Arizona Biomes

Arizona is far more diverse than I would have imagined. I knew about the desert biome in Arizona, covering most of the southern part of the state, but I didn't consider that other biomes are also alive and well in the state. According to this map, desert, alpine tundra, grasslands deciduous and conifer forests exist in the state. On my trip I frequently pointed to the snow on top of the California Peaks (Mt. St. Humphrey's to be specific). Unbeknonst to me at the time, this is the one area of Alpine Tundra in the state. The Great Plains extend into Northern Arizona. Plains Grassland is dominated by little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), and sideoats grama grass (Bouteloua curtipendula). The Woodlands are located all over Northern Arizona. Apparently, this biome is named for two types of trees most dominant in this biome: juniper and pinyon. Alpine Tundra is perpetually freezing weather, where snow is present most of the year. These extreme environmental conditions only allow the establishment of prostrate shrubs, matt-like herbaceous plants, mosses, and lichens. Several areas of conifer forests, called Montane forests exist in Northern Arizona. Conifer forests are evergreen forests. Deciduous trees are found in Oak Creek Canyon. The trees are called Alnus oblongifolia, Acer grandidentatum, and Populus angustifolia. Arizona Biomes include desert, grassland, alpine tundra, woodland, and conifer and deciduous forest.

Arizona Biomes