When Is a Desert Not a Desert?
The Varying Landscapes of Arizona
By Karen Davis
When people think of Arizona they often think of a dry, hot desert that is covered with giant saguaro cacti and snakes. This is not a true picture of all the varying landscapes that make up Arizona.
There are three major regions found in this state. The southwestern portion is the desert region. The central area is mountains region, and the northeastern part of the state is the plateau region. Each of the regions has different types of landscapes.
Arizona has six of the major biomes that scientists have labeled in the world.
Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. The biomes that are found in Arizona are the desert scrub, grassland, chaparral, woodland, forest, and tundra biomes. The three regions contain different biomes.
DESERT REGION:
There are two desert scrub biomes in this region. The Sonoran Desert covers most of the desert region. However, the Mojave Desert is near the California/Arizona border. The desert region also contains grassland and chaparral biomes. Even in the desert region, there are forest and woodland biomes . These small “islands” of forest and woodland biomes are in the Coronado National Forest in the southeastern corner of the state.
MOUNTAIN REGION:
The chaparral biome is located between the desert and the mountain regions. The woodland biomes are found along the northern and southern borders of the mountain region. The mountain region also has a desert scrub biome , called the Chihuahuan
Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is in the southeastern corner of Arizona. The mountain region contains three of the six national forests found in Arizona. They are the Prescott,
Tonto, and some of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
PLATEAU REGION:
A plateau is a high flat land. The Colorado Plateau in Arizona begins at the
Mogollon Rim. The rim is the southern border of the plateau region. The plateau region contains the only alpine biome in Arizona. The alpine biome is on the top of the San
Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff. The plateau region also contains desert scrub, forest, woodland, and grassland biomes . The Great Basin Desert is in the northwestern corner of the state. The Coconino, Kaibab, and some of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest are in the plateau region.

Study the following charts and then answer the questions following them.
Biomes of Arizona Climate
Desert scrub Arid, hot
Elevation Plant Life
100 ft. – 3,500 ft. short trees, shrubs,
Grassland Semi-arid to semihumid, warm to cool
3,300 ft. – 5,000 ft. (desert)
5,000 ft – 7,000 ft. (plains) herbs, grasses, yuccas, agaves, cacti, and ocotillos short grasses, shrubs, yuccas, agaves, cacti, tall grasses, and sedges
Chaparral
Woodland
Forest
Tundra
Semi-arid, warm to cool, 13–23 in. of rain
Semi-arid to semihumid, warm to cool, 12-20 in. of rain
Semi-humid to wet, cold to warm
Semi-humid, cold
4,000 ft. – 6,000 ft.
5,100 ft. – 7,000 ft.
4,000 ft. along the river beds
6,900 ft. – 10,500 ft.
11,000 ft. –
11,500 ft. scrub oak, manzanita evergreen oaks, pinyon pine, juniper, cottonwood, sycamore, and alder ponderosa pine,
Douglas fir, pine, spruce fir, and aspen no trees, only grasses and mosses

Deserts of
Arizona
Elevation
Sonoran 100 ft. –
3,000 ft.
Climate
Hot
Location
From east of
Nogalas to
Yuma and the southern border to a line from
Congress to
Needles,
CA.
Mojave 500 ft –
3,000 ft.
Hot - warm
Chihuahuan 1,000-3,500 ft
Great Basin 3000 ft. -
6500 ft.
Warm
Cold
The north western from
Congress to
Needles then following the
Colorado
River.
The southeastern corner of the state, parts of San
Simon
Valley,
Sulphur
Springs
Valley, and
San Pedro
Valley
The area north and east of
Flagstaff and the extreme northwest near the
Utah border.
Plant Life
Small leaf desert trees: paloverde, ironwood, desert-olive, mesquite, cottonwood, and willow
Shrubs: creosote, sage, brittlebush, saltbush, and ocotillo
Cactus: saguaro, organ pipe, senita, barrel, cholla, prickly pear, hedgehog, and pincushion
Shrub desert: creosote, blackbush, saltbush, bladder-sage, Joshua tree, Mohave yucca, and catclaw, some mesquite and desert willow
Cactus: cholla, prickly pear, beaver tail cactus, hedgehog, barrel, and pincushion, and some saguaro
Shrub desert: creosote, tarbush, whitethorn, sandpaperbush, desert sumac, ocotillo, and mesquite
Cactus: cholla, prickly pear, barrel, and pincushion
Grassland: short grasses
Shrub desert: sage brush, plateau yucca, and desert olive
Cactus: prickly pear

Grasslands of Arizona
Desert
Elevation Climate Location
3,500 ft –
5,000 ft.
Hot By Kingman and in
Chihuahuan Desert
Plains
Mountain
5,000 ft. –
7,000 ft.
9,000 ft
Semiarid
Warm
Cold
Eastern Arizona in
San Rafael, Santa
Cruz, Sulfur
Springs and Chino
Valley, and in
Navajo and Apache counties
White Mountain,
Kaibab Plateau
Plant Life
Grasses: yucca, obaso grasses, ring grasses, plains grasses
Grasses: grama, muhly, needlegrass, dropseed, spangletop, fescu, wheat grass, brome, and galleta
Grasses: mountain timothy,
Arizona fescue,
Kentucky blue grass, mountain muhly, needlegrass, mountain brome, pine dropseed, and black dropseed

Evergreen
Woodland of Arizona
Oak
Elevation Climate Location Plant Life
Mexican
Oak - Pine
Juniper –
Pinyon
4,100 ft Warm Southern Arizona Emory oak, Mexican blue oak, juniper, one seed juniper, some Mexican pinyon
4,000 ft. –
6,500 ft.
Warm Lies between the oak woodland and the Ponderosa pine forest. Primarily in southeastern
Arizona below the
Gila River
Conifers:
Chihuahua pine, Apache pine, Mexican pinyon and alligator juniper
Oaks: silver leaf oak, Arizona oak, and Emory oak
5,500 ft. –
7,000 ft.
5,800 ft. –
7,200 ft.
Cold Below ponderosa pine forest and the
Mogollon Rim,
Coconino and
Kaibab Plateau
Flat top mesas of
Navajo and Apache counties and the
Arizona Strip
Conifers:
Colorado pinyon, Utah juniper, one-seed juniper
Grasses: blue grama, side oat grama, black grama, Arizona fescue, pinyon ricegrass, junegrass, Indian ricegrass, needlegrass, and sand dropseed
Deciduous Varies in elevation
Varies Along streams, rivers, and flood plains; from the deserts to the mountains
Trees: cottonwood, sycamore, alder, willow, walnut,
Texas mulberry, Arizona alder, southwestern chock cherry, boxelder, Rocky
Mountain maple, and
Scouler willow

Forest of
Arizona
Ponderosa
Pine
Elevation Climate Location
6,000 ft. –
9,000 ft
Douglas Fir 7,500 ft. –
Spruce – alpine fir
9,500 ft.
8,500 ft. –
11, 500 ft.
Cold
Cold
Cold
Southern Arizona:
Mountains of Pinal,
Gila, Pinaleno,
Galiuro, Santa
Catalina, Santa Rita,
Huachucas, and
Chiricahua
Northern and
Central Arizona:
San Francisco
Peaks, Mogollon
Mesa, Kaibab
Plateau
Southern Arizona:
Mountains of Pinal,
Gila, Pinaleno,
Gleuro, Santa
Catalina, Santa Rita,
Huachucas, and
Chiricahua
Northern and
Central Arizona:
San Francisco
Peaks, Mogollon
Mesa, Kaibab
Plateau, and the
White Mountains
The Mountains:
Chiricahua,
Graham, White, San
Francisco, and summit areas of
Kaibab Plateau
Plant Life
Trees: ponderosa pine, silver leaf oak, net leaf oak, madro n e,
Gamble oak, bigtooth maple, aspen and mulberry
Shrub: buckbrush, boxleaf myrtle, snowberry, ocean spray, and orange gooseberry
Conifers:
Douglas fir, white fir, alpine fir, limber pine, white pine
Deciduous:
Gambel oak, box elder, water birch, blue berry elder, Rocky Mountain maple, and aspen
Conifers:
Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, alpine fir, limber pine, bristlecone pine
Trees:
Rocky Mountain maple, bitter cherry, Bebb willow,
Scouler willow, thin – leaf alder, and aspen

Tundra of
Arizona
Alpine tundra
Elevation Climate Location
11, 500 ft.
12, 670 ft.
Very
Cold
San Francisco Peaks
Plant Life
Very small herbs, grasses, sedges, lichens, and mosses

Name____________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET:
On the map Landform Regions of Arizona , label the following areas:
1.
Sonoran Desert 6.
Coconino National Forest
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mojave Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
Great Plains Desert
Apache-Sitgreaves National
Forest
7.
Coronado National Forest
8.
Kaibab National Forest
9.
Prescott National Forest
10.
Tonto National Forest
On the Biomes Map of Arizona ,
A. Lightly color the six biomes. Be sure to identify the colors on the map key.
B. Draw a symbol for each of the following plants in the map key. Put several of these symbols where these plants would be found according to the charts.
1.
saguaro cactus 4.
juniper trees
2.
Joshua trees
3.
pinyon pines
5.
ponderosa pine
After analyzing the charts, complete the Venn diagram below. Fill in at least one plant type that is found in each of the regions and one that is found in more than one.
Desert Mountains
Plateau

.
ASSESSMENT
Circle the best answer.
1.
Which of the following is not a region in Arizona
A.
Chaparral
B.
Mountain
C.
Plateau
D.
Desert
Name______________
Date______________
2.
Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals.
How many biomes does Arizona have and what are they?
3.
Which of the 3 regions in Arizona has the biggest variety of biomes?
4.
Looking at the map and charts, in what region would you find a: saguaro cactus _________________________________
Joshua trees ____________________________________ ponderosa pine_________________________________ palo verde trees_________________________________
Arizona pinyon __________________________________
5. About how much of AZ is covered with desert? ________ With forests? ____
Which covers the greatest area? __________
Look at the Likelihood line below and decide how likely each event would happen.
Not Some
Very ___________ What _____________ Very
Likely Likely Likely
6.
Finding a prickly pear cactus by Kingman?
7.
Finding a pinyon pine at 4,000 ft. elevation?
8.
Finding a saguaro cactus by Payson?
9.
Finding a ponderosa pine by Yuma?
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
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.
When Is a Desert Not a Desert?
The Varying Landscapes of Arizona
Circle the best answer.
Assessment Sheet Answer Key
1. Which of the following is not a region in Arizona
A.
Chaparral
B.
Mountain
C.
Plateau
D.
Desert
1.
Biomes are geographical areas that have a certain climate, plant life, and animals. How many biomes does Arizona have and what are they? Six: desertbrush, grassland, chaparral, woodland, forest, and tundra.
2.
Which of the regions in Arizona has the biggest variety of biomes?
Plateau region
3.
Looking at the map and charts, what area would you find a: a.
Saguaro cactus _ desert _______ b.
Joshua tree _ Mojave desert ________ c.
Ponderosa _ mountains ___________ d.
Palo Verde deserts_________ e.
Arizona Pinyon ____ woodlands _____
6. About how much of AZ is covered with desert? __ 40%______ With forests? 20%___
Which covers the greater area? __ deserts ________
Look at the Likelihood line below and decide how likely each event would happen.
Not Some
Very ___________ What _____________ Very
Likely Likely Likely
7. Finding a prickly pear cactus by Kingman?
8.
Finding a pinyon pine at 4,000 ft. elevation?
9.
Finding a saguaro cactus by Payson?
10.
Finding a ponderosa pine by Yuma?
__ very likely _____
__ some what likely _____
_ not very likely ______
_ not very likely ______
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When Is a Desert Not a Desert?
The Varying Landscapes of Arizona
Rubric for the mapping activity
4 – Information, spelling, and capitalization were all correct for the labels. The map key depicts the biomes and the plants in the correct location. The map depicts the deserts and forests specified in the correct location. It is easy to read.
3 – Minor flaws in the information, spelling, and capitalization of the labels appear. There were minor flaws in the map key. It is okay to read.
2 – Flaws in labeling appear. The map key is incomplete. It is a bit sloppy.
1 - The map is not legible. There was an attempt to complete the activity. Major flaws in labeling appear.
0 – Little or no attempt was made to complete the activity.
Rubric for the Venn diagram
4 – The student showed an understanding of how to complete a Venn diagram. Information, spelling, and capitalization were all correct.
3 – The student showed an understanding of how to complete the diagram. There were minor flaws in the information, spelling or capitalization.
2 - The student showed difficulty in completing the diagram. There were many flaws in the information, spelling or capitalization.
1 – The student attempted to complete the diagram, but it was difficult to read. There were many flaws in the information, spelling or capitalization.
0 – There was no attempt to complete the diagram.
QuickTime™ and a
QuickDraw decompressor are needed to see this picture.