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and Kit , not much larger than house , live in the open desert where they make their • Migrating and waterfowl are dens and hunt in sparsely vegetated . NNSS They rely on speed and proximity to their dens attracted to the many natural springs for safety. Mountain , kit foxes, , and man-made ponds throughout , desert , the site. Introduction sidewinder , golden , spotted and are just • Fifteen utilize a variety A wide variety of plant and animal a few of the 1,500 animal species found of habitats throughout the NNSS including several abandoned mines, species can be found at the at the NNSS. comprise tunnels and water sources. Nevada National Security Site the majority of animals on the site with (NNSS). Representative of both the approximately 1,200 species. , The diverse habitats and found Mojave and Great Basin deserts, , , and at the NNSS make it an ideal for approximately 1,500 animal species are some of these species. many animal species. and 800 different kinds of are Select Animals: documented at the site. • A herd of about forty wild NNSS Plants The varying elevations and climatic roam the north-central part of the conditions at the NNSS contribute NNSS. In addition to the large variety of animal to the distribution of plant and species, the NNSS contains more than • Fifty to sixty pronghorn antelope are animal communities. On the south 800 varieties of plants. Because the found primarily in Frenchman Flat end of the NNSS, Jackass Flats lies NNSS lies on the transition between and Yucca Flat. at 2,688 feet above sea level while the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, Rainier Mesa, in the north, rises to • Twenty to thirty desert bighorn elements of both deserts are found 7,679 feet above sea level. live in the canyons and mountains in in a diverse and complex . About the southwest portion of the site. 67 families of plants are represented; however, one-third of them belong to just • Desert kangaroo rats are associated three families: sunflowers, grasses and with loose, sandy soils at lower buckwheat. elevations while dark and pale kangaroo mice prefer sandy soils at Joshua trees are popular in area and middle elevations. are present on the site in lower-middle elevations. The majority of them are close to 100 years old but are hard to , because they do not have annual growth rings like most trees.

Pinyon pine and juniper trees grow at the higher elevations, usually above 5,500 feet above sea level, primarily on Rainier and Pahute mesas. In addition, the other vegetation at the NNSS includes grasses, flowering desert plants, Desert , thought to have historically occurred in the mountainous succulents (yucca and cacti), sagebrush terrain of the NNSS, were extirpated but have and bush. recently recolonized much of their historic range from translocated populations in surrounding . Native American use of plants at the NNSS Many of the plants at the NNSS were used by Native Americans. , beverage, medicinal, ceremonial and utilitarian plants were all part of the Native American way of life. Yuccas, such as Joshua trees, were used by Native Americans as a fiber source for baskets and a source for soap. Leafy plants and the flowers on Yuccas Desert dandelion (yellow flowers) is one of provided traditional sources of food in the most common wildflowers in the Mojave Three species of yucca, including the Mojave the desert. Pine nuts from pinyon pine Desert portion of the NNSS with spectacular yucca (pictured here with blooming Indian trees were also an important source blooms after abundant winter and spring paintbrush) occur throughout the NNSS. precipitation. They have sword-like that end in a of food. Pahute Mesa offered several spear-like spine. leafy food plants that were eaten as greens or added to other food. Mormon Protected Species tea, common on the mesas of the The desert is the only animal NNSS, also had several uses. It was species commonly found on the NNSS used to treat kidney ailments and as an that is protected under the Endangered astringent. Its most prevalent use was for Species Act of 1973. It is listed as a beverages. , and the Nevada Office is required to consult with the U.S. and Service to ensure that activities at the NNSS do not jeopardize the continued existence of the or destroy their .

Currently, there are no threatened or endangered plant species known to Several species of wildflowers are found occur on the NNSS. throughout the NNSS, especially on the higher elevations of Pahute Mesa and Rainier Mesa.

For more information, contact: U.S. Department of National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office Office of Public Affairs

P.O. Box 98518 Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

Phone: 702.295.3521 Fax: 702.295.0154 Email: [email protected] www.nnss.gov

NNSS-PLAN-U-0027-Rev01 October 2020