Ecological Communities and Processes in a Mojave Desert Ecosystem [Paperback]

This book provides a broad overview of plant and animal ecology in the Mojave Desert.Deserts provide a harsh and inhospitable environment for plants and animals, and the ecosystem is correspondingly fragile and prone to disruption by a variety of external factors. This book presents an overview of plant and animal ecology in the Mojave Desert, concentrating on data from a number of major research projects in Rock Valley, Nevada. The resulting synthesis describes community structure and dynamics in desert e cosystems, and will be valuable to graduate students and researchers interested in desert ecology.Deserts provide a harsh and inhospitable environment for plants and animals, and the ecosystem is correspondingly fragile and prone to disruption by a variety of external factors. This book presents an overview of plant and animal ecology in the Mojave Desert, concentrating on data from a number of major research projects in Rock Valley, Nevada. The resulting synthesis describes community structure and dynamics in desert e cosystems, and will be valuable to graduate students and researchers interested in desert ecology.The Mojave Desert is a winter-rainfall desert, experiencing drought in the summer months and occasional rain during the cooler winter months. For many years it has attracted the attention of ecologists and conservation biologists concerned with maintaining the unique status of this region. This book provides a broad overview of plant and animal ecology in the Mojave Desert, with a focus on data from Rock Valley, Nevada. The data from many major research projects is organized into a synthesis describing community structure and dynamics in desert ecosystems.Preface; Historical prologue on Rock Valley studies; 1. Introduction to the Mojave Desert; 2. Physical geography of Rock Valley; 3. Adaptations of Mojave Desert plants; 4. Desert perennials of southern Nevada; 5. Mojave Desert annuals; 6. Adaptations of Mojave Desert animals; 7. Mammals; 8. Reptiles; 9lƒ(