BRINGING BACK OUR DESERTS BY CLARA MacCARALD CONTENT CONSULTANT Sergio Avila-Villegas M Sc Conservation Biologist Essential Library An Imprint of Abdo Publishing abdopublishing com CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES
The Joshua tree’s survival depends on well-timed rainfall
Chapter ONE JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK in southern California the mountainous Mojave Desert meets and mingles with the low-lying Sonoran Desert in Joshua Tree National Park JTNP The park protects 1,238 square miles 3,207 sq km an area larger than the state of Rhode Island 1 Despite the harsh conditions the park supports a diverse array of plant life Hundreds of plants live in JTNP Many of those plants are wildflowers that paint the low-lying areas of the park in dazzling displays after spring rains drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists Humans are not the only visitors More than 250 bird species have been recorded in JTNP though only 78 of those stay in the park to breed 2 Others stop over during migration for rest and refreshment and some 5
