Sonoran Desert full of plant life, animal life and rising population By Encyclopaedia Britannica, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.07.19 Word Count 622 Level 830L

Image 1. The iconic cacti of Saguaro National Park in Arizona. The Sonoran Desert is located in the U.S. Southwest and northwestern Mexico. Photo by: Joe Parks via Wikimedia Commons

The Sonoran Desert is a hot, dry area in the Southwest region of the United States and in northwestern Mexico. It covers an area of 120,000 square miles. The desert extends through southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. It covers much of the Mexican state of Baja California and the western half of the state of Sonora. The Colorado and Yuma deserts lie within the Sonoran Desert.

The Sonoran Desert has a subtropical climate. It receives 3 to 15 inches of rain each year. Most of it falls from July to September, when brief thunderstorms bring heavy rain. Lighter rainfall occurs in December and January. Freezing weather is rare. The hottest and driest part of the desert is near the lower Colorado River. There, summer temperatures can reach more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). Rainfall there is less than 3 inches.

The Sonoran Desert has a wide variety of vegetation. Its plant life is the most diverse of all the North American deserts. The saguaro cactus is the signature plant of the desert. Other common

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. plant types include the barrel cactus, yucca, ironwood and elephant tree. In Baja California, the unusual boojum tree and the giant cardon cactus grow. The cardon can reach up to 60 feet in height. Thorn forest occurs in southern Baja California and Sonora. Higher elevations support trees adapted to milder climates.

An Assortment Of Wildlife

Numerous animals live in the Sonoran Desert. The largest include mountain lions, gray foxes and coyotes. Other residents include Gila monsters, scorpions, lizards and snakes. Rabbits and rodents are abundant, as are several different kinds of bats. The desert's birds include roadrunners, owls and hawks.

People have lived in the Sonoran Desert for hundreds of years. Early inhabitants were members of the Hohokam culture. Spanish explorers visited in the 1500s and 1600s. Settlements often conflicted with the local Native American groups during the 1700s. Ranching and mining began in the 1800s, and military facilities were opened during World War II.

Irrigation is the process of transporting water to farmland. It has produced many fertile agricultural areas in the desert, notably the Coachella and Imperial valleys. These valleys sit at either end of the Salton Sea. The population of the Sonoran Desert is quickly growing. During the 1900s, the region became a major retirement and resort spot. Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, are located there. Palm Springs, California, is on its northwestern edge. Native peoples such as the Tohono O'odham (Papago), Yaqui and Pima hold reservations throughout the desert.

Several Protected Areas

The Sonoran Desert has several areas of public land. On the Mexican border is Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. Saguaro National Park is near Tucson, Arizona. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is southeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Part of Joshua Tree National Park is in the Sonoran Desert. El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar is a biosphere reserve on the U.S. border. It is an area of lava fields and volcanic craters.

Sonoran Desert National Monument was established in 2001. It preserves 760 square miles of the desert southwest of Phoenix. Within its borders are mountain ranges, valleys and saguaro forests. The endangered Sonoran pronghorn makes its home there. So do more than 200 different kinds of birds. Hohokam archaeological sites are scattered throughout the area. Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail passes through the monument.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Read the section “An Assortment Of Wildlife.”

Which sentence from the section shows why irrigation was so important in the Sonoran Desert?

(A) Numerous animals live in the Sonoran Desert.

(B) It has produced many fertile agricultural areas in the desert, notably the Coachella and Imperial valleys.

(C) Palm Springs, California, is on its northwestern edge.

(D) Native peoples such as the Tohono O'odham (Papago), Yaqui and Pima hold reservations throughout the desert.

2 Who were the first to settle in the Sonoran Desert? How do you know?

(A) Ranchers and miners were the first to settle in the Sonoran Desert; Ranching and mining communities popped up during the 1800s.

(B) The Yaqui and Pima were the first to settle in the Sonoran Desert; The Yaqui and Pima have had reservations in the desert since the 1900s.

(C) Members of the Hohokam culture were the first to settle in the Sonoran Desert; "Early inhabitants were members of the Hohokam culture."

(D) Spanish explorers were the first to settle in the Sonoran Desert; "Spanish explorers visited in the 1500s and 1600s."

3 According to the introduction [paragraphs 1-3], how does the Sonoran Desert get most of its rain?

(A) in the summer, from big storms

(B) in the winter, from big storms

(C) in the summer, from light showers

(D) in the winter, from light showers

4 What effect did the Spanish have on the Native Americans in the Sonoran Desert?

(A) The Spanish settlers brought irrigation to the Native American reservations.

(B) The Spanish settlers brought military facilities to the Native American reservations.

(C) The Spanish settlers had conflicts with Native Americans who were already there.

(D) The Spanish settlers had conflicts with Native Americans who were mining and ranching.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.