The Desert Region of California 2003-2004 Desert Group Photo (AJ, Alex, Luke, Shealyn, Sara, Luke, Andrew) CA Region Project Home I SP Web Home
Vegetation (Plants)	Cacti Mostly cacti are found in the desert. They can hold their water for one year because they only get a few drops of rain. Types include: Barrel Saguaro Staghorn Hedgehog Octillo	Flowers and Seeds   Smoke tree Brittle Brush Flowers Desert Lily Misqute Seeds	Facts Cacti can grow 50 feet tall Plants in the desert only survive if they are adapted to the heat. Some plants do not survive the heat.
Animals (Wildlife)	Arthropods Ants: Look for volcano-shapted mounds leading into their tunnels in areas of sand; Beware... the red ants can bite and sting. Tarantula: A fairly shy spider, they are usually seen crawling around at night. White-lined Splinx Moth: Nocturnal -- sometimes seen around artificial lights at night. Velvet Ants: These fuzzy ant-looking insects are really a type of female wasp. They can give you a painful sting. Do not pick them up! They are sometimes seen crawling along open areas like roads.	Arthropods Tarantula Hawk Wasp: These wasps will sting and paralyze a tarantula, drag it into a underground burrow, and lay eggs on the tarantula's body so the young wasps will have something to eat when they hatch out. Stink Beetles: When disturbed, these beetles will stick their rear into the air and may release a smelly liquid; they're also called pinacate or circus beetles. Look for them slowly walking about in for the early evening and at night.	Mammals Kit Fox: Mainly nocturnal and can be seen near sandy areas. Look for their tracks near rodent burrows. Pronghorn: Look for the pronghorn across open areas. They are the fastest-running animals in North America. Antelope Squirrel: Gets most of it's water from the food it eats. Active during the day in the desert foothills. Desert Spiny Lizard: Seen during the day on rocks, in trees and on the ground.
Natural Features (Landforms)	Important Landforms Salton Sea Mono Lake Owens Lake Bed Red Rock Canyon	Death Valley Hottest place in USA 140 miles long 282 feet below sea level San Andreas fault located here Part of the Great Basin Bad Water Lake is the lowest point	Mojave Desert On the edge of Nevada and Arizona Rain and flash floods occur rarely Over 25,000 miles long Winds of up to 75 mph push 1,000 lb. rocks through shallow lakes Rain storms cause cliffs to fall, crumble, & dissolve
Natural Resources (Industry)	Industry Borax mining Natural gas drilling Aviation Recreation (Golfing, camping)	Mining A long time ago people came to the deserts for: Gold Silver Oil Minerals Tungsten Borax Stone Copper	Camping Joshua National Park 9 Campgrounds Fish for catfish Hiking Boat rides Biking   Tourism Palm Springs Theaters Water parks Museums Balloon Flights The golf course there is the biggest one in the world!
Recreation (Fun Activities)	Outdoor Activities   Running Rock climbing Camping (indoor and outdoor) Camping Off road ATV, 4 wheel driving, and bike riding Visiting ghost towns	National Parks Death Valley National Park Joshua Tree National Park State Park Mt. San Jactinto State Park	Animal Activities Sketching animals Taking pictures and watching animals Watching the pub fish
Climate; Weather; Natural Hazards; Population Density	Weather Desert gets so little rain because mountain blocks rain. Weather measures about 2-5 inches of rain a year. Once no rain fell for 767 days in the town of Bagdad in the Mojave Desert (a USA record!) Notable for it's sunny summers pleasant winters and little precipitation. After thunderstorms, the Desert is an amazing sight!	Climate Mediterranean and Semi-Arid or steppe climate zone covers the fringes of the Desert. Desert is so hot you can fry an egg on a rock! Highest temperature in the USA was 134 degrees Fahrenheit which was in Death Valley. The coldest time was in the Mongoro Basin which was 35 degrees Fahrenheit.	Natural Hazards Few volcanoes in the region Majority of natural hazards are mud slides. Fun Fact: One place having the lowest elevation in the western hemisphere is Death Valley at 282 feet. Important Cities Palm Springs Lancaster El Centro Indio