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| With 700 species of vascular plants, Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant
diversity. No wonder that when the area was first proposed for preservation
in the early 1930s, the name suggested was Desert Plants National Park.
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| Plant communities, or what we call "associations," describe
groupings of various plant species, and are often dependent upon latitude,
soil characteristics, and elevation. Using these descriptions makes it easier
to understand why certain plants only grow in certain places; it also helps
to identify plants in unfamiliar terrain. Plant associations within the
park are divided into tree-dominated, shrub-dominated, herbaceous-dominated,
and sparse/non-vegetated. Each association is named after the most conspicuous
plant in the landscape. |
| Tree-dominated plant associations in the park include: California juniper,
singleleaf pinyon, Joshua tree, desert willow, California fan palm, blue
palo verde, smoketree, Gooding willow, Freemont cottonwood, and mesquite. |
| Shrub-dominated associations are the most diverse group, numbering 35.
California Mormon tea, creosote bush, creosote bush/white bursage, blackbrush,
brittlebush, bigberry manzanita, cheesebush, Mojave yucca, teddy-bear cholla,
and desert almond are just a few examples. |
| Herbaceous-dominated associations are those communities that are mostly
comprised of species like perennial bunch grasses or annual grasslands.
The main associations are big galleta grass and cheatgrass. |
| Sparse associations include non-vegetated areas (e.g. desert pavement,
rock outcrops, dunes, playas, washes, and disturbed areas) and areas with
less than two percent shrub cover. These areas may be dominated by annual
wildflowers during moist years, but normally appear devoid of vegetation. |
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http://www.nps.gov/jotr/nature/plants/plants.html
last modified: 11/13/02
web editor: Sandra kaye |
