can result in [[Flash flood|flash flooding.]]
The other major weather factor in the region is elevation. The highest peak within the Mojave is [[Charleston Peak]] at {{convert|11918|ft}},<ref name="State of Nevada"/> while the [[Badwater Basin]] in Death Valley is {{convert|279|ft}} below sea level.<ref name=NED>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/usgs-national-elevation-dataset-ned-1-meter-downloadable-data-collection-from-the-national-map-|title=USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 meter Downloadable Data Collection from The National Map 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) – National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) National Elevation Data Set (NED)|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=September 21, 2015|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> Accordingly, temperature and precipitation ranges wildly in all seasons across the region.


The Mojave Desert has not historically supported a fire regime because of low fuel loads and connectivity. However, in the last few decades, invasive annual plants such as some within the genera ''[[Bromus]]'', ''[[Schismus]]'' and ''[[Brassica]]'' have facilitated fires. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Brooks|first=Matthew L.|date=2002-08-01|title=Peak Fire Temperatures and Effects on Annual Plants in the Mojave Desert|journal=Ecological Applications|language=en|volume=12|issue=4|pages=1088–1102|doi=10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012[1088:PFTAEO]2.0.CO;2|issn=1939-5582|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1236391|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701205419/https://zenodo.org/record/1236391|url-status=dead|archive-date=2019-07-01}}</ref> At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.
The Mojave Desert has not historically supported a fire regime because of low fuel loads and connectivity. However, in the last few decades, invasive annual plants such as some within the genera ''[[Bromus]]'', ''[[Schismus]]'' and ''[[Brassica]]'' have facilitated fires by serving as a fuel bed for fires. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert. At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.<ref>Brooks, Matthew L., and J. R. Matchett. "Spatial and temporal patterns of wildfires in the Mojave Desert, 1980–2004." ''Journal of Arid Environments'' 67 (2006): 148-164.</ref>


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| source 1 = NOAA 1981–2010 US Climate Normals <ref>{{cite web | author=NOAA | title=1981–2010 US Climate Normals | url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca2319 | publisher=NOAA | access-date=2011-07-25}}</ref>
| source 1 = NOAA 1981–2010 US Climate Normals <ref>{{cite web | author=NOAA | title=1981–2010 US Climate Normals | url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca2319 | publisher=NOAA | access-date=2011-07-25}}</ref>
| date = July 2011
| date = July 2011
| source 2 = {{URL|weather2travel.com}} <ref>{{cite web | author=Weather2travel.com | title= Weather2travel Death Valley Climate | url=http://weather2travel.com/climate-guides/united-states/california/death-valley-ca.php | access-date=2011-06-16}}</ref>
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== Prehistoric Formation ==
==Geography==
The Mojave Desert was likely under shallow water for most of the time of its formation.<ref>Rundel, 2005. p. 21</ref><ref>Dibledee, 1967. p. 115
[[File:Sundown at Eastland Ranch.JPG|thumb|Mojave desert in [[Landers, California|Landers]], {{convert|30|mi|abbr=on}} east of [[San Gorgonio Mountain]], California.]]
{{category see also|Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert|Valleys of the Mojave Desert|Lakes of the Mojave Desert}}
The Mojave Desert is defined by its numerous [[mountain range]]s creating its xeric and very arid conditions. These ranges often create valleys, [[endorheic basin]]s, [[salt pan (geology)|salt pans]], and seasonal [[saline lake]]s when precipitation is high enough. These mountain ranges and valleys are part of the [[Basin and Range Province]] and the [[Great Basin]], a geologic area of crustal thinning which pulls open valleys over millions of years. Most of the valleys are internally drained ([[endorheic]] basins), so all precipitation that falls within the valley does not eventually flow to the ocean. Some of the Mojave (toward the east, in and around the [[Colorado River]]/[[Virgin River Gorge]]) is within a different geographic domain called the [[Colorado Plateau]].


</ref> Under this shallow coat of water, a large volume of sedimentary processes were likely taking place, causing in large deposits of limestones, silicates, and dolomites. During the Paleozoic Era, the area that is now the Mojave was again likely submerged under a greater sea.<ref name=":5">Dibledee, 1967. p. 116</ref> During the Mesozoic era, major tectonic activities such as [[Thrust fault|thrust faulting]] and [[Fold (geology)|folding]] resulted in distinctive shaping as well as [[Igneous intrusion|intrusion]]<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />. During the [[Cenozoic]], more tectonic deformation occurred whilst the Mojave was partly submerged. Major volcanic activity is thought to have occurred during the [[oligocene]]. Large downpours during the [[Miocene]] likely significantly eroded the rock in the Mojave and accelerated [[Deposition (geology)|deposition]].<ref name=":5" />
==Cities and regions==
{{Main|List of cities in the Mojave Desert}}
{{For|a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave|High Desert (California)}}
[[File:RidgecrestCA.JPG|thumb|A typical Mojave desert valley and city: [[Indian Wells Valley]] and [[Ridgecrest, California]]]]
[[File:Searles, CA Mojave Desert.jpg|thumb|A typical desert scene near the Searles, California area, January 2019]]
[[File:Desert Rim Sunset.jpg|thumb|left|A Mojave desert nautical [[twilight]], in [[Johnson Valley, California]]]]


== Tourism ==
While the Mojave Desert itself is generally sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years. The metropolitan areas include [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], the largest city in the Mojave and the largest city in Nevada with a metropolitan population of around 2.3 million in 2015; [[St. George, Utah|St. George]] is the northeasternmost metropolitan area in the Mojave, with a population of around 185,000 in 2020, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] is the largest California city in the desert; over 850,000 people live in areas of the Mojave attached to the [[Greater Los Angeles area|Greater Los Angeles]] metropolitan area, including Palmdale and Lancaster (referred to as the Antelope Valley), [[Victorville, California|Victorville]], [[Apple Valley, California|Apple Valley]] and [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]] (referred to as the [[Victor Valley, California|Victor Valley]]) attached to the [[Inland Empire (CA)|Inland Empire]] metropolitan area, the 14th largest in the nation.
The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular spots for tourism in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenery, playing host to [[Death Valley National Park]], [[Joshua Tree National Park]], and the [[Mojave National Preserve]]. Lakes [[Lake Mead|Mead]], [[Lake Mohave|Mohave]], and [[Lake Havasu|Havasu]] provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts. The Mojave Desert also includes three [[California State Parks]], the [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]], in [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], [[Saddleback Butte State Park]], in [[Hi Vista, California|Hi Vista]] and [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]].


Several attractions and natural features are in the [[Calico Mountains (California)|Calico Mountains]]. [[Calico Ghost Town]], in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County. The ghost town has several shops and attractions, and inspired [[Walter Knott]] to build [[Knott's Berry Farm]]. The [[Bureau of Land Management]] also administers [[Rainbow Basin]] and Owl Canyon. The [[Calico Early Man Site]], in the Calico Hills east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]], is believed by some archaeologists, including the late [[Louis Leakey]], to show the earliest evidence with [[Lithic analysis|lithic]] [[stone tools]] found here of human activity in North America.<gallery>
Smaller cities or [[micropolitan]] areas in the Mojave Desert include [[Helendale, California|Helendale]], [[Lake Havasu City, Arizona|Lake Havasu City]],
File:1 Death Valley.jpg|Death Valley national park, a popular tourist attraction in the Mojave desert.
[[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]], [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]], [[Bullhead City, Arizona|Bullhead City]] and [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]]. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990.
File:Joshua Tree National Park (California, USA) -- 2012 -- 5690.jpg|An image of Joshua Tree National park, which is a popular tourist attraction in the Mojave desert.
File:California Poppies1.jpg|A field of California poppies in the California Poppy Deserve in Antelope Valley.
</gallery>


== Flora ==
<!-- TOWNS FEWER THAN 30K: "Includes" is a non-exclusive list, meant to give an idea of the thousands of towns in the Mojave Desert. Not all of them are listed and is done so on purpose. Please don't add more to this list unless the city is particularly notable. -->
The flora of the Mojave desert are helpful in determining the extents of the Mojave desert where there may not be distinctive geophysical boundaries,<ref name=":0" /> the Mojave desert consists of various [[Endemism|endemic]] plant species, notably the [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua Tree]], which is a particularly notable endemic and indicator species of the desert. There are more endemic flora of the Mojave desert than almost anywhere in the world.<ref name=":0" /> Mojave Desert flora is not a [[vegetation type]], although the plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of the physical barriers of the Sierra Nevadas and the Colorado Plateau. Predominant plants of the Mojave desert include [[Atriplex polycarpa|all-scale]] (''Atriplex polycarpa''), [[Larrea tridentata|creosote bush]] (''Larrea tridentata''), [[Encelia farinosa|brittlebush]] (''Encelia farinosa''), [[Atriplex hymenelytra|desert holly]] (''Atriplex hymenelytra''), [[Ambrosia salsola|white burrobush]] (Hymenoclea salsola), and most notably, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Additionally, the Mojave desert is also home to various species of cacti, such as [[Cylindropuntia echinocarpa|silver cholla]] (''Cylindropuntia echinocarpa''), [[Opuntia phaeacantha|Mojave prickly pear]] (''O. erinacea''), [[Opuntia basilaris|beavertail cactus]] (''O. basilaris''), and [[Echinocactus polycephalus|many-headed barrel cactus]] (''Echinocactus polycephalus''). Less common but distinctive plants of the Mojave desert include [[ironwood]], (''Olneya'' ''tesota''), [[Parkinsonia florida|blue Palo Verde]] (''Parkinsonia Florida''), [[Justicia californica|chuparosa]] (''Justicia californica''), [[Menodora spinescens|spiny menodora]] (''Menodora spinescens''), [[desert senna]] (''Cassia armata''), [[Psorothamnus arborescens|California dalea]] (''Psorothamnus arborescens''), and [[Acamptopappus|goldenhead]] (''Acamptopappus shockleyi''). The Mojave desert is generally abundant in winter annuals.<ref>Rundel, 2005. p 11</ref> The plants of the Mojave desert each generally correspond to an individual geographic feature. As such, the Mojave desert has distinctive flora communities within the desert. <gallery>
Notable cities and towns with fewer than 30,000 people in the Mojave include [[Barstow, California|Barstow]], [[Boron, California|Boron]],
File:Cassia armata by Margaret Neilson Armstrong.jpg|A depiction of cassia armata, which is particularly characteristic of the Mojave.
[[California City, California|California City]], [[Helendale, California|Helendale]], [[Joshua Tree, California|Joshua Tree]], [[Landers, California|Landers]], [[Lone Pine, California|Lone Pine]], [[Lucerne Valley]], [[Mojave, California|Mojave]], [[Needles, California|Needles]], [[Nipton, California|Nipton]], [[Pioneertown, California|Pioneertown]], [[Randsburg, California|Randsburg]], [[Ridgecrest, California|Ridgecrest]], [[Rosamond, California|Rosamond]], [[Twentynine Palms, California|Twentynine Palms]] and [[Yucca Valley, California|Yucca Valley]] in California; [[Mesquite, Nevada|Mesquite]] and [[Moapa Valley, Nevada|Moapa Valley]] in Nevada; and [[Hurricane, Utah|Hurricane]] in Utah.
File:California indigo bush (Psorothamnus arborescens var. simplicifolius) (16768840710).jpg|California Dalea, which is an indicator species of the Mojave desert.

File:Acamptopappus shockleyi 7.jpg|Goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi), which is an indicator species of the Mojave.
The California portion of the desert also contains [[Edwards Air Force Base]] and [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]], noted for experimental aviation and weapons projects, and the [[Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms|largest Marine Corps base]] in the world at Twentynine Palms. The US Army also maintains [[Fort Irwin National Training Center#Geography|Fort Irwin]] & the National Training Center (NTC) which is another major training area for the United States military. [[Mojave Air and Space Port|Mojave airport]] is also home to a long-term storage facility for large airplanes due to extremely dry non-corrosive weather conditions and a hard ground ideal for parking aircraft. The airport also houses the Air and Space Port and was one of the test centers for the Virgin Galactic Fleet.
File:Opuntia echinocarpa-extracted.jpg|Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa) which is a common species of cacti within the Mojave.

File:Creosote-Bush (4485551500).jpg|A creosote bush, which is common in the Mojave desert.
The Mojave Desert has several [[ghost town]]s; the most significant are the gold-mining town of [[Oatman, Arizona]], the silver and copper-mining town of [[Calico, San Bernardino County, California|Calico, California]], and the old railroad depot of [[Kelso, California|Kelso]]. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when [[U.S. Route 66]] (and the lesser-known [[U.S. Route 91]]) were abandoned in favor of the [[Interstate highway|Interstates]]. Other than the [[Colorado River (U.S.)|Colorado River]] on the eastern half of the Mojave, few long streams cross the desert. The [[Mojave River]] is an important source of water for the southern parts of the desert. The [[Amargosa River]] flows from the Great Basin Desert south to near [[Beatty, Nevada]], then underground through [[Ash Meadows]] before returning to the surface near [[Shoshone, California]], disappearing underground again a short while later and has its final outlet into the southern end of Death Valley. The riverbed passes under SR 127 near Dumont Dunes before turning north into Death Valley National Park.

The Mojave Desert is also home to the [[Devils Playground]], about {{convert|40|mi|km}} of dunes and salt flats going in a northwest-southeasterly direction. The Devils Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is between the town of [[Baker, California]] and [[Providence Mountains]]. The [[Cronese Mountains]] are within the Devils Playground.

== Highways and Major Roads ==
The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways such as [[Interstate 15]], [[Interstate 40]], [[U.S. Route 95]], [[U.S. Route 395]], [[California State Route 58]], [[California State Route 14]], [[California State Route 138]] and [[California State Route 18]].

==Parks and tourism==

The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular tourism spots in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenic beauty, playing host to [[Death Valley National Park]], [[Joshua Tree National Park]], and the [[Mojave National Preserve]]. Lakes [[Lake Mead|Mead]], [[Lake Mohave|Mohave]], and [[Lake Havasu|Havasu]] provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts. The Mojave Desert also includes three [[California State Parks]], the [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]], in [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], [[Saddleback Butte State Park]], in [[Hi Vista, California|Hi Vista]] and [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]]. [[Hoover Dam]] is a popular tourist destination. Visitors get a chance to see the structure, the [[hydroelectric power]] plant, and hear the history of the dam's construction during the [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.constructioncompany.com/historic-construction-projects/hoover-dam/|title=Hoover Dam|work=General Contractor Bob Moore Construction Company|access-date=2010-04-26}}</ref>

Besides the major national parks, there are other areas of identified significance and tourist interest in the desert such as the [[Big Morongo Canyon Preserve]], within the [[Colorado Desert]], and the [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]], {{convert|17|mi}} west of Las Vegas, both of which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Among the more popular and unique tourist attractions in the Mojave is the self-described [[world's tallest thermometer]] at {{convert|134|ft}} high, which is along [[Interstate 15 in California|Interstate 15]] in Baker, California. The newly renovated [[Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel|Kelso Depot]] is the Visitor Center for the Mojave National Preserve. Nearby the massive [[Kelso Dunes]] are a popular recreation spot. Nipton, California, on the northern entrance to the Mojave National Preserve, is a restored ghost town founded in 1885.

Several attractions and natural features are in the [[Calico Mountains (California)|Calico Mountains]]. [[Calico Ghost Town]], in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County. The ghost town has several shops and attractions, and inspired [[Walter Knott]] to build [[Knott's Berry Farm]]. The [[Bureau of Land Management]] also administers [[Rainbow Basin]] and Owl Canyon, two "off-the-beaten-path" scenic attractions together north of Barstow in the Calicos. The [[Calico Early Man Site]], in the Calico Hills east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]], is believed by some archaeologists, including the late [[Louis Leakey]], to show the earliest evidence with [[Lithic analysis|lithic]] [[stone tools]] found here of human activity in North America. The [[Calico Peaks]] scenically rise above all the destinations.

A tour of the Mojave Desert inspired American songwriter [[Carrie Jacobs-Bond]] to compose the [[parlor song]] "[[A Perfect Day (song)|A Perfect Day]]" in 1909.<ref>Reublein, Rick. [http://parlorsongs.com/bios/cjbond/cjbond.php "America's first great woman popular song composer"] site.</ref>

===Museums===
[[File:MaturangoMuseum.JPG|thumb|Maturango Museum, in Ridgecrest]]
* [[Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park]]
* [[Amargosa Opera House and Hotel]]
* [http://www.route66museum.org/ Barstow Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum]
* [[California Route 66 Museum]]
* [[Desert Discovery Center]]
* [[Harvey House (Barstow, California)|Harvey House Railroad Depot]]
* [[Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel]]
* [[Maturango Museum]]
* [http://mojaverivervalleymuseum.org/ Mojave River Valley Museum]
* [[Western America Railroad Museum]]

===Parks and protected areas===
{{Main|:Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert|:Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert}}
{{Div col|small=yes}}
* [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]]
* [[Desert Tortoise Natural Area]]
* [[Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park]]
* [[Death Valley National Park]]
* [[Desert National Wildlife Refuge]] (Nevada)
* [[Joshua Tree National Park]]
* [[Lake Mead National Recreation Area]]
* [[Mojave National Preserve]]
* [[Providence Mountains State Recreation Area]]
* [[Red Cliffs National Conservation Area]] (Utah)
* [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]]
* [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]] (Nevada)
* [[Saddleback Butte State Park]]
* [[Snow Canyon State Park]] (Utah)
* [[Valley of Fire State Park]] (Nevada)
{{Div col end}}

===Flora===
{{Further|List of flora of the Mojave Desert region}}
The '''flora of the Mojave Desert''' help define what is designated as the Mojave Desert in that the desert itself is generally considered to be outlined by the extent of growth of one of its plants, the Joshua tree (''[[Yucca brevifolia]]''), which is exclusive to the Mojave Desert. Mojave Desert flora is not a [[vegetation type]], although plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of the physical barriers of the Sierra Nevadas and the Colorado Plateau. This area includes southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona in the United States. The flora are adapted to extremely hot and dry conditions, but generally not as extreme as the adaptations needed for survival in the [[flora of the Sonoran Desert]], which has shares a lot of its major flora, such as the creosote bush (''[[Larrea tridentata]]'').<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/vegetationflorao0001shre |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/vegetationflorao0001shre/page/3 3] |title=Vegetation and Flora of the Sonoran Desert|last=Shreve|first=Forrest|last2=Wiggins|first2=Ira Loren|date=1964-01-01|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804701631|language=en}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Cholla in bloom.jpg|[[Cholla cactus]] in bloom at night
File:Palms, Warm Springs, Nevada.jpg|[[Warm Springs Natural Area]] is a natural [[oasis]] about {{convert|50|mi|abbr=on}} northeast of [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]
File:Late Bloomer.jpg|Orange flowering [[barrel cactus]] is very common in the Mojave Desert.
File:Dawn 1.jpg|Moments after Dawn in [[Joshua Tree, California]]
File:Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area view 031513.JPG|Creosote (''[[Larrea tridentata]]'') on [[alluvium]] at [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]], southern Nevada.
</gallery>
</gallery>


===Fauna===
== Fauna ==
A good portion of the fauna of the Mojave desert extends into the neighboring Sonoran and Great Basin deserts. The animal species of the Mojave desert have generally less endemics than the flora of the Mojave desert. However, endemic fauna of the Mojave desert include [[Ammopelmatus kelsoensis|Kelso Dunes jerusalem cricket]] (''Ammopelmatus kelsoensis),'' the [[Eremopedes kelsoensis|Kelso Dunes shieldback katydid]] (''Eremopedes kelsoensis''), the [[Mohave ground squirrel]] (''Spermophilus Mohavensis'') and [[Amargosa vole]] (''Microtus californicus scirpensis'').<ref>Neuwald, J. L. 2010. Population isolation exacerbates conservation genetic concerns in the endangered Amargosa vole, ''Microtus californicus scirpensis''. Biological Conservation 143: 2028-2038.</ref> The [[Mojave fringe-toed lizard]] (''Uma Scopari''a) is not endemic, but almost completely limited to the Mojave desert. Notable species of the Mojave desert include the [[desert tortoise]] (''Gopherus agassizii''), which has adapted considerably to he conditions of the Mojave desert and deserts in general.<ref name=":0" /> There are various other species that are particularly common in the Mojave desert, such as the [[LeConte's thrasher|LeConte’s thrasher]] (''Toxostoma lecontei''), [[Western banded gecko|banded gecko]] (''Coleonyx variegatus''), [[desert iguana]] (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), [[chuckwalla]] (''Sauromalus obesus''), and [[regal horned lizard]] (''Phrynosoma solare''). Species of snake include the [[desert rosy boa]] (''Lichanura trivirgata gracia''), [[Mojave patchnose snake]] (''Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis''), and [[Crotalus scutulatus|Mojave rattlesnake]] (''Crotalus scutulatus'').
{{See also|Category:Fauna of the Mojave Desert}}The fauna of the Mojave Desert is generally defined by {{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
[[File:Desert tortoise (G. agassizii) - Flickr - smashtonlee05.jpg|thumb|A desert tortoise, which can be found in the Mojave desert.]]
* [[Bat]]
* [[Black throated sparrow]]
* [[Bobcat]]
* [[Burrowing owl]]
* [[California condor]]
* [[California kingsnake]]
* [[Chuckwalla]]
* [[Coachwhip (snake)|Coachwhip]]
* [[Common raven]]
* [[Common side-blotched lizard]]
* [[Cottontail rabbit]]
* [[Cougar]] - (also known as a Mountain lion)
* [[Coyote]]
* [[Desert bighorn sheep]]
* [[Ammospermophilus leucurus|Desert chipmunk]]
* [[Desert horned lizard]]
* [[Desert iguana]]
* [[Desert kit fox]]
* [[Desert night lizard]]
* [[Desert tortoise]]
* [[Elf owl]]
* [[Fringe-toed lizard]]
* [[Gambel's quail]]
* [[Hadrurus arizonensis|Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion]]
* [[Gila monster]]
* [[Glossy snake]]
* [[Gopher snake]]
* [[Crotaphytus bicinctores|Great Basin collared lizard]]
* [[Great horned owl]]
* [[Hummingbird]]
* [[Hare|Jackrabbit]]
* [[Kangaroo rat]]
* [[Gambelia wislizenii|Long-nosed leopard lizard]]
* [[Long-tailed brush lizard]]
* [[Crotalus scutulatus|Mohave green rattlesnake]]
* [[Mohave ground squirrel]]
* [[Mohave tui chub]]
* [[Mule deer]]
* [[Pronghorn]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Desert mystery: Why have pronghorn antelope returned to Death Valley?|url=https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-05-10/pronghorn-antelope-return-to-death-valley|last=Sahagun|first=Louis|date=2020-05-10|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-10}}</ref>
* [[Red-spotted toad]]
* [[Red-tailed hawk]]
* [[Rosy boa]]
* [[Sidewinder rattler]]
* [[Tarantula]]
* [[Vole]]
* [[Western banded gecko]]
* [[Western diamondback rattlesnake]]
* [[Western patch-nosed snake]]
* [[Zebra-tailed lizard]]
{{div col end}}


== Soil and plants conditions ==
The soil types in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts are mostly derived from volcano, specifically the areas in California. As the topography goes down, particle sizes decrease as you move down the gradient, where you can also find low alkalinity. This erosional gradient is a habitat for many plant communities. As you go up the gradient of the desert, you will find more [[pediment (geology)|pediment]] and [[alluvial fan]] soil. In these areas, the flora is mostly succulents. As you move down the gradient, this area is described to be the upper and lower [[bajada (geography)|bajada]], then you move into playa and salina, and finally you will reach the river. Drought deciduous plants are found in the alluvial fans and upper bajada. Evergreen perennials are found in some parts of the upper bajada, but it is mostly found in lower bajada. Once the salinity increases, you will find more salt-tolerant plants. In the river areas, deep-rooted plants reside. Due to the harsh and dry conditions in the desert, the plants have adapted to have succulent leaves, with CAM photosynthesis, spines, buried bulbs, hairy or waxy leaves, photosynthetic stems, deep taproots, and ephemerals.


== Protection and conservation ==
== Protected Areas and Parks ==
Various habitats and regions of the Mojave Desert have been protected by statute. Notably, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. ([[Public Law (United States)|<abbr>Pub.L.</abbr>]] 103–433). Additionally, various other [[National park|national parks]] and [[State park|state parks]] have regions within the Mojave desert. These include [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve|Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve,]] which protects the fields of California poppies [[Desert Tortoise Natural Area|Desert Tortoise Natural Area,]] [[Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park|Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park,]] [[Desert National Wildlife Refuge|Desert National Wildlife Refuge,]] [[Lake Mead National Recreation Area]], [[Providence Mountains State Recreation Area]], [[Red Cliffs National Conservation Area]], [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park,]] [[Saddleback Butte State Park]], [[Snow Canyon State Park]] and [[Valley of Fire State Park]].
About half of the Mojave desert is suffering from habitat loss due to increasing [[urbanization]] and [[suburbanization]] of the Los Angeles and the Las Vegas metropolitan areas, an increase in demand for [[landfill]] space, military activities, and agricultural activities alongside the [[Colorado River]], which has threatened Death Valley National Park with a lowered water table.<ref name=":0" />


=== 2009 Litigation ===
==West Mojave plan litigation==
In 2009, U.S. District Judge [[Susan Illston]] ruled against the Bureau's proposed designation of additional off-road vehicle use allowance in the western Mojave Desert. According to the ruling, the Bureau of Land Management violated its own regulations<ref name="wil">{{Cite web |url=http://wilderness.org/content/road-routes-mojave-desert-found-illegal |title=Mojave's Off-Highway Roads Found Illegal |access-date=2009-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415135954/http://wilderness.org/content/road-routes-mojave-desert-found-illegal |archive-date=2012-04-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> when it designated approximately {{convert|5000|mi|km}} of [[off-roading]] routes in 2006.<ref name="merc">[http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20090930cg Judge rejects federal plan for SoCal desert routes]</ref> According to Judge Illston, the Bureau's designation was significantly "flawed because it does not contain a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitat.<ref name="lat">[http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mojave30-2009sep30,0,6696095.story Judge rejects U.S. management plan for California desert], ''Los Angeles Times'', 30 September 2009.</ref> Judge Illston found the bureau had inadequately analyzed the routes' impacts on air quality, soils, plant communities, riparian habitats, and sensitive species such as the endangered [[Uma scoparia|Mojave fringe-toed lizard]], pointing out that the desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed."<ref name="lat" />
In 2009, U.S. District Judge [[Susan Illston]] ruled against the Bureau's proposed designation of additional off-road vehicle use allowance in the western Mojave Desert. According to the ruling, the Bureau of Land Management violated its own regulations when it designated approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of [[off-roading]] routes in 2006. According to Judge Illston, the Bureau's designation was significantly "flawed because it does not contain a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitat. Judge Illston found the bureau had inadequately analyzed the routes' impacts on air quality, soils, plant communities, riparian habitats, and sensitive species such as the endangered [[Uma scoparia|Mojave fringe-toed lizard]], pointing out that the desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed."<ref>"Mojave's Off-Highway Roads Found Illegal". Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2009.</ref>


== Cities and regions ==
==See also==
{{Main|List of cities in the Mojave Desert}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
{{For|a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave|High Desert (California)}}
*[[Amboy Crater]]
[[File:RidgecrestCA.JPG|thumb|A typical Mojave desert valley and city: [[Indian Wells Valley]] and [[Ridgecrest, California]]]]
*[[Bullhead City, Arizona]]
[[File:Searles,_CA_Mojave_Desert.jpg|thumb|A typical desert scene near the Searles, California area, January 2019]]
*[[Cima volcanic field]]
[[File:Desert_Rim_Sunset.jpg|left|thumb|A Mojave desert nautical [[twilight]], in [[Johnson Valley, California]]]]
*[[Coso Rock Art District]]
While the Mojave Desert itself is generally sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The metropolitan areas include [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], the largest city in the Mojave and the largest city in Nevada with a population of about 651 thousand.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Las Vegas City, Nevada|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/lasvegascitynevada|url-status=live|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> [[St. George, Utah|St. George]] is the northeasternmost metropolitan area in the Mojave, with a population of around 185,000 in 2020, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] is the largest California city in the desert.<ref name=":1" /> Smaller cities or [[micropolitan]] areas in the Mojave Desert include [[Helendale, California|Helendale]], [[Lake Havasu City, Arizona|Lake Havasu City]], [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]], [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]], [[Bullhead City, Arizona|Bullhead City]] and [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]]. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990. The California portion of the desert also contains [[Edwards Air Force Base]] and [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]], noted for experimental aviation and weapons projects.
*[[Death Valley National Park]]
*[[Deserts of California]]
*[[Fossil Falls]]
*[[Ivanpah Solar Power Facility]]
*[[Kelso Dunes]]
*[[List of regions of California|List of California regions]]
*[[Mitchell Caverns]]
*[[Mohave people]] (Native Americans)
*[[Mojave Air and Space Port]]
*''[[Mojave Desert News]]''
*[[Mojave Road]]
*[[Needles, California]]
*[[Pisgah Crater]]
*[[Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert]]
*[[Trona Pinnacles]]
*[[Zzyzx, California]]
{{div col end}}


The Mojave Desert has several [[Ghost town|ghost towns]]; the most significant are the gold-mining town of [[Oatman, Arizona]], the silver and copper-mining town of [[Calico, San Bernardino County, California|Calico, California]], and the old railroad depot of [[Kelso, California|Kelso]]. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when [[U.S. Route 66]] (and the lesser-known [[U.S. Route 91]]) were abandoned in favor of the construction of [[Interstate highway|Interstates]].
==References==
{{Reflist |colwidth=30em |refs=
<ref name="State of Nevada">{{cite journal |first1=Lloyd R. |last1=Stark |first2=Alan T. |last2=Whittemore |date=2000<!-- deduced from volume number--> |title=Bryophytes From the Northern Mojave Desert |journal=Southwestern Naturalist |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=226–232 |via=Mosses of Nevada On-line |url=http://heritage.nv.gov/mosses/mojavems.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030612171829/http://heritage.nv.gov/mosses/mojavems.htm |archive-date=2003-06-12|doi=10.2307/3672465 |jstor=3672465 }}</ref>
}}


==Further reading==
* Miller, D.M. and Amoroso, L. (2007). ''Preliminary surficial geology of the Dove Spring off-highway vehicle open area, Mojave Desert, California'' [U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1265]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
* ''Mojave Desert Wildflowers'', Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. iv


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 23:41, 25 July 2021

Mojave Desert
Hayyikwiir Mat'aar (Mohave)[1]
Calico Basin in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas
Location in North America
Ecology
RealmNearctic
BiomeDeserts and xeric shrublands
Borders
List
Geography
CountryUnited States
States
Coordinates35°N 116°W / 35°N 116°W / 35; -116
RiversColorado River, Mojave River
Conservation
Conservation statusRelatively Stable/Intact[2]
Habitat loss5.3%[3]
Protected81.3%[3]


The Mojave Desert (/moʊˈhɑːvi, mə-/ moh-HAH-vee, mə-;[4][5][6] Mohave: Hayikwiir Mat'aar) is a xeric desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains located in the Southwestern United States.[7][8] It is the smallest and driest desert of the four American deserts. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in the Southeastern California and Southwestern Utah, though small portions do extend into Utah and Arizona.[9][8]

Joshua trees, such as the one depicted are endemic and exclusive to the Mojave desert.[10]

Along with the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin deserts, a larger North American Desert is formed. The Mojave Desert is bordered to the west by the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the California Montane Scrub, to the South and East by the Sonoran Desert, although the boundaries to the east of the Mojave desert are less distinctive than the other boundaries as there is no distinctive presence of an indicator species, such as the Joshua Tree (Yucca Brevifolia),[11] which is endemic to the Mojave desert. The Mojave Desert is distinguished from the Sonoran Desert and other deserts adjacent to it by its warm temperate climate, as well as flora and fauna such as ironwood, (Olneya tesota), blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia Florida), chuparosa (Justicia californica), spiny menodora (Menodora spinescens), desert senna (Cassia armata), California dalea (Psorothamnus arborescens), and goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi) As such, the extent of these plants generally serve as a boundary between the nearby Sonoran desert.[8] The Mojave Desert displays typical basin and range topography, that is, generally having a pattern of a series of parallel mountain ranges and valleys. The Mojave Desert is also the site of various silver, tungsten, iron and gold deposits.[12] The Mojave Desert is also the site of Death Valley, which is the lowest elevation in North America. The Mojave desert is often colloquially called the "high desert" as most of the desert lies between 610 and 1,220 m.

The spelling Mojave originates from the Spanish language while the spelling Mohave comes from modern English. Both are used today, although the Mojave Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling Mojave; the word is a shortened form of Hamakhaave, their endonym in their native language, which means "beside the water".[13]

Conservation Status

The Mojave Desert has a relatively stable and intact conservation status. In fact, the Mojave Desert is one of the best protected distinct ecoregions in the United States,[8] as a result of the California Desert Protection Act, which established the Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve.[14] However, the Southwest and central East portions of the Mojave desert are particularly threatened as a result of off-road vehicles, human development, and agricultural grazing.[8] The World Wildlife Fund lists the Mojave desert as relatively "stable/intact."[8]

Human Development

In recent years, human development in the Mojave desert has become increasingly present. Human development at the major urban and suburban centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles has had an increasingly damaging effect on the wildlife of the Mojave desert.[8] An added demand for landfill space as a result of the large metropolitan centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles also has the real potential to drastically affect the flora and fauna of the Mojave desert. Agricultural development along the Colorado river, which is close to the Eastern boundary of the Mojave desert also causes habitat loss and degradation.[9][8] Areas that are particularly affected by human development include Ward Valley and Riverside country. The United States military also maintains installations in the Mojave Desert. Thus, the Mojave desert is a critical training location for the United States Department of Defense.[15]

Geology and Physical Features

The Mojave Desert is bordered by the San Andreas and the Garlock faults to the Southwest and to the North. The mountains elevated along the length of the San Andreas fault provide a clear border between the Mojave desert and the coastal regions to the West.[16] The Garlock fault separates the Mojave Desert from the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi mountains, which also provides a natural border to the Mojave desert. There are also abundant alluvial fans, which are called bajadas, which form around the mountains within the Mojave desert and extend down toward the low altitude basins,[11] which contain dried lake beds called playas, where water generally collects and evaporates, leaving large volumes of salt. These playas include Rogers Dry Lake, and China Lake. Dry lakes are a noted feature of the Mojave desert landscape.[8] The Mojave Desert is also home to the Devils Playground, about 40 miles (64 km) of dunes and salt flats going in a northwest-southeasterly direction. The Devil's Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is between the town of Baker, California and Providence Mountains. The Cronese Mountains are within the Devil's Playground.

Relatively, there is not much riverine activity within the Mojave desert. The intermittent Mojave River, which begins on the San Bernardino mountains and disappears deeper into the Mojave Desert flows through the Mojave generally underground. The Amargosa River also flows partly through the Mojave desert along a southward path. The Manix, Mojave, and the Little Mojave lakes, are all large but shallow.[17] Soda Lake is the principal saline basine of the Mojave desert. Natural springs are typically rare throughout the Mojave desert,[18] however, there are two notable springs, Ash Meadows, and Oasis Valley. Ash Meadows is formed from several other springs, which all draw from deep underground. Oasis Valley draws from the nearby Amargosa river.

The Mojave Desert is also a source of various minerals and metallic materials. The deposits of gold, tungsten, and silver have been mined frequently prior to the Second World War.[12] Additionally, there have been deposits of copper, tin, lead-zinc, manganese, iron, and various radioactive substances but they have not been mined for commercial use.[12]

Climate

The climate of the Mojave Desert is characterized by extremes in temperatures throughout the seasons. Freezing temperatures as well as strong winds are not uncommon in the winter, as well as precipitation such as rain and snow in the mountains. In contrast, temperatures above 100 Fahrenheit are not uncommon during the summer months.[19] There is an annual average precipitation of 2 to 6 inches, although regions at high altitudes such as the portion of the Mojave desert in the San Gabriel mountains.[16][9] Most of the precipitation in the Mojave comes from the Pacific Cyclonic storms that are generally present passing Eastward in November to April.[16] Such storms generally bring rain and snow only in the mountainous regions, as a result of the effect of the Sierra Nevada mountains, which creates a drying effect on its leeward slopes.[16]

During the late summer months, there is also the possibility of strong thunderstorms which bring heavy showers or cloudbursts. These storms can result in flash flooding.

The Mojave Desert has not historically supported a fire regime because of low fuel loads and connectivity. However, in the last few decades, invasive annual plants such as some within the genera Bromus, Schismus and Brassica have facilitated fires by serving as a fuel bed for fires. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert. At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.[20]

Climate data for Furnace Creek, Death Valley (Elevation −190 ft (−58 m))
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 88
(31) 		97
(36) 		102
(39) 		113
(45) 		122
(50) 		128
(53) 		134
(57) 		127
(53) 		123
(51) 		113
(45) 		98
(37) 		88
(31) 		134
(57)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 66.9
(19.4) 		73.3
(22.9) 		82.1
(27.8) 		90.5
(32.5) 		100.5
(38.1) 		109.9
(43.3) 		116.5
(46.9) 		114.7
(45.9) 		106.5
(41.4) 		92.8
(33.8) 		77.1
(25.1) 		65.2
(18.4) 		91.4
(33.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 40.0
(4.4) 		46.3
(7.9) 		54.8
(12.7) 		62.1
(16.7) 		72.7
(22.6) 		81.2
(27.3) 		88.0
(31.1) 		85.7
(29.8) 		75.6
(24.2) 		61.5
(16.4) 		48.1
(8.9) 		38.3
(3.5) 		62.9
(17.2)
Record low °F (°C) 15
(−9) 		26
(−3) 		26
(−3) 		39
(4) 		46
(8) 		54
(12) 		67
(19) 		65
(18) 		55
(13) 		37
(3) 		30
(−1) 		22
(−6) 		15
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.39
(9.9) 		0.51
(13) 		0.30
(7.6) 		0.12
(3.0) 		0.03
(0.76) 		0.05
(1.3) 		0.07
(1.8) 		0.13
(3.3) 		0.21
(5.3) 		0.07
(1.8) 		0.18
(4.6) 		0.30
(7.6) 		2.36
(60)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 217 226 279 330 372 390 403 372 330 310 210 186 3,625
Source: NOAA 1981–2010 US Climate Normals [21]
Climate data for Searchlight, Nevada. (Elevation 3,550 ft (1,080 m))
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 77
(25) 		81
(27) 		90
(32) 		94
(34) 		102
(39) 		110
(43) 		111
(44) 		110
(43) 		107
(42) 		98
(37) 		86
(30) 		75
(24) 		111
(44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 53.7
(12.1) 		58.4
(14.7) 		65.0
(18.3) 		73.1
(22.8) 		82.5
(28.1) 		92.7
(33.7) 		97.6
(36.4) 		95.4
(35.2) 		89.0
(31.7) 		77.0
(25.0) 		63.6
(17.6) 		54.4
(12.4) 		75.2
(24.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 35.6
(2.0) 		38.3
(3.5) 		41.8
(5.4) 		48.0
(8.9) 		55.9
(13.3) 		64.8
(18.2) 		71.4
(21.9) 		69.6
(20.9) 		63.9
(17.7) 		53.9
(12.2) 		43.0
(6.1) 		36.4
(2.4) 		51.9
(11.1)
Record low °F (°C) 7
(−14) 		11
(−12) 		20
(−7) 		27
(−3) 		30
(−1) 		40
(4) 		52
(11) 		51
(11) 		41
(5) 		23
(−5) 		15
(−9) 		8
(−13) 		7
(−14)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.92
(23) 		0.96
(24) 		0.77
(20) 		0.40
(10) 		0.20
(5.1) 		0.11
(2.8) 		0.91
(23) 		1.08
(27) 		0.61
(15) 		0.52
(13) 		0.43
(11) 		0.79
(20) 		7.70
(196)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[22]
Climate data for Mount Charleston Lodge, Nevada. (Elevation 7,420 ft (2,260 m))
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21) 		69
(21) 		73
(23) 		79
(26) 		86
(30) 		93
(34) 		98
(37) 		93
(34) 		90
(32) 		83
(28) 		79
(26) 		69
(21) 		98
(37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 44.0
(6.7) 		43.4
(6.3) 		48.8
(9.3) 		54.8
(12.7) 		64.4
(18.0) 		74.1
(23.4) 		79.4
(26.3) 		78.2
(25.7) 		71.7
(22.1) 		61.4
(16.3) 		51.6
(10.9) 		44.3
(6.8) 		59.7
(15.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.2
(−7.1) 		19.8
(−6.8) 		23.5
(−4.7) 		28.2
(−2.1) 		36.4
(2.4) 		44.1
(6.7) 		52.0
(11.1) 		50.6
(10.3) 		43.5
(6.4) 		34.5
(1.4) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		19.4
(−7.0) 		33.1
(0.6)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24) 		−15
(−26) 		1
(−17) 		7
(−14) 		16
(−9) 		17
(−8) 		31
(−1) 		30
(−1) 		17
(−8) 		9
(−13) 		1
(−17) 		−18
(−28) 		−18
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.83
(72) 		3.51
(89) 		1.92
(49) 		1.23
(31) 		0.70
(18) 		0.29
(7.4) 		2.13
(54) 		1.89
(48) 		1.69
(43) 		1.96
(50) 		1.31
(33) 		3.61
(92) 		23.09
(586)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 18.2
(46) 		29.3
(74) 		13.2
(34) 		8.3
(21) 		1.0
(2.5) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1.6
(4.1) 		5.2
(13) 		20.0
(51) 		97.1
(247)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[23]

Prehistoric Formation

The Mojave Desert was likely under shallow water for most of the time of its formation.[24][25] Under this shallow coat of water, a large volume of sedimentary processes were likely taking place, causing in large deposits of limestones, silicates, and dolomites. During the Paleozoic Era, the area that is now the Mojave was again likely submerged under a greater sea.[26] During the Mesozoic era, major tectonic activities such as thrust faulting and folding resulted in distinctive shaping as well as intrusion[11][26]. During the Cenozoic, more tectonic deformation occurred whilst the Mojave was partly submerged. Major volcanic activity is thought to have occurred during the oligocene. Large downpours during the Miocene likely significantly eroded the rock in the Mojave and accelerated deposition.[26]

Tourism

The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular spots for tourism in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenery, playing host to Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve. Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts. The Mojave Desert also includes three California State Parks, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, in Lancaster, Saddleback Butte State Park, in Hi Vista and Red Rock Canyon State Park.

Several attractions and natural features are in the Calico Mountains. Calico Ghost Town, in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County. The ghost town has several shops and attractions, and inspired Walter Knott to build Knott's Berry Farm. The Bureau of Land Management also administers Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon. The Calico Early Man Site, in the Calico Hills east of Yermo, is believed by some archaeologists, including the late Louis Leakey, to show the earliest evidence with lithic stone tools found here of human activity in North America.

  • Death Valley national park, a popular tourist attraction in the Mojave desert.
    Death Valley national park, a popular tourist attraction in the Mojave desert.
  • An image of Joshua Tree National park, which is a popular tourist attraction in the Mojave desert.
    An image of Joshua Tree National park, which is a popular tourist attraction in the Mojave desert.
  • A field of California poppies in the California Poppy Deserve in Antelope Valley.
    A field of California poppies in the California Poppy Deserve in Antelope Valley.

Flora

The flora of the Mojave desert are helpful in determining the extents of the Mojave desert where there may not be distinctive geophysical boundaries,[8] the Mojave desert consists of various endemic plant species, notably the Joshua Tree, which is a particularly notable endemic and indicator species of the desert. There are more endemic flora of the Mojave desert than almost anywhere in the world.[8] Mojave Desert flora is not a vegetation type, although the plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of the physical barriers of the Sierra Nevadas and the Colorado Plateau. Predominant plants of the Mojave desert include all-scale (Atriplex polycarpa), creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), desert holly (Atriplex hymenelytra), white burrobush (Hymenoclea salsola), and most notably, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Additionally, the Mojave desert is also home to various species of cacti, such as silver cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa), Mojave prickly pear (O. erinacea), beavertail cactus (O. basilaris), and many-headed barrel cactus (Echinocactus polycephalus). Less common but distinctive plants of the Mojave desert include ironwood, (Olneya tesota), blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia Florida), chuparosa (Justicia californica), spiny menodora (Menodora spinescens), desert senna (Cassia armata), California dalea (Psorothamnus arborescens), and goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi). The Mojave desert is generally abundant in winter annuals.[27] The plants of the Mojave desert each generally correspond to an individual geographic feature. As such, the Mojave desert has distinctive flora communities within the desert.

  • A depiction of cassia armata, which is particularly characteristic of the Mojave.
    A depiction of cassia armata, which is particularly characteristic of the Mojave.
  • California Dalea, which is an indicator species of the Mojave desert.
    California Dalea, which is an indicator species of the Mojave desert.
  • Goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi), which is an indicator species of the Mojave.
    Goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi), which is an indicator species of the Mojave.
  • Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa) which is a common species of cacti within the Mojave.
    Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa) which is a common species of cacti within the Mojave.
  • A creosote bush, which is common in the Mojave desert.
    A creosote bush, which is common in the Mojave desert.

Fauna

A good portion of the fauna of the Mojave desert extends into the neighboring Sonoran and Great Basin deserts. The animal species of the Mojave desert have generally less endemics than the flora of the Mojave desert. However, endemic fauna of the Mojave desert include Kelso Dunes jerusalem cricket (Ammopelmatus kelsoensis), the Kelso Dunes shieldback katydid (Eremopedes kelsoensis), the Mohave ground squirrel (Spermophilus Mohavensis) and Amargosa vole (Microtus californicus scirpensis).[28] The Mojave fringe-toed lizard (Uma Scoparia) is not endemic, but almost completely limited to the Mojave desert. Notable species of the Mojave desert include the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), which has adapted considerably to he conditions of the Mojave desert and deserts in general.[8] There are various other species that are particularly common in the Mojave desert, such as the LeConte’s thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei), banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus), desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus), and regal horned lizard (Phrynosoma solare). Species of snake include the desert rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata gracia), Mojave patchnose snake (Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis), and Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus).

A desert tortoise, which can be found in the Mojave desert.


Protected Areas and Parks

Various habitats and regions of the Mojave Desert have been protected by statute. Notably, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. (Pub.L. 103–433). Additionally, various other national parks and state parks have regions within the Mojave desert. These include Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, which protects the fields of California poppies Desert Tortoise Natural Area, Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park, Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Red Rock Canyon State Park, Saddleback Butte State Park, Snow Canyon State Park and Valley of Fire State Park.

2009 Litigation

In 2009, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled against the Bureau's proposed designation of additional off-road vehicle use allowance in the western Mojave Desert. According to the ruling, the Bureau of Land Management violated its own regulations when it designated approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of off-roading routes in 2006. According to Judge Illston, the Bureau's designation was significantly "flawed because it does not contain a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitat. Judge Illston found the bureau had inadequately analyzed the routes' impacts on air quality, soils, plant communities, riparian habitats, and sensitive species such as the endangered Mojave fringe-toed lizard, pointing out that the desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed."[29]

Cities and regions

Main article: List of cities in the Mojave Desert
For a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave, see High Desert (California).
A typical Mojave desert valley and city: Indian Wells Valley and Ridgecrest, California
A typical desert scene near the Searles, California area, January 2019
A Mojave desert nautical twilight, in Johnson Valley, California

While the Mojave Desert itself is generally sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years.[9][8] The metropolitan areas include Las Vegas, the largest city in the Mojave and the largest city in Nevada with a population of about 651 thousand.[30] St. George is the northeasternmost metropolitan area in the Mojave, with a population of around 185,000 in 2020, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Lancaster is the largest California city in the desert.[9] Smaller cities or micropolitan areas in the Mojave Desert include Helendale, Lake Havasu City, Kingman, Laughlin, Bullhead City and Pahrump. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990. The California portion of the desert also contains Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, noted for experimental aviation and weapons projects.

The Mojave Desert has several ghost towns; the most significant are the gold-mining town of Oatman, Arizona, the silver and copper-mining town of Calico, California, and the old railroad depot of Kelso. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when U.S. Route 66 (and the lesser-known U.S. Route 91) were abandoned in favor of the construction of Interstates.


External links

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  1. ^ Munro, P., et al. A Mojave Dictionary. Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992
  2. ^ "Mojave desert | Ecoregions | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Atlas was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-3-12-539683-8
  5. ^ "Mojave". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  6. ^ "Mojave". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  7. ^ "The Mojave Desert". Blue Planet Biomes.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Mojave Desert". World Wildlife Fund.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b c d e Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Mojave Desert". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/place/Mojave-Desert. Accessed 22 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Mojave Desert Biome". Blue Planet Biomes. Retrieved July 23, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ a b c Rundel, Philip W., and Arthur C. Gibson. Ecological communities and processes in a Mojave Desert ecosystem. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
  12. ^ a b c Dibledee, 1967. p. 124
  13. ^ "American Indian History".
  14. ^ Wheat, Frank (1999). California Desert Miracle. San Diego: Sunbelt Publications. ISBN 0-932653-27-8.
  15. ^ "Mojave Desert". Nature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ a b c d Dibblee, Thomas W. "Areal geology of the western Mojave Desert, California." (1967).
  17. ^ Rundel, 2005, p. 7
  18. ^ Rundel, 2005. p. 19
  19. ^ "Weather - Mojave National Park Reserve". National Park Service.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Brooks, Matthew L., and J. R. Matchett. "Spatial and temporal patterns of wildfires in the Mojave Desert, 1980–2004." Journal of Arid Environments 67 (2006): 148-164.
  21. ^ NOAA. "1981–2010 US Climate Normals". NOAA. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  22. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  23. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  24. ^ Rundel, 2005. p. 21
  25. ^ Dibledee, 1967. p. 115
  26. ^ a b c Dibledee, 1967. p. 116
  27. ^ Rundel, 2005. p 11
  28. ^ Neuwald, J. L. 2010. Population isolation exacerbates conservation genetic concerns in the endangered Amargosa vole, Microtus californicus scirpensis. Biological Conservation 143: 2028-2038.
  29. ^ "Mojave's Off-Highway Roads Found Illegal". Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
  30. ^ "Las Vegas City, Nevada". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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