I arrived at White Tank Mountain Regional Park, located in Maricopa County, Arizona at approximately 1:45 in the afternoon on March 19, 2013, and left at 6:27 the same evening. My phone revealed that the temperature was a arid 83 degrees; however, due to the lack of cloud cover and the intensity of the sun, it felt much warmer. There was zero precipitation, and due to the dry creek beds, thin sand, and empty sky, it appeared that there has not been any lately, and none to come. Throughout my hike, I only came across one, very small, body of water that was due to a trickle of a stream that ran down the side of the mountain. There was a slight 3mph breeze heading in the west direction; however, the 17% humidity turned the 83 degree temperature into dry heat. The land was scattered with cacti, and covered in every direction with sand, rocks, low-lying plants, and shrubs.
The landscape is covered with brightly colored flowers that emit a strong aroma that fills the air, along with other vegetation such as cacti and shrubs. I was able to locate and distinguish the identity of various types of flora found throughout the ecosystem. A few plants that I commonly came across were: Creosote Bush, a large, many branched green shrub; Fairy Duster, a green plant that has small, light pink flowers at the ends of its stems; Foothills Palo Verde, a green-barked shrub that is a variation of the Arizona state tree (Palo Verde); the Globe Mallow, a green plant with small, round red flowers that top each stem; Blackfoot Daisy, a smaller form of the well-known Daisy. On top of those multiple types of flowers, cacti were apparent on every inch of the landscape. The types of cacti that I was able to identify ranged from the Barrel Cactus, which is short and round, to the Cholla Cactus, thin and short with multiple branches, to the Arizona state plant, the Saguaro Cactus, an enormously large cactus which acquires new branches approximately every 5 decades. Although these were not the only types of flora I came across on the terrain, they made up for the majority of the landscape. Some less common plants that I was able to identify consisted of: Goodding Verbena, a thick stemmed plant with ruffled purple flowers; Mistletoe, a green bush that hangs from the tree branches; Firecracker Penstemon, a plant that has red, tube-like flowers covering the top half of the stem. The delicate smell of all these flowers combined produced a fragrance that coated the air. Pollen was thick, and bees swarmed around the varied types of flora.
In addition to just bees, the ecosystem was thick with wildlife. Small lizards, with red speckled undersides and muted brown backs covered with yellow dots, sprinted across rocks and the dirt path. As I got closer towards the base of the mountains, signs that read “deer crossing” were visible, although no deer were spotted. The air echoed with the sounds of birds calling to one another—some calls were short and high-pitched, while others were long and deep. Most the birds were small, and equipped with long, pointy beaks which enabled them to peck holes into the cacti in order to construct a home. The majority of the birds were a light brown; some had splashes of color, such as red, on top of their head. They were able to land atop the prickly cacti and rest for long periods of time, without any sign of harm. Large, black birds, which I later identified as Ravens, circled the mountains and croaked loudly to each other. The dirt ground was covered with small holes that ranged from 1 to 3 inches in diameter—I hypothesized that these were the homes to snakes. My hypothesis proved to be true as I watched a thin, metallic silver snake with a yellow underside cross the road and dart into a nearby hole. Although I only spotted birds, lizards, and snakes, I was informed that White Tank was also home to animals such as the Gila Monster, Great Horned Owl, Tortoises, Jackrabbits, and Javelina, or wild pigs.
The aquatic resources were very scarce. Dry creek beds covered in loose sand and rocks was a common sight. However, at the end of the trail at the base of the mountain was a very small pool of water, measuring approximately three feet in diameter—this small pool was fed by a small trickle of water running down the side of the mountain. Due to the lack of precipitation, animals that live in this type of ecosystem had to evolve in order to survive in the harsh temperatures without easily obtainable water. The consumption of green leaves, which hold an abundance of water, and the fluids of the animals they eat, enable them to acquire enough water to survive. Rodent rats, for example, are able to make water inside their bodies while digesting their food—this is known as metabolic water which is enough for them to survive.
White Tank Mountain Regional Park is a desert ecosystem. I reached this assumption whenever the lack of precipitation, harsh temperatures, dry ground, variety of flora and fauna, and location were taken into consideration. When reading the pamphlet, I was informed that for every hour of perspiration, I would lose two quarts of water. The 83 degree temperature beat down and felt like 103; the dirt was thin and dry, indicating that precipitation was scarce, and the animals were all small and dimly colored to camouflage with the soil. The plants in the area all either had long roots to reach the water deep under the ground, shallow roots to quickly absorb the water on the surface, or were able to absorb and contain it until the next rainfall—sometimes plants had a combination of two. Not every animal, or plant, could survive in these conditions.
I observed more than one abiotic feature that was a necessity to life in the desert. For example, sand1 provides homes for animals to bury in, as well as a protection from the harsh sunlight. Sunlight2 is also an abiotic feature; however, it is necessary for not just life in the desert, but life everywhere. It enables photosynthesis to take place, and for organisms to live and to grow. In addition to sunlight, water3 is another example—it is not living, but it is essential for life. Organisms must also consume water in order to take part in photosynthesis, and to survive. Air4 is the fourth abiotic feature that I noticed, although it is the most important. If air was not present, there would be no diversity between ecosystems, and zero humans, animals, or plants, to inhabit them.
I was more drawn to the biotic features of the desert. Almost everything in the desert is living; you hear birds chirping in the distance, bees swarming around flowers, and you see bushes moving out of the corner of your eye. Each animal serves a role in the success of the ecosystem. For example, lizards1 consume small insects and keep the insect population down. Lizards are consumed by the next level of fauna, such as Jackrabbits, birds, and snakes. Snakes2 consume birds and other small mammals, and carnivorous desert animals, such as bobcats3, keep the population of all other animals down. Without the varied types of wildlife in the desert, animals would soon become overpopulated. Local flora also assists with the survival of its fauna neighbors—cacti4 provide homes for birds, and low-lying bushes5 produce shade. In the desert ecosystem, all parts work together in order to ensure success.
All types of populations in the desert are made up of variations of a certain type of animal—some are larger than others, more colorful, have different calls. For example, the bird population in the desert ecosystem is immensely varied. It ranges anywhere from roadrunners, a small bird that is known to quickly dart across the ground, either to catch prey or escape from harm, to Ravens, large black birds that tend to circle the sky in groups of two or more in search of prey. Populations interact with one another, and then communities form. For example, cacti provide homes for birds. Aves (birds) have evolved to equip a long, pointed beak that allows them to cut round or rectangular openings into the plant. Low-lying plants have feather-like branches that provide shade for the animals from the harsh desert sun. Trees and mistletoe work together in order to provide nutrients to one another—in the summer time, the mistletoe absorbs the nutrients that that the tree produces, and in the winter seasons, the tree benefits off of the nutrients that the mistletoe produces. Without these relationships, survival in the desert would be nearly impossible. The communities within the desert all tend to mesh together. Water is scarce; therefore, animals of all communities must remain on the move in order to take advantage of the water they come across. Groups of communities construct a single ecosystem. Communities within the ecosystem combine in order to construct one desert made up of various types of mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians, as well as multiple variations of flora. Without these vital interactions, living in the desert would be nearly impossible.
Biotic organisms adapt to and take advantage of the other biotic organisms in the ecosystem. Like I previously stated, animals commonly utilize the low-lying bushes and cacti, along with other plants, in order to shield themself from the harsh sunrays. Without each other, the animals would be forced to find other means of shelter, such as abiotic forms. Snakes, for example, construct their homes in the dry, powder-like dirt. If the ecosystem consisted of simply biotic organisms and lacked the abiotic, there would be no ecosystem at all. Although not as commonly appreciated, the abiotic components that assist to make up the ecosystem are essential to life.
Like I previously stated, White Tank Mountain is a desert. The highest point of White Tank reaches 4,083 feet, and very little precipitation falls around this area. The temperature in this area is hot, and very dry—and so is the soil, which retains very little moisture. The dominant flora species is cacti, and the dominant fauna is reptiles—snakes and lizards make up the majority of the animal life. The vegetation found in this desert has evolved to protect itself from the scorching rays of Arizona. The cacti evolved to absorb the little amount of precipitation that is evident; however, the water is not absorbed through long roots. Whenever there is a severe drought, the cacti shrink up; whenever it rains, the cacti absorb the water and expand to fill to capacity. Other plants in this ecosystem have very shallow root system, they rest merely centimeters below the surface in order to absorb the scarce rainfall. In addition, the stems and leaves of most species have waxy cuticles that render them nearly waterproof. Water is further conserved by reduced surface areas; most succulents have few leaves, no leaves, or leaves that are deciduous in dry seasons. Most succulent plants are spiny, bitter, or toxic, and often all three—stored water in an arid environment requires protection from thirsty animals.
During my visit to White Tank Mountain Regional Park, what I learned also surprised me. I pictured a desert as being a sand covered, flat terrain; however, at White Tank the terrain was constantly changing and building up to reach the mountain peak. It interested me how the flora and fauna adapted to not just survive, but thrive, in the harsh desert heat. The animals and plants adapted to the environment and became able to live in conditions where other organisms would perish. The various amounts of animals that can be found in deserts are surprising as well; animals, such as the owl, I would not picture being able to function in the heat due to its thick feathers. It amazed me how organisms, such as birds, were able to perch themselves atop the prickly cacti without injuring themself. All organisms in desert ecosystems work together in order to better one another, and ensure the success of their neighbors. For example, if the birds didn’t have cacti, they would be without a home. The desert is a beautiful ecosystem that astounded me with its bright colors, strong aromas, and diverse organisms.
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