Ecosystems Research Journal Sonoran Desert Research Journal Robin Johnson CRABTREE Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com
Mission to the Sonoran Desert Time to pack my sun hat and binoculars I just found out I am going to the Sonoran Desert for my next research trip A desert is an area of land that is very dry It gets less than 10 inches 250 millimeters of rain or snow each year The Humans for Habitats group is sending me and other wildlife biologists to this desert in North America My mission is to study how habitat loss is affecting the land plants and animals I will look for signs of pollution species that do not belong there and other threats I also hope to meet with people who are working to save the Sonoran The Sonoran Desert covers large parts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico It is about 100,000 square miles 260,000 square kilometers in size 4
I studied desert biomes so I could plan my trip Deserts can be hot or cold The Sonoran Desert is very hot Summer temperatures can soar to 118 degrees Fahrenheit 48 degrees Celsius Most deserts have only one short season in which heavy rains fall The Sonoran Desert is different because it has two rainy seasons There are thunderstorms and heavy rains in the hot summer months Lighter rains fall in the cool winter months Higher rainfall means that the Sonoran has more types of plants and animals than any desert in North America I was hoping to see them all I will be hot on the trail of lizards called Gila monsters and other animals in the Sonoran Desert 5
