Transect Vegetation Zone Investigation
Grade: 9th – 12th
Objective:
The purpose of this investigation is to closely examine seven vegetation zones on the Nevada data
transects and successfully match images and graphs of temperature and precipitation to the transect
sites.
Materials:
Table of the dominant plant species found at each of seven transect sites.
Images of each tansect site
Temperature and precipitation vs. month graphs of each site.
Images of individual plants found at the transect sites.
Important Terms:
Dominant plant species
Sheep Range
Snake Range
Vegetation zone
Temperature and precipitation vs. month graphs
Diving question:
What plant species dominate many of the vegetation zones found at seven sites on two data transects in
Nevada and what are the temperature and precipitation characteristics of each site?
Investigation:
Examine the images of seven transect data sites. Match the transect sites in the table below to the site
images by number. Once you have matched the transect images to the sites listed in the table below,
examine the temperature precipitation graphs match each graph to one of the sites on the table.
Use any resources available to you, including the internet, to find both more information and images
for the dominant plant species for each zone. A set of labeled plant images is provided for reference.
This information will help you match the images and graphs of each zone to the transect zones on the
table below.
Transect Vegetation Zone Investigation
Table 1. Site descriptions of locations along the two NevCAN transects.
Transect
Zone
Dominant Plant Species
Snake
Salt Desert
Sarcobatus vermiculatus,
Atriplex confertifolia
1560
(5120 ft.)
Snake
Sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata tridentata,
Sarcobatus vermiculatus
1790
(5870 ft.)
Snake
PinyonJuniper
Pinus monophylla,
Juniperus osteosperma
2200
(7220 ft.)
Snake
Subalpine
Sheep
Desert
Shrub
Larrea tridentata,
Ambrosia dumosa
900
(2950 ft.)
Sheep
Blackbrush
Yucca brevifolia,
Atriplex canescens
1670
(5480 ft.)
Sheep
Montane
Pinus ponderosa,
Juniperus osteosperma
2320
(7610 ft.)
Pinus longaeva,
Pinus flexilis
Altitude (m)
3355
(11,000 ft.)
Site
Image
Graph
Site Image A
Site Image B
Site Image C
Site Image D
Site Image E
Site Image F
Site Image G
Temp (F)
Pecip (in)
Temperature and Precipitation vs. Month - Site 1
90
2.5
80
2
1.5
60
50
Pecip (in)
Temp (F)
70
1
40
0.5
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Month
Temp (F)
Precip (in)
Temperature and Precipitation vs. Month - Site 2
90
1.5
80
1
60
50
0.5
40
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Month
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Precip (in)
Temp (F)
70
Temp (F)
Precip (in)
Tempeatue and Pecipitation vs. Month - Site 3
90
2.5
80
2
1.5
60
50
1
40
Precip (in)
Temp (F)
70
0.5
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Month
Temp (F)
Precip (in)
Temperature and Precipitation vs. Month - Site 4
90
2.5
80
2
1.5
60
50
1
40
0.5
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Month
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Precip (in)
Temp (F)
70
Temp (F)
Precip (in)
Temperature and Precipitation vs. Month - Site 5
90
2.5
80
2
1.5
60
50
Precip (in)
Temp (F)
70
1
40
0.5
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Month
Temp (F)
Precip (in)
Temperature and Precipitation vs. Month - Site 6
90
2.5
80
2
1.5
60
50
1
40
0.5
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Month
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Precip (in)
Temp (F)
70
Temp (F)
Precip (in)
Temperatue and Precipitation vs. Month - Site 7
90
2.5
80
2
70
1.5
Temp (F)
50
1
40
0.5
30
0
20
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Month
8
9
10
11
-0.5
12
Precip (in)
60
Images of Plants Found in the Transect Vegetation Zones
Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus)
Shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia)
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata tridentata
Pinon pine (Pinus monophylla)
Juniper ( Juniperus osteosperma)
Bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva)
Limber pine (pinus flexilis)
Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)
White bursage (Ambrosia dumosa)
Four-wing saltbrush (Atriplex canescens)
Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)