ABOUT THE COLLECTION

Desert Plants is a unique botanical journal published by The University of Arizona for Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum. This journal is devoted to encouraging the appreciation of indigenous and adapted arid land plants. Desert Plants publishes a variety of manuscripts intended for amateur and professional desert plant enthusiasts. A few of the diverse topics covered include desert horticulture, landscape architecture, desert ecology, and history. First published in 1979, Desert Plants is currently published biannually with issues in June and December.

Digital access to this material is made possible by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona.


QUESTIONS?

Contact Desert Plants at DesertPlants@cals.arizona.edu.


Table of Contents

Recent Submissions

  • Identification and Taxonomy of Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in New Mexico

    Allred, Kelly W.; Range Science Herbarium, Department of Animal & Range Sciences, New Mexico State University (University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2002-12)
    The identity and distribution of Tamarix in New Mexico is reviewed, with keys and distribution maps. Four species are found in the state: T. aphylla, T. chinensis (including T. ramosissima), T. gallica, and T. parviflora.
  • Is Your Landscape Threatening the Desert?

    Tellman, Barbara (University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2002-12)
  • A Rapid Biological and Ecological Inventory and Assessment of the Cajon Bonito Watershed, Sonora, Mexico. Part 1: Natural History

    Hunt, Robert; Anderson, Walter; Environmental Studies Program, Prescott College (University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2002-12)
    Cajon Bonito is a perennial stream that drains the western watershed of the Sierra San Luis, Sonora, Mexico. The Sierra San Luis is one of dozens of mountain ranges that are referred to as "sky islands" in a region called the Madrean Archipelago. This landscape exhibits an enormous array of habitats and environments that has made it one of the "mega-biodiverse regions" of the planet. I discuss the unique setting and qualities that make Cajon Bonito one of the most crucial and robust corridors in this sky island archipelago. The information and data that support this conclusion were gathered using a unique set of protocols and field methodologies referred to as Rapid Inventory and Assessment (RAP). I have modified a plant species inventory field method, the variable transect, that was developed for use in the tropics, and I have applied it in the habitats of the Southwest. I have also streamlined the method so that it can be used by a single observer instead of a team. Use of this method in the Cajon Bonito watershed provided me with a quick source of raw, multi-dimensional sampling data. It also provided a wealth of non-quantitative environmental information that reveals the study site's rich natural history.
  • Desert Plants, Volume 18, Number 2 (December 2002)

    University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2002-12