Tucson's National Park Loop Drive The definition of a desert is quite misleading. According to the Merriam‐Webster Dictionary, a desert is arid land, sparse of vegetation; desolate; and uninhabited and uncultivated. The is primarily in Mexico, but it also covers the southern third of and parts of southeastern California. It is a complex and geologically diverse desert in North America. The rains during the winter months and in July and August allow to survive this climate. "The Sonoran Desert was named after a state in Mexico, literally translated, “sonoran” means “loud.” However, the name could be an indigenous mispronunciation of the word “señora,” as at least two clusters of Spanish conquistadores referred to it as “our lady” after the Virgin Mary. According to others, the word “” derives from “sonot,” Spanish for a well." Tucson, Arizona is one of my favorite places. The desert is a beautiful, calming and peaceful place to be in. Tucson is home to the nation's largest cacti, the saguaro. It has become a symbol of the America's west and the state flower of Arizona (1931). In 1994, the Saguaro National Park in the Sonoran Desert was opened near Tucson in Pima County. It encompasses the Tucson Mountain District and the Rincon Mountain District. The Park amounts to 92,000 acres. Annually, the temperature can range from 6 degrees Fahrenheit to 111 degrees Fahrenheit. Average precipitation per month ranges from .62 inches to 2.34 inches. The park was named for the giant cactus, the Saguaro. The average life span of the saguaro cactus is about 150 years. "The saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a 'nurse' or which can provide a shaded, moist habitat for the germination of life." It can grow to a height of 50 feet and weigh over 10 tons. You find saguaro mainly in desert slopes and flats, especially rock bajadas. ("Bajadas are shallow slopes that lie at the base of rocky hills, where materials accumulate from the weathering of the rocks. They typically have a mixture of boulders, stones, gravel, sand and silt particles, creating a deep and complex soil structure that retains water and supports a rich vegetation.") "The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert. These plants are large, tree‐like columnar cacti that develop branches (or arms) as they age, although some never grow arms. These arms generally bend upward and can number over 25. are covered with protective spines, white flowers in the late spring, and red fruit in summer." The territory for saguaro cactus is based on elevation and weather. Frost can kill the saguaro. Though it is not on a threatened or endangered list, Arizona has strict regulations about harvesting, collection or destruction of the cacti. Some facts from the Desert Museum: Saguaros grow very slowly. A 10‐year‐old might only be 1.5 inches tall. Saguaro roots are only 4 to 6 inches deep but radiate out as far as the plant is tall. When a saguaro dies its wood ribs can be used in a variety of ways such as roofing, furniture and fences. Saguaro boots is a term used to denote that holes in dead saguaros were made by nesting birds. Native Americans used the saguaro as water containers. At the visitor center you can learn about more than 30 species of animals found here. They include cougars, white‐tailed deer, javelinas, gray foxes, ring‐tailed cats, Mexican jays, northern goshawks, Gila woodpecker, roadrunners, yellow‐eyed juncos, mountain lions, black bears, badgers, raccoons, rabbits, bats, chipmunks and ground squirrels. The ecosystem in the park is basically hot and dry. The park also has a variety of flowers. Peak blooming time is from early May to early June. Because of their short lifespan and the climate, blooms usually begin at dusk until dawn. "A single saguaro can produce as many as 100 flowers a season. The saguaro relies on desert dwellers, especially the long‐ nosed bats, to help in the pollination process. Once the flower has been pollinated, as it matures it turns into edible fruit. Humans and wildlife have harvested the fruit. There are petroglyphs (pictographs‐painted onto a rock surface) and reminders of the American Indian tribes (Hohokam) that lived in the region. "Just north of the Signal Hill picnic area is the largest petroglyph site in the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. 200 prehistoric Native American petroglyphs dating between 550 to 1550 years can be seen. They fall under the common, all‐inclusive term 'rock art.' The Signal Hill petroglyph site occupies a small but very distinct rocky hill. It is about 200 feet in diameter at its base and is 40 feet high." This photo program shares photos taken on the 8‐mile Loop Drive in the Saguaro National Park.

PARASITE IN THE DESERT "Desert Mistletoe or mesquite mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum, is a hemiparasitic plant native to southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and . It can be found in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts under 4000 feet elevation. The mistletoe is a leafless plant that attaches to host plants, often leguminous woody desert such as Cercidium and Prosopis. Desert mistletoe takes water and minerals from its host plant, but it does its own photosynthesis, making it a hemiparasite or half‐a‐parasite. The female Mistletoe plant produces red seeds that the birds love to eat. Mistletoe seed and red berries are an important part of the desert bird’s diet. The seeds are “sticky” and birds bring them to branches of trees where they perch. The seeds germinate and grow inside the tree. The species most affected are the leguminous trees in the low desert including mesquite‐Prosopis, palo verde‐Cercidium, ironwood‐Olneya and acacia‐Acacia greggii."

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