Biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert

Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey and is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). There are soil maps and data available for more than 95% of the nation's counties. The information obtained from the WSS provides land managers, agriculturalists, agencies, and other providers electronic access to soil and related information needed to make land-use and management decisions (USDA, n.d.). This was my first time using Web Soil Survey and I began by watching Using the Web Soil Survey  to gain a general understanding of how to navigate within the tool. There is a number of other online tutorials available including a how-to guide from the USDA. There are several ways to create an Area of Interest (AOI) such as defining an area on a map, selecting from menu options like county, or importing your own data.  I chose the Catalina Foothills area in Tucson as my AOI. I specifically wanted t...

As one of the most biodiverse deserts on Earth, the Sonoran Desert also has one of the most unique climates. Much of the ecology is shaped by its two distinct rainy seasons: the monsoon season which occurs from July to September and another more gentle rainy period in the winter. These two rainy seasons provide enough moisture to support a substantial variety of plants and several small trees to thrive in the desert as well as wildlife. A monsoon storm over Tuzigoot National Monument / Source: National Park Service                                                      To further explore the climate and weather in the Sonoran Desert, I recommend the following resources: Climate (National Park Service)  provides a general overview of the climate in the Sonoran Desert as well as links to specific monitoring sites based on past y...

In this exercise, I explored the Sonoran Desert using Google My Maps . Google My Maps is a free, web-based mapping tool that allows you to create custom maps using pins, layers, and directions. To start my map, I created a layer to represent the boundary of the desert using the drawing tool. Then, I added an additional layer to represent the subdivisions of the desert, and color coded them to visually distinguish them.  The National Parks and Monuments, Wildlife Refuges, and Reserves were easy to locate and add using the search bar. Lastly, I wanted to test creating a layer using the import functionality. The jaguar is an apex predator that occupies portions of the Sonoran Desert, and I was interested in seeing where throughout history jaguars have been observed in the area. The  Jaguar Observations Database provides public data related to the observations of jaguars dating back to 1829. Note: There is not latitude-longitude data available for all observation types. I downloa...

This is slide deck provides an overview on the basics of ecology. Be sure to view the speaker notes for more details on each concept.

I’ve selected the study area for my Biodiversity Stewardship as the Sonoran Desert, a region that spans from a small portion of southeastern California, the southern third of Arizona, into the state of Sonora, Mexico, and down the Baja California peninsula. The Sonoran Desert is considered one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world, and the most diverse of the four U.S. deserts. “More than 100 reptiles, 2,000 native plants, 60 mammals, and 350 birds call this desert home” (Center for Biological Diversity, n.d.). It houses species that can be found only in the Sonoran Desert like the Saguaro cactus, the Long-tongued bat, the Cactus mouse, and the Antelope jackrabbit, as well as the only population of jaguars in the U.S. In addition to the vast biodiversity, there is a rich history of human ecology in the desert, and the indigenous communities.  I live in Tucson, Arizona, a city situated firmly in the Sonoran Desert, and I’ve cultivated a deep appreciation for the land...

Biological diversity, or biodiversity for short, is the variety and sum of all living things on Earth, their relationships and interactions, and their evolution which are necessary to cultivate stable ecosystems for survival. Biodiversity is generally explored across three levels: Ecological - Diversity across different ecosystems. Species - Diversity in species numbers and type within an ecosystem Genetic - Diversity in characteristics within a single species due to genetic variation.   Source: Google DeepMind                                                                The importance of biodiversity Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without biodiversity, we wouldn’t have food security, clean water, and habitable environments. Biodiversity is also critical for ma...