PubTalk 12/2006 — The Mojave National Preserve

Geology and Water Shape Desert Plant Communities

by David Miller, Geologist and John Nimmo, Soil Hydrologist

• 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