Desert Habitats
For every type of desert environment, life has found a way to persist in an arid and demanding landscape. Plants and animals survive by matching form to function—conserving water, timing growth to short wet windows, tolerating heat and cold swings, and using small micro-sites of shade, shelter, and runoff. Once you watch how water moves across soil and stone, the desert’s habitats start to name themselves.
Pinyon-Juniper Woodland
Joshua Tree Woodland
Cactus Yucca Scrub
Desert Dunes
Creosote Bush Scrub
Desert Wash
Desert Riparian
Fan Palm Oases
Salt Marsh Plant Communities
- Alkali Marsh Plant Community
- Desert Sink Scrub Plant Community
- Saltbrush Scrub Plant Community