Climate Change and Ecosystems of the Southwestern United States

Abstract

Arid desert ecosystems of the western United States are particularly susceptible to climate change and climate variability. Plants and animals in this region live near their physiological limits for water and temperature stress. Slight changes in temperature or precipitation regimes or a change in the frequency and magnitude of extreme climatic events could therefore substantially alter the composition, distribution, and abundance of species, as well as the products and services that arid lands provide. In the United States, arid lands are located in the subtropical hot deserts of the Southwest, comprised of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts, and the temperate cold deserts of the Intermountain West. Annual precipitation is low (<400 mm), but the seasonality of precipitation differs substantially among hot deserts (Fig. 1). The Mojave Desert is dominated by winter precipitation; thus biological activity is greatest during the cool season. The Chihuahuan Desert is dominated by summer precipitation with biological activity during hotter conditions. The hottest of the three deserts, the Sonoran, is intermediate, receiving both winter and summer precipitation. Each of these deserts is characterized by low productivity and slow plant growth, both of which are primarily water-limited. Vegetation communities are typically desert scrub, shrub– steppe, or desert grassland/savanna and are home to charismatic plants, including saguaro cacti, organ pipe cacti, and Joshua trees. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America, stretching from the southwestern United States deep into the Central Mexican Highlands. It has been classifi ed by the World Wildlife Fund as a Global 200 Ecoregion, a science-based global ranking of the Earth’s most biologically outstanding habitats. Arid lands currently provide a variety of products and services, including a large ranching industry, wildlife habitat, plant and animal diversity, regulation of water fl ow and quality, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and open spaces for expanding urban environments.