Project Profile: Guide Efforts to Sustain Joshua Trees Across the Mojave in Face of Climate-Driven Vulnerabilities

Joshua trees in the desert.

NPS / Robb Hannawacker

Inflation Reduction Act
Resilience | FY24-26 $469,754

The National Park Service (NPS) will develop a risk assessment and vulnerability framework to address impacts of climate change on Joshua trees and preserve these iconic species in Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Reserve, and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Leading scientists will determine trends of Joshua tree populations using legacy plots, produce models detailing future suitable habitats for Joshua trees and utilize nursery-raised seedlings to help repopulate areas affected by wildfire. This vital information will guide unique resource management planning in each park for Joshua tree persistence and conservation.

Why? Joshua trees, despite adaptations to extreme environments, are increasingly imperiled and predicted to lose much of their suitable habitat in this century. Prolonged droughts, infrequent but extreme rainfall events, and wildfires fueled by invasive grasses threaten the trees’ livelihood. In 2020, 1.3 million Joshua trees burned in the Dome Fires at Mojave National Preserve alone. This project will help protect this essential species and gather data to guide science-based decision making in the face of climate change.

What else? The parks involved in the project will engage youth through education, volunteer, and employment opportunities. Programs like these inspire future generations to protect, restore, and build resilience in the ecosystems around them.

About the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the National Park Service with an historic opportunity to address critical ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs. Projects funded in national parks represent broad-scale and impactful resource investments across every corner of out nation—from Alaska to Florida to Maine.