PubTalk 12/2006 - Mojave

Title: The Mojave National Preserve: Geology and Water Shape Desert Plant Communities 

• One of the largest units in the National Park System, the Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994
• The Preserve encompasses great sand dunes (including "singing sands"), young volcanic features, forests of Joshua trees, and fields of wildflowers 
• Maps of the surface geology can predict the distribution of vegetation types
• How do the different ways soils accept rainwater affect plant communities? 
• Learn how USGS researchers are modeling the relations of geology, water, and desert plants