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ARC160D: SONORA

READING GUIDE – UNIT 1 NATURAL H ISTORY OF T HE SONORA N D ESERT

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 2

Author:

Define: biome

What components are used to classify them and why?

Define: endemic

Connect: Choose one of the Biomes presented in this chapter that describes the landscape you are most familiar with (your home, your favorite place, your family’s home).

Name 3 of its characteristics and what class of plant life is found there.

1.

2.

3.

Define: riparian

Describe: two measures of the aridity of a desert

1.

2.

Describe: three global climate factors that go into the formation of deserts.

1.

2.

3.

Name: four North American Deserts (Don’t forget to look at the color plates that reference each desert (Plate 10-13) and a plant species associated with each.

1. 2.

3. 4.

Name: three features that distinguish the Sonoran Desert from other North American deserts.

1.

2.

3.

Define: equipatas

Define: las aguas (as described in text, not a literal translation from Spanish)

Connect: Read the text in the box on page 17. In which season described here did you first encounter the Sonoran desert? (If you were born here – what is your favorite season?)

What is/was your impression of the character of the desert at that time?

Describe: one of the subdivisions of the Sonoran Desert in your own words. Use the Color plates to help you.

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 3

Author:

Define: Sky Islands

How do these mountains affect water across the region?

Examine: Color plate 32. Describe this graphic and what it is trying to communicate in your own words.

P A R T 1 C H A P TE R 4

Author:

Describe: Why is the Sea of Cortez considered one of the most productive fisheries on the planet?

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 7

Author:

Connect: Read the text in the box on page 47. If the ground water table in Tucson fell 3’ per year for the last 60-80 years, how much deeper is the water table today? Why is this important for people who live in Tucson today?

Define: Monsoon

What is the most distinctive feature of the Sonoran monsoon?

Define: virga

Recall: What were the 2 names for the summer and winter rains from the earlier chapter? How does this chapter help you explain these terms?

1. 2.

How does this chapter help you explain these terms?

Define: chubasco

What was the result of Tropical Storm Octave in 1983?

Define: drought

What is the alternate “ecological” definition given in the text?

Connect: How is the way the Tohono O’odham experience desert rain differ from your own experiences? How is it the same?

Define: arroyo

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 8

Author:

Define: mirage

Define: dust devil

Name: three visual effects that result from clear, dry air (lack of large aerosols) in the desert.

1.

2.

3.

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 9

Author:

Identify: which plant does the author say arrived in North America from Argentina sometime in the Pleistocene? (we will discuss this plant more in future units)

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 1 0

Author:

Define: Basin and Range

Define: alluvial fan

How is an alluvial fan related to a bajada?

Recall: Which chapter also discussed the way that arroyos figure in the Sonoran landscape? What common message did both authors have about them?

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 1 1

Author:

Define: caliche

How is the presence of caliche related to alkalinity of soils?

Define: desert pavement

What happens when desert pavements and microphytic crusts are disturbed by human activity?

Define: drought dormancy

Connect: How does the soil described in the chapter compare with soils that you are familiar with at your own home?

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 1 2

Author:

Note – many of the themes in this chapter will re-occur in our future readings.

Name: 3 examples of humans impacting the environment given in the “Native Americans” portion of this chapter.

1.

2.

3.

Name: 3 elements of the Columbian Exchange

1.

2.

3.

Define: Mestizaje

Name: 3 extractive industries described in the chapter

1.

2.

3.

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 1 3

Author:

Define: Invasive species

Name 3 invasive species listed in the text.

1.

2.

3.

Connect: Select one of the “Direct Human Impacts” described by the author in the chapter. Briefly describe your own role in this impact and how you might be able to reduce it in the future.

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 1 4

Author:

Define: Pollinator

What are the greatest threats to native pollinators in the Sonoran Desert?

P A R T 1 : C H A P TE R 1 5

Author:

Define: Biodiversity

How is biodiversity different from species richness?

Describe: Why does the Sonoran desert have such a high level of biodiversity?

Recall: What term does this author use to refer to the “Invasive Species” we discussed in an earlier chapter?

P A R T 2 : C H A P TE R 1 6

Author:

Define: Convergent evolution

Name: 3 parts of the anatomy of a flower

1.

2.

3.

Identify: What element of the human diet is the direct result of photosynthesis?

Define: Succulence

Define: Drought Tolerance

Name 3 strategies for increasing drought tolerance in plants.

1.

2.

3.

Define: Drought Evasion

P A R T 2 : C H A P TE R 1 7

Author:

Name: 4 Giant Columnar Cacti

1. 2.

3. 4.

Describe: the root system of a mature saguaro

Define: symbiosis

Define: nurse plant

Define: cohort

Name: 2 differences between the saguaro and the organ pipe cactus (use at least 3 words for each)

1.

2.

P A R T 3 : C H A P TE R 2 0

Author:

Define: crepuscular

Define: microclimate

Define: water expense

O V E R A L L

Write: 3 “detail” questions to put on a test (include the answers)

1.

2.

3.

Write: 3 “concept” questions to put on a test (include the answers)

1.

2.

3.

Connect: Select quote from this book that felt significant to you.

Explain what it means:

Explain why it matters:

Conclusion: give a 2-3 sentence summary of your big take-aways from this text.

ARIZON A NATI VE P L AN TS AND THE URBA N CH AL L ENGE

Create: A bibliography entry for this article. (Use the library as a resource)

Recall: In the section “Native Plants and Cities: A Literature Review” Crewe discusses the use of exotics in designed landscapes. How does this connect with the discussion of invasives from the Natural History text.

Define: Desert vernacular

Name: 3 garden design strategies employed by Ten Eyck and Martino to make native plants more appealing to the public.

1.

2.

3.

Explain: The role of hard surfaces like paving, walls and sculpture in Arizona garden design according to Crewe.

Describe: the landscape in the photograph labeled Figure 7. Write as though you are describing it to a friend.

Define: “Faux desert” design

Connect: Which space on the UofA campus is mentioned in the text? Have you visited this location?

Write: 2 questions to put on a test (include the answers)

1.

2.

Connect: Select quote from the rest of the article that felt significant to you.

Explain what it means.

Conclusion: give a 2-3 sentence summary of your big take-aways from this text

ARIZON A IL L USTRATED – L A VAQUITA

Create: A bibliography entry for this video. (Use the library as a resource)

Recall: The video states that the vaquita is found only in the waters of the northern portion of the Sea of Cortez. What term defined in the Natural History text describes this? Why is this important?

Define: Why are gillnets banned in the Sea of Cortez?

Connect: This is a relatively new story though the plight of the vaquita has been dire for some time. How does the study of the vaquita and its decline relate to your own timeline?

Connect: Select quote from this video that you feel connects to the content of the course.

Explain what it means to you.

-End-

1. Author: Mark A. Dimmitt
2. Define biome: a habitat that is easily identified by its dominant life-forms.
3. What components are used to classify them and why: climate, habitat, and most importantly vegetation becuse plants are immobile, rooted in place, and are easily recognized .
4. Define endemic: occuring only to a named area/biome or smaller community.
5. 1: I chose the desert as my biome as I live in a desert biome
6. 2: Plants are wide spread and has little to no leaves, the driest biome, and temperature and rainfall season determine vegetation
7. 3: Herbaceous perennial, woody shrubs, subshrubs
8. Define riparian: a unique habitat type that occur in any biome where there is perennial water near the surface
9. 1_2: Amount of rainfall (abbreviated p for precipitation)
10. 2_2: Potetntial water loss through evapotranspiration (abbreviated PET)
11. 1_3: Hot air rises and cool air sinks
12. 2_3: Rising air expands and cools while snking ar compresses and becomes warmer
13. 3_2: Warmer air can hold more water vapor than cooler air
14. 1_4: The Great Basin
15. 2_4: Chihuahuan
16. 3_3: Mojave
17. 4: Sonoran Deserts
18. 1_5: Legume trees
19. 2_5: Large columnar cacti
20. 3_4: Very rich because it has large number of species, 2000, and 550 vertebrates, and thousands unknown (it also has mild winters)
21. Define equipatas: winter rains (term used by Sonoran residents, means rain)
22. Define las aguas: Summer rains (term used by Sonoran residents, means the waters)
23. What iswas your impression of the character of the desert at that time: Summer monsoon, I was shocked by how hot and dry it is and how it felt hotter than my hometown. hotter than back home but I understood why because where I come from ts more dry. I was impressed to find a place on earth that was hotter than where I came from
24. Describe one of the subdivisions of the Sonoran Desert in your own words Use the Color plates to help you: Magdalena is known for its summer rains, rich in trees, different looking cactus, and has shrubs.
25. Author_2: Wendy Moore
26. Define Sky Islands: layers of high isolated mountain ranges on the horizon that create a dynamic landscape in southeastern AZ
27. How do these mountains affect water across the region: it recharges aquifers
28. Examine Color plate 32 Describe this graphic and what it is trying to communicate in your own words: Thesre are biotic communities in high sky islands. That elevation and latitude play a strong role in determinng a biome as well as its vegetation.
29. Author_3: Richard C. Brusca
30. Describe Why is the Sea of Cortez considered one of the most productive fisheries on the planet: Its diversity, warm, and subtropical waters bring deep-sea nutrients and oxygen to the surface deep sea nutrients and oxygen.plf
31. Author_4: Mrill Ingram and Richard C. Brusca
32. deeper is the water table today Why is this important for people who live in Tucson today: It would be at least 120’ deeper. Its important because there is not enough water going around.
33. Define Monsoon: system of winds that changes seasonally bringing wet and dry periods to a region.
34. What is the most distinctive feature of the Sonoran monsoon: They are moisture.
35. Define virga: trailing vaporous streams of rain that hang down from a thunderhead-frayed ends drying in the layer of hot air over the deserts surface.
36. 1_6: equipatas
37. 2_6: las aguas
38. How does this chapter help you explain these terms: It differentiates these two by identifying how each one results and happens in the region.
39. Define chubasco: an extremely violent storm.
40. What was the result of Tropical Storm Octave in 1983: a chubasco of an exceptional strength
41. Define drought: an extended period of below-average precpitation.
42. What is the alternate ecological definition given in the text: a long period of diminished water availability for plants.
43. Connect How is the way the Tohono Oodham experience desert rain differ from your own experiences How is it the same: No difference. It is the same in that we both do not make any assumptions about the rain.
44. Define arroyo: dry bed/creek
45. Author_5: David Wentworth Lazaroff
46. Define mirage: bending light rays via refraction that result in an image of bright sky and upside down cacti or cars
47. Define dust devil: miniature tornado and a special kind of thermal where hot air moves upward in a circle.
48. 1_7: Very blue skies because little aerosel present due to dryness.
49. 2_7: Aerial perspective.
50. 3_5: Earth’s shadow
51. Author_6: Thomas R. Van Devender and Richard C. Brusca
52. Author_7: Robert Scarborough and Richard C. Brusca
53. Define Basin and Range: highlands that confine the Sonoran Desert and the largest canyon systems of the region.
54. Define alluvial fan: rocky mud masses that spread out in front of the mountains in gently sloping cones
55. How is an alluvial fan related to a bajada: when nearby alluvial fans coalesce along a mountain front, the result is a broad sloping plain around the base of range.
56. authors have about them: Chapter 7. That both contribute to changes due to channel enlargement.
57. Author_8: Joseph R. McAuliffe
58. Define caliche: impenetrable, cemented layers, or petrocalcic horizons.
59. How is the presence of caliche related to alkalinity of soils: They are rich in calcium carbonate.
60. Define desert pavement: large, flat areas devoid of vegetation and covered by a layer of tightly packed stones
61. What happens when desert pavements and microphytic crusts are disturbed by human activity: It can be damaged where recovery needs decades to recover.
62. Define drought dormancy: a condition where triangleleaf bursage survives during long dry periods by shedding its leaves and becoming dormant
63. Connect How does the soil described in the chapter compare with soils that you are familiar with at your own home: We have areas similar to the soil described in this chapter, especially when a drough hits.
64. Author_9: Thomas E. Sheridan
65. 1_8: The overhunt of mammals
66. 2_8: hybrid chuckwallas and iguanas interbred
67. 3_6: Agriculture like growing corn
68. 1_9: crops
69. 2_9: tools
70. 3_7: animals
71. Define Mestizaje: racial mixture
72. 1_10: stock raising
73. 2_10: copper mining
74. 3_8: agriculture
75. Author_10: Mark A. Dimmitt and Margaret H. Fusari
76. Define Invasive species: exotic nonnatice species whose introduction is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
77. 1_11: red brome
78. 2_11: Arabian grass
79. 3_9: cheatgrass
80. impact and how you might be able to reduce it in the future: vehicles & foot traffic: Ride a bike or walk on foot when going to short destinations.
81. Author_11: Stephen Buchmann
82. Define Pollinator: wind or something else that carries the pollen of a male flower to another
83. What are the greatest threats to native pollinators in the Sonoran Desert:
84. Author_12:
85. Define Biodiversity:
86. How is biodiversity different from species richness:
87. Describe Why does the Sonoran desert have such a high level of biodiversity:
88. Recall What term does this author use to refer to the Invasive Species we discussed in an earlier chapter:
89. Author_13:
90. Define Convergent evolution:
91. 1_12:
92. 2_12:
93. 3_10:
94. Identify What element of the human diet is the direct result of photosynthesis:
95. Define Succulence:
96. Define Drought Tolerance:
97. 1_13:
98. 2_13:
99. 3_11:
100. Define Drought Evasion:
101. Author_14:
102. 1_14:
103. 2_14:
104. 3_12:
105. 4_2:
106. Describe the root system of a mature saguaro:
107. Define symbiosis:
108. Define nurse plant:
109. Define cohort:
110. 1_15:
111. 2_15:
112. Author_15:
113. Define crepuscular:
114. Define microclimate:
115. Define water expense:
116. 2_17:
117. 3_14:
118. Connect Select quote from this book that felt significant to you:
119. Explain what it means:
120. Explain why it matters:
121. Define Desert vernacular:
122. Name 3 garden design strategies employed by Ten Eyck and Martino to make native plants more appealing to the public:
123. 2_18:
124. 3_15:
125. Explain The role of hard surfaces like paving walls and sculpture in Arizona garden design according to Crewe:
126. Describe the landscape in the photograph labeled Figure 7 Write as though you are describing it to a friend:
127. Define Faux desert design:
128. Connect Which space on the UofA campus is mentioned in the text Have you visited this location:
129. Write 2 questions to put on a test include the answers:
130. 2_19:
131. Connect Select quote from the rest of the article that felt significant to you:
132. Explain what it means_2:
133. Conclusion give a 23 sentence summary of your big takeaways from this text_2:
134. ARIZONA ILLUSTRATED LA VAQUITA:
135. Create A bibliography entry for this video Use the library as a resource:
136. in the Natural History text describes this Why is this important:
137. Define Why are gillnets banned in the Sea of Cortez:
138. vaquita and its decline relate to your own timeline:
139. Connect Select quote from this video that you feel connects to the content of the course:
140. Explain what it means to you:
141. Pleistocene plant: Creosotebush
142. 1_16:
143. 2_16:
144. 3_13:
145. 1_17:
146. Conclusion give a 23 sentence summary of your big takeaways from this text:
147. Create A bibliography entry for this article Use the library as a resource:
148. does this connect with the discussion of invasives from the Natural History text: