Vegetation

    Our study site consists of adobe hills and washes (for pictures see here ).  The vegetation appears fairly sparse and the initial impression is of a severe desert.  The vegetation is very attractive although it is not very showy.  The perennial vegetation in this desert is largely chenopods, grasses and composites (for distribution maps see here).  Chenopods (saltbush of four common species and greasewood) and composites (Xylorhiza venusta, two species of rabbitbrush, Tetradymia, snakeweed and Big sagebrush) are the common woody plants.  The perennial native grasses, galleta grass (Hilaria jamesii), and Indian rice grass (Oryzopsis) and the annual introduced cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) are the most common grasses.  The introduced annual wheatgrass, (Eremopyrum triticeum) is becoming increasingly common.  Check here for an overview of the vegetation pattern.