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When Is a Desert Not a Desert?
The Varying Landscapes of Arizona
By Karen Davis
When people think of Arizona they often think of a dry, hot desert that is covered with
giant saguaro cacti and snakes. This is not a true picture of all the varying landscapes
that make up Arizona.
There are three major regions found in this state. The southwestern portion is the
desert region. The central area is mountains region, and the northeastern part of the state
is the plateau region. Each of the regions has different types of landscapes.
Arizona has six of the major biomes that scientists have labeled in the world.
Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. The
biomes that are found in Arizona are the desert scrub, grassland, chaparral, woodland,
forest, and tundra biomes. The three regions contain different biomes.
DESERT REGION:
There are two desert scrub biomes in this region. The Sonoran Desert covers
most of the desert region. However, the Mojave Desert is near the California/Arizona
border. The desert region also contains grassland and chaparral biomes. Even in the
desert region, there are forest and woodland biomes. These small “islands” of forest and
woodland biomes are in the Coronado National Forest in the southeastern corner of the
state.
MOUNTAIN REGION:
The chaparral biome is located between the desert and the mountain regions. The
woodland biomes are found along the northern and southern borders of the mountain
region. The mountain region also has a desert scrub biome, called the Chihuahuan
Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is in the southeastern corner of Arizona. The mountain
region contains three of the six national forests found in Arizona. They are the Prescott,
Tonto, and some of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
PLATEAU REGION:
A plateau is a high flat land. The Colorado Plateau in Arizona begins at the
Mogollon Rim. The rim is the southern border of the plateau region. The plateau region
contains the only alpine biome in Arizona. The alpine biome is on the top of the San
Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff. The plateau region also contains desert scrub, forest,
woodland, and grassland biomes. The Great Basin Desert is in the northwestern corner
of the state. The Coconino, Kaibab, and some of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
are in the plateau region.
Study the following charts and then answer the questions following them.
Biomes of Arizona
Desert scrub
Climate
Arid, hot
Grassland
Semi-arid to semi3,300 ft. – 5,000
humid, warm to cool ft. (desert)
5,000 ft – 7,000
ft. (plains)
Semi-arid, warm to
4,000 ft. – 6,000
cool, 13–23 in. of
ft.
rain
Semi-arid to semi5,100 ft. – 7,000
humid, warm to
ft.
cool, 12-20 in. of
rain
4,000 ft. along
the river beds
Semi-humid to wet, 6,900 ft. – 10,500
cold to warm
ft.
Chaparral
Woodland
Forest
Tundra
Semi-humid, cold
Elevation
100 ft. – 3,500 ft.
11,000 ft. –
11,500 ft.
Plant Life
short trees, shrubs,
herbs, grasses,
yuccas, agaves,
cacti, and ocotillos
short grasses,
shrubs, yuccas,
agaves, cacti, tall
grasses, and sedges
scrub oak,
manzanita
evergreen oaks,
pinyon pine,
juniper,
cottonwood,
sycamore, and alder
ponderosa pine,
Douglas fir, pine,
spruce fir, and
aspen
no trees, only
grasses and mosses
Deserts of
Arizona
Sonoran
Elevation
Climate
Location
Plant Life
100 ft. –
3,000 ft.
Hot
Small leaf desert trees: paloverde, ironwood,
desert-olive, mesquite, cottonwood, and
willow
Shrubs: creosote, sage, brittlebush, saltbush,
and ocotillo
Cactus: saguaro, organ pipe, senita, barrel,
cholla, prickly pear, hedgehog, and
pincushion
500 ft –
3,000 ft.
Hot warm
Chihuahuan
1,000-3,500
ft
Warm
Great Basin
3000 ft. 6500 ft.
Cold
From east of
Nogalas to
Yuma and
the southern
border to a
line from
Congress to
Needles,
CA.
The north
western
from
Congress to
Needles
then
following
the
Colorado
River.
The
southeastern
corner of the
state, parts
of San
Simon
Valley,
Sulphur
Springs
Valley, and
San Pedro
Valley
The area
north and
east of
Flagstaff
and the
extreme
northwest
near the
Utah border.
Mojave
Shrub desert: creosote, blackbush, saltbush,
bladder-sage, Joshua tree, Mohave yucca,
and catclaw, some mesquite and desert
willow
Cactus: cholla, prickly pear, beaver tail
cactus, hedgehog, barrel, and pincushion, and
some saguaro
Shrub desert: creosote, tarbush, whitethorn,
sandpaperbush, desert sumac, ocotillo, and
mesquite
Cactus: cholla, prickly pear, barrel, and
pincushion
Grassland: short grasses
Shrub desert: sage brush, plateau yucca, and
desert olive
Cactus: prickly pear
Grasslands Elevation
of Arizona
Desert
3,500 ft –
5,000 ft.
Climate
Location
Plant Life
Hot
By Kingman and in
Chihuahuan Desert
Plains
5,000 ft. –
7,000 ft.
Semiarid
Warm
Grasses: yucca, obaso
grasses, ring grasses,
plains grasses
Grasses:
grama, muhly,
needlegrass, dropseed,
spangletop, fescu, wheat
grass, brome, and galleta
Mountain
9,000 ft
Cold
Eastern Arizona in
San Rafael, Santa
Cruz, Sulfur
Springs and Chino
Valley, and in
Navajo and Apache
counties
White Mountain,
Grasses:
Kaibab Plateau
mountain timothy,
Arizona fescue,
Kentucky blue grass,
mountain muhly,
needlegrass, mountain
brome, pine dropseed,
and black dropseed
Evergreen
Woodland
of Arizona
Oak
Elevation
Climate
Location
Plant Life
4,100 ft
Warm
Southern Arizona
Mexican
Oak - Pine
4,000 ft. –
6,500 ft.
Warm
Juniper –
Pinyon
5,500 ft. –
7,000 ft.
Cold
Lies between the
oak woodland and
the Ponderosa pine
forest. Primarily in
southeastern
Arizona below the
Gila River
Below ponderosa
pine forest and the
Mogollon Rim,
Coconino and
Kaibab Plateau
Emory oak, Mexican blue
oak, juniper, one seed
juniper, some Mexican
pinyon
Conifers:
Chihuahua pine, Apache
pine, Mexican pinyon and
alligator juniper
Oaks:
silver leaf oak, Arizona
oak, and Emory oak
Conifers:
Colorado pinyon, Utah
juniper, one-seed juniper
Grasses:
blue grama, side oat grama,
black grama, Arizona
fescue, pinyon ricegrass,
junegrass, Indian ricegrass,
needlegrass, and sand
dropseed
5,800 ft. –
7,200 ft.
Deciduous
Varies in
elevation
Flat top mesas of
Navajo and Apache
counties and the
Arizona Strip
Varies
Along streams,
rivers, and flood
plains; from the
deserts to the
mountains
Trees:
cottonwood, sycamore,
alder, willow, walnut,
Texas mulberry, Arizona
alder, southwestern chock
cherry, boxelder, Rocky
Mountain maple, and
Scouler willow
Forest of
Arizona
Ponderosa
Pine
Elevation
Climate
Location
Plant Life
6,000 ft. –
9,000 ft
Cold
Trees:
ponderosa pine, silver leaf
oak, net leaf oak, madrone,
Gamble oak, bigtooth
maple, aspen and mulberry
Shrub:
buckbrush, boxleaf myrtle,
snowberry, ocean spray,
and orange gooseberry
Douglas Fir 7,500 ft. –
9,500 ft.
Cold
Spruce –
alpine fir
Cold
Southern Arizona:
Mountains of Pinal,
Gila, Pinaleno,
Galiuro, Santa
Catalina, Santa Rita,
Huachucas, and
Chiricahua
Northern and
Central Arizona:
San Francisco
Peaks, Mogollon
Mesa, Kaibab
Plateau
Southern Arizona:
Mountains of Pinal,
Gila, Pinaleno,
Gleuro, Santa
Catalina, Santa Rita,
Huachucas, and
Chiricahua
Northern and
Central Arizona:
San Francisco
Peaks, Mogollon
Mesa, Kaibab
Plateau, and the
White Mountains
The Mountains:
Chiricahua,
Graham, White, San
Francisco, and
summit areas of
Kaibab Plateau
8,500 ft. –
11, 500 ft.
Conifers:
Douglas fir, white fir,
alpine fir, limber pine,
white pine
Deciduous:
Gambel oak, box elder,
water birch, blue berry
elder, Rocky Mountain
maple, and aspen
Conifers:
Engelmann spruce, blue
spruce, alpine fir, limber
pine, bristlecone pine
Trees:
Rocky Mountain maple,
bitter cherry, Bebb willow,
Scouler willow, thin – leaf
alder, and aspen
Tundra of
Arizona
Alpine
tundra
Elevation
Climate
11, 500 ft. Very
12, 670 ft. Cold
Location
San Francisco Peaks
Plant Life
Very small herbs, grasses,
sedges, lichens, and mosses
Name____________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET:
On the map Landform Regions of Arizona, label the following areas:
1. Sonoran Desert
6. Coconino National Forest
2. Mojave Desert
7. Coronado National Forest
3. Chihuahuan Desert
8. Kaibab National Forest
4. Great Plains Desert
9. Prescott National Forest
5. Apache-Sitgreaves National
10.Tonto National Forest
Forest
On the Biomes Map of Arizona,
A. Lightly color the six biomes. Be sure to identify the colors on the map key.
B. Draw a symbol for each of the following plants in the map key. Put several of these
symbols where these plants would be found according to the charts.
1. saguaro cactus
4. juniper trees
2. Joshua trees
5. ponderosa pine
3. pinyon pines
After analyzing the charts, complete the Venn diagram below. Fill in at least one plant
type that is found in each of the regions and one that is found in more than one.
Desert
Mountains
Plateau
.
ASSESSMENT
Circle the best answer.
Name______________
Date______________
1. Which of the following is not a region in Arizona
A. Chaparral
B. Mountain
C. Plateau
D. Desert
2. Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals.
How many biomes does Arizona have and what are they?
3. Which of the 3 regions in Arizona has the biggest variety of biomes?
4. Looking at the map and charts, in what region would you find a:
saguaro cactus _________________________________
Joshua trees ____________________________________
ponderosa pine_________________________________
palo verde trees_________________________________
Arizona pinyon __________________________________
5. About how much of AZ is covered with desert? ________ With forests? ____
Which covers the greatest area? __________
Look at the Likelihood line below and decide how likely each event would happen.
Not
Some
Very ___________ What _____________ Very
Likely
Likely
Likely
6.
7.
8.
9.
Finding a prickly pear cactus by Kingman?
Finding a pinyon pine at 4,000 ft. elevation?
Finding a saguaro cactus by Payson?
Finding a ponderosa pine by Yuma?
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
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When Is a Desert Not a Desert?
The Varying Landscapes of Arizona
Assessment Sheet Answer Key
Circle the best answer.
1. Which of the following is not a region in Arizona
A. Chaparral
B. Mountain
C. Plateau
D. Desert
1. Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. How many
biomes does Arizona have and what are they? Six: desertbrush, grassland, chaparral,
woodland, forest, and tundra.
2. Which of the regions in Arizona has the biggest variety of biomes?
Plateau region
3. Looking at the map and charts, what area would you find a:
a. Saguaro cactus _desert_______
b. Joshua tree _Mojave desert________
c. Ponderosa _mountains___________
d. Palo Verde deserts_________
e. Arizona Pinyon ____woodlands_____
6. About how much of AZ is covered with desert? __40%______ With forests? 20%___
Which covers the greater area? __deserts________
Look at the Likelihood line below and decide how likely each event would happen.
Not
Some
Very ___________ What _____________ Very
Likely
Likely
Likely
7. Finding a prickly pear cactus by Kingman?
8. Finding a pinyon pine at 4,000 ft. elevation?
9. Finding a saguaro cactus by Payson?
10. Finding a ponderosa pine by Yuma?
__very likely_____
__some what likely_____
_not very likely______
_not very likely______
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.
When Is a Desert Not a Desert?
The Varying Landscapes of Arizona
Rubric for the mapping activity
4 – Information, spelling, and capitalization were all correct for the labels. The map key depicts the
biomes and the plants in the correct location. The map depicts the deserts and forests specified in the
correct location. It is easy to read.
3 – Minor flaws in the information, spelling, and capitalization of the labels appear. There were minor
flaws in the map key. It is okay to read.
2 – Flaws in labeling appear. The map key is incomplete. It is a bit sloppy.
1 - The map is not legible. There was an attempt to complete the activity. Major flaws in labeling
appear.
0 – Little or no attempt was made to complete the activity.
Rubric for the Venn diagram
4 – The student showed an understanding of how to complete a Venn diagram. Information, spelling,
and capitalization were all correct.
3 – The student showed an understanding of how to complete the diagram. There were minor flaws in
the information, spelling or capitalization.
2 - The student showed difficulty in completing the diagram. There were many flaws in the information,
spelling or capitalization.
1 – The student attempted to complete the diagram, but it was difficult to read. There were many flaws
in the information, spelling or capitalization.
0 – There was no attempt to complete the diagram.
QuickTime™ and a
QuickDraw decompressor
are needed to see this picture.