Future prospects for the Mojave

Desert ecosystems, due to extreme conditions of weather and low fertility in the soil, are very slow to recover from even minor disturbances (Hunter). Most sites in the Mojave that have had significant damage have been predicted to take up to centuries for recovery (see chart by Lovich). An analysis of spatial development in the Mojave Desert by Lori Hunter and others showed that human development at present rates will cause significant losses in already endangered plant and animal species. Road-building and military operations also contribute to the decrease in vegetation, not only killing existing plants, but also damaging the soil, making vegetation recovery much more difficult. At present, the Mojave Desert is experiencing a “wet period,” with an increased average annual precipitation than 20 years ago (planetbiomes.org). This has helped maintain the density of vegetation in the desert. However, studies of this desert’s historic climate show that the climate of the Mojave tends to fluctuate between wet and dry periods, and in the future it is more than likely that another dry spell will hit the desert, exposing the ecosystem to further damages (Hereford and Webb). If plants are unable to regenerate, herbivores dependent on the plants for food, such as the desert rodents that rely on annuals, will also face endangerment (Hereford and Webb), and eventually some of the endemic species may cease to show themselves around the Mojave Desert landscape, either having died off or emigrated to more suitable habitats.

Works Cited:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/pg318mg147228070/fulltext.pdf

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196306002965
 

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_climate.htm