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State Plans Arizona
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Mojave Desert
(Area - 8,880,500 ha)
Description - In the “Great American Desert” of the Southwest,
the Mohave lies between and is intermediate in nature between the Great Basin to the north
and the Sonoran Desert to the south and east. It is mostly in southeast California but
extends also into southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, a very small part of southwest Utah,
and lies in the rainshadow of the Southern California Ranges to the west. Its most
prominent features are broad, sparsely vegetated plains. However, it also includes dry
lakes, sharply rising buttes and relatively small mountain ranges, and its eastern portion
is cut through by the Colorado River. It is generally a higher elevation desert than the
Sonoran, although elevation descends to -300 m in Death Valley. Low precipitation, most
falling in winter, with low winter and high summer temperatures are characteristic.
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Conservation recommendations and needs - This area has historically been sparsely populated and lacking in major land use changes due to its unsuitability for agriculture. However, more recently, demands for recreational use, including destructive activities involving various off-road vehicles, as well as urban and agricultural development have had increasing impacts on the Mohave Desert. A large percentage of the land is publicly owned, creating opportunities for bird-friendly management practices. Several habitat types need particular consideration. Mesquite bosques should be protected or restored and their mistletoe populations maintained. Riparian areas should be managed or restored, with vegetative structure and cottonwood regeneration important considerations.
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