xerophytic in xeric

Huh?

"I thought this was supposed to be a xenial blog!"  you say.

"It is!  It is!"  I retort.

You see, this week us Alphabe-Thursdayers are faced with the most difficult letter X.  I will explain my post title with just one photo below.   No, no need to be xenophobic.

a xerophytic pine grows in xeric conditions in Bryce National Park

Xeric shrublands receive an annual average rainfall of ten inches or less, and have an arid climate which is characterized by a strong moisture deficit.  Actually, annual potential loss of moisture from evapotranspiration can exceed the moisture received as rainfall. 

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock!  See others' completed homework assignments HERE.  Come join in!  This week our letter is "X."

I'm also linking up with SkyWatch Friday as well.  This awesome meme is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.  For beautiful skies all over the world, go HERE.




photo by me © 2010  all rights reserved   

xeric

dry or desert like conditions, having very little moisture with average annual rainfall of less than 10 inches.

Valley of Fire, Nevada

Nevada's oldest state park, located in the Mojave Desert and dedicated in 1935, covers almost 35,000 acres.  Its name is derived from the red sandstone formations created by ancient shifting sand dunes.  Average annual rainfall is about 4 inches.

Grand Canyon, Arizona (taken from the North Rim)

This National Park, covering over 1.2 million acres on the Colorado Plateau, is also a World Heritage Site.  Consisting of several major ecosystems, great biodiversity exists here.The inner canyon is xeric, receiving only about 9 inches of rain a year.

 

Sonoran Desert (Phoenix area) 

One of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, covering 120,000 square miles just south of the Mojave Desert, the Sonoran Desert can be found in the US states of Arizona and California and the Mexican states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora.  A unique variety of flora and fauna exist here such as the saguaro cacti seen in the above photo.  Average annual rainfall varies from 3 inches to 16 inches.  Many areas are xeric such as  Phoenix with just over 8 inches of rainfall per year.  (Arizona is the only state that has all four North American deserts--Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin.)

Come join in the fun at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.  You will be enlightened, charmed, and have some plain ole fun!  See more entries HERE.  This week our letter is "X."   
   


LINKS:

Valley of Fire:

official website
my post "Still Exploring"

Grand Canyon:

official website
Sonoran Desert:  
Desert USA 
biomes of the Sonoran Desert

photos by me © 2009 and 2010