Photo Point 041
Description:
Near the Speedway trailhead for Saguaro National Park.
Photo:
Creosote bush and mesquite are dominant, but foothill paloverde and white thorn are typically co-dominant. The creosote (3-5 ft.) and mesquite (6-16 ft.) share dominance with whitethorn, foothill paloverde and catclaw (the latter three species are 5-10 ft.). Together, they provide up to 30% cover. The mesquite and catclaw favor the watercourses, which are often choked with the annual canyon ragweed, up to four feet tall. The abundance of needle grama, a summer annual, is striking. Prickly pear cactus, saguaro, and zinnia are also common.
Photo date:
September 20, 2007
View looking:
NNW Vegetation:
| Species | Relative abundance | Cover | Mean height in meters and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larrea tridentata | co-dominant | 5-9% |
1.3 |
|
| Acacia constricta | co-dominant | 5-9% |
3 |
|
| Ambrosia ambrosioides | common | 1-4% |
1.2 - restricted to watercourses |
|
| Zinnia acerosa | common | <1% |
| Species | Relative abundance | Cover | Mean height in meters and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prosopis velutina | co-dominant | 5-9% |
4 |
|
| Parkinsonia microphylla | co-dominant | 5-9% |
3 |
| Species | Relative abundance | Cover | Mean height in meters and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opuntia engelmannii | common | 1-4% | ||
| Carnegiea gigantea | common | <1% |
| Species | Relative abundance | Cover | Mean height in meters and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aristida adscensionis | common | 5-9% |