When Is a Desert Not a Desert? The Varying Landscapes of Arizona. When people think of Arizona they often think of a dry, hot desert that is covered with giant saguaro cacti and snakes. This is not a true picture of all the varying landscapes that make up Arizona. There are three major regions found in this state. The southwestern portion is the desert region. The central area is mountains region, and the northeastern part of the state is the plateau region. Each of the regions has different types of landscapes. Arizona has six of the major biomes that scientists have labeled in the world. Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. The biomes that are found in Arizona are the desert scrub, grassland, chaparral, woodland, forest, and tundra biomes. The three regions contain different biomes. DESERT REGION: There are two desert scrub biomes in this region. The Sonoran Desert covers most of the desert region. However, the Mojave Desert is near the California/Arizona border. The desert region also contains grassland and chaparral biomes. Even in the desert region, there are forest and woodland biomes. These small “islands” of forest and woodland biomes are in the Coronado National Forest in the southeastern corner of the state. MOUNTAIN REGION: The chaparral biome is located between the desert and the mountain regions. The woodland biomes are found along the northern and southern borders of the mountain region. The mountain region also has a desert scrub biome, called the Chihuahuan Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is in the southeastern corner of Arizona. The mountain region contains three of the six national forests found in Arizona. They are the Prescott, Tonto, and some of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. PLATEAU REGION: A plateau is a high flat land. The Colorado Plateau in Arizona begins at the Mogollon Rim. The rim is the southern border of the plateau region. The plateau region contains the only alpine biome in Arizona. The alpine biome is on the top of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff. The plateau region also contains desert scrub, forest, woodland, and grassland biomes. The Great Basin Desert is in the northwestern corner of the state. The Coconino, Kaibab, and some of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest are in the plateau region.

Study the following charts and then answer the questions following them. Biomes of Arizona Desert scrub

Climate Arid, hot

Grassland

Semi-arid to semi3,300 ft. – 5,000 humid, warm to cool ft. (desert) 5,000 ft – 7,000 ft. (plains) Semi-arid, warm to 4,000 ft. – 6,000 cool, 13–23 in. of ft. rain Semi-arid to semi5,100 ft. – 7,000 humid, warm to ft. cool, 12-20 in. of rain 4,000 ft. along the river beds Semi-humid to wet, 6,900 ft. – 10,500 cold to warm ft.

Chaparral Woodland

Forest

Tundra

Semi-humid, cold

Elevation 100 ft. – 3,500 ft.

11,000 ft. – 11,500 ft.

Plant Life short trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, yuccas, agaves, cacti, and ocotillos short grasses, shrubs, yuccas, agaves, cacti, tall grasses, and sedges scrub oak, manzanita evergreen oaks, pinyon pine, juniper, cottonwood, sycamore, and alder ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, pine, spruce fir, and aspen no trees, only grasses and mosses

Deserts of Arizona Sonoran

Elevation

Climate

Location

Plant Life

100 ft. – 3,000 ft.

Hot

Small leaf desert trees: paloverde, ironwood, desert-olive, mesquite, cottonwood, and willow Shrubs: creosote, sage, brittlebush, saltbush, and ocotillo Cactus: saguaro, organ pipe, senita, barrel, cholla, prickly pear, hedgehog, and pincushion

500 ft – 3,000 ft.

Hot warm

Chihuahuan

1,000-3,500 ft

Warm

Great Basin

3000 ft. 6500 ft.

Cold

From east of Nogalas to Yuma and the southern border to a line from Congress to Needles, CA. The north western from Congress to Needles then following the Colorado River. The southeastern corner of the state, parts of San Simon Valley, Sulphur Springs Valley, and San Pedro Valley The area north and east of Flagstaff and the extreme northwest near the Utah border.

Mojave

Shrub desert: creosote, blackbush, saltbush, bladder-sage, Joshua tree, Mohave yucca, and catclaw, some mesquite and desert willow Cactus: cholla, prickly pear, beaver tail cactus, hedgehog, barrel, and pincushion, and some saguaro

Shrub desert: creosote, tarbush, whitethorn, sandpaperbush, desert sumac, ocotillo, and mesquite Cactus: cholla, prickly pear, barrel, and pincushion Grassland: short grasses

Shrub desert: sage brush, plateau yucca, and desert olive Cactus: prickly pear

Grasslands Elevation of Arizona Desert 3,500 ft – 5,000 ft.

Climate

Location

Plant Life

Hot

By Kingman and in Chihuahuan Desert

Plains

5,000 ft. – 7,000 ft.

Semiarid Warm

Grasses: yucca, obaso grasses, ring grasses, plains grasses Grasses: grama, muhly, needlegrass, dropseed, spangletop, fescu, wheat grass, brome, and galleta

Mountain

9,000 ft

Cold

Eastern Arizona in San Rafael, Santa Cruz, Sulfur Springs and Chino Valley, and in Navajo and Apache counties White Mountain, Grasses: Kaibab Plateau mountain timothy, Arizona fescue, Kentucky blue grass, mountain muhly, needlegrass, mountain brome, pine dropseed, and black dropseed

Evergreen Woodland of Arizona Oak

Elevation

Climate

Location

Plant Life

4,100 ft

Warm

Southern Arizona

Mexican Oak - Pine

4,000 ft. – 6,500 ft.

Warm

Juniper – Pinyon

5,500 ft. – 7,000 ft.

Cold

Lies between the oak woodland and the Ponderosa pine forest. Primarily in southeastern Arizona below the Gila River Below ponderosa pine forest and the Mogollon Rim, Coconino and Kaibab Plateau

Emory oak, Mexican blue oak, juniper, one seed juniper, some Mexican pinyon Conifers: Chihuahua pine, Apache pine, Mexican pinyon and alligator juniper Oaks: silver leaf oak, Arizona oak, and Emory oak Conifers: Colorado pinyon, Utah juniper, one-seed juniper Grasses: blue grama, side oat grama, black grama, Arizona fescue, pinyon ricegrass, junegrass, Indian ricegrass, needlegrass, and sand dropseed

5,800 ft. – 7,200 ft.

Deciduous

Varies in elevation

Flat top mesas of Navajo and Apache counties and the Arizona Strip Varies

Along streams, rivers, and flood plains; from the deserts to the mountains

Trees: cottonwood, sycamore, alder, willow, walnut, Texas mulberry, Arizona alder, southwestern chock cherry, boxelder, Rocky Mountain maple, and Scouler willow

Forest of Arizona Ponderosa Pine

Elevation

Climate

Location

Plant Life

6,000 ft. – 9,000 ft

Cold

Trees: ponderosa pine, silver leaf oak, net leaf oak, madrone, Gamble oak, bigtooth maple, aspen and mulberry Shrub: buckbrush, boxleaf myrtle, snowberry, ocean spray, and orange gooseberry

Douglas Fir 7,500 ft. – 9,500 ft.

Cold

Spruce – alpine fir

Cold

Southern Arizona: Mountains of Pinal, Gila, Pinaleno, Galiuro, Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, Huachucas, and Chiricahua Northern and Central Arizona: San Francisco Peaks, Mogollon Mesa, Kaibab Plateau Southern Arizona: Mountains of Pinal, Gila, Pinaleno, Gleuro, Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, Huachucas, and Chiricahua Northern and Central Arizona: San Francisco Peaks, Mogollon Mesa, Kaibab Plateau, and the White Mountains The Mountains: Chiricahua, Graham, White, San Francisco, and summit areas of Kaibab Plateau

8,500 ft. – 11, 500 ft.

Conifers: Douglas fir, white fir, alpine fir, limber pine, white pine Deciduous: Gambel oak, box elder, water birch, blue berry elder, Rocky Mountain maple, and aspen

Conifers: Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, alpine fir, limber pine, bristlecone pine Trees: Rocky Mountain maple, bitter cherry, Bebb willow, Scouler willow, thin – leaf alder, and aspen

Tundra of Arizona Alpine tundra

Elevation

Climate

11, 500 ft. 12, 670 ft.

Very Cold

Location San Francisco Peaks

Plant Life Very small herbs, grasses, sedges, lichens, and mosses

Name____________________________________ ACTIVITY SHEET: On the map Landform Regions of Arizona, label the following areas: 1. Sonoran Desert 6. Coconino National Forest 2. Mojave Desert 7. Coronado National Forest 3. Chihuahuan Desert 8. Kaibab National Forest 4. Great Plains Desert 9. Prescott National Forest 5. Apache-Sitgreaves National 10. Tonto National Forest Forest On the Biomes Map of Arizona, A. Lightly color the six biomes. Be sure to identify the colors on the map key. B. Draw a symbol for each of the following plants in the map key. Put several of these symbols where these plants would be found according to the charts. 1. saguaro cactus 4. juniper trees 2. Joshua trees 5. ponderosa pine 3. pinyon pines After analyzing the charts, complete the Venn diagram below. Fill in at least one plant type that is found in each of the regions and one that is found in more than one.

Desert

Mountains

Plateau

. ASSESSMENT Circle the best answer.

Name______________ Date______________

1. Which of the following is not a region in Arizona A. Chaparral B. Mountain C. Plateau D. Desert 2. Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. How many biomes does Arizona have and what are they?

3. Which of the 3 regions in Arizona has the biggest variety of biomes? 4. Looking at the map and charts, in what region would you find a: saguaro cactus _________________________________ Joshua trees ____________________________________ ponderosa pine_________________________________ palo verde trees_________________________________ Arizona pinyon __________________________________ 5. About how much of AZ is covered with desert? ________ With forests? ____ Which covers the greatest area? __________ Look at the Likelihood line below and decide how likely each event would happen. Not Some Very ___________ What _____________ Very Likely Likely Likely 6. 7. 8. 9.

Finding a prickly pear cactus by Kingman? Finding a pinyon pine at 4,000 ft. elevation? Finding a saguaro cactus by Payson? Finding a ponderosa pine by Yuma?

_________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

. When Is a Desert Not a Desert? The Varying Landscapes of Arizona Assessment Sheet Answer Key Circle the best answer. 1. Which of the following is not a region in Arizona A. Chaparral B. Mountain C. Plateau D. Desert 1. Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. How many biomes does Arizona have and what are they? Six: desertbrush, grassland, chaparral, woodland, forest, and tundra. 2. Which of the regions in Arizona has the biggest variety of biomes? Plateau region 3. Looking at the map and charts, what area would you find a: a. Saguaro cactus _desert_______ b. Joshua tree _Mojave desert________ c. Ponderosa _mountains___________ d. Palo Verde deserts_________ e. Arizona Pinyon ____woodlands_____ 6. About how much of AZ is covered with desert? __40%______ With forests? 20%___ Which covers the greater area? __deserts________ Look at the Likelihood line below and decide how likely each event would happen. Not Some Very ___________ What _____________ Very Likely Likely Likely 7. Finding a prickly pear cactus by Kingman? 8. Finding a pinyon pine at 4,000 ft. elevation? 9. Finding a saguaro cactus by Payson? 10. Finding a ponderosa pine by Yuma?

__very likely_____ __some what likely_____ _not very likely______ _not very likely______

. When Is a Desert Not a Desert? The Varying Landscapes of Arizona Rubric for the mapping activity 4 – The student labeled the map correctly. The map key depicts the biomes and the plants in the correct location. The map depicts the deserts and forests specified in the correct location. It is easy to read. 3 – Minor flaws in the labeling appear. The map key has most of the correct information. It is okay to read. 2 – Flaws in labeling appear. The map key is incomplete. It is a bit sloppy. 1 - The map is not legible. There was an attempt to complete the activity. 0 – Little or no attempt was made to complete the activity.

Rubric for the Venn diagram 4 – The student showed an understanding of how to complete a Venn diagram. The information was correct. 3 – The student showed an understanding of how to complete the diagram. There were minor flaws in the information. 2 - The student showed difficulty in completing the diagram. There were many flaws in the information. 1 – The student attempted to complete the diagram, but it was difficult to read. 0 – There was no attempt to complete the diagram.