mojave desert
Newsletter
Credit: Iswarya Muthukumar/Unsplash
California scrambles to save Joshua trees as climate and wildfires intensify
In California’s Mojave Desert, rising temperatures, wildfires and invasive grasses are devastating Joshua trees, prompting state officials to create refuges and stricter regulations to protect the species.
In short:
- Recent wildfires have killed millions of Joshua trees, especially in Mojave National Preserve, altering vital desert ecosystems.
- Climate change threatens Joshua trees by increasing temperatures, reducing rainfall and fueling the spread of invasive, flammable grasses.
- California's new Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act aims to safeguard the species by controlling development and protecting key habitats.
Key quote:
“The temperature is important, but rainfall is really important. If you couple higher temperatures and drier conditions, you are screwed.”
— Cameron Barrows, retired research ecologist, UC Riverside
Why this matters:
Joshua trees are a keystone species in the Mojave Desert, supporting diverse wildlife. Their loss would not only devastate ecosystems but also signal severe impacts from climate change in arid regions.
Keep reading...Show less
How California’s bullet train went off the rails
America’s first experiment with high-speed rail has become a multi-billion-dollar nightmare. Political compromises created a project so expensive that almost no one knows how it can be built as originally envisioned.
Heat and drought are killing our forests
In many places, forests are no longer regenerating on their own. Some of the world’s most significant stands are instead transitioning to something new. Some will never be the same. Others may not come back at all.
therevelator.org
The race to build solar power in the desert — and protect rare plants and animals
As development of large solar projects speeds up, researchers race against the clock to study the ecosystem implications.
apnews.com
Enormous California wildfire threatens desert homes near LA
An enormous wildfire that churned through mountains northeast of Los Angeles and into the Mojave Desert was still threatening homes on Monday, one of more than two dozen major fires burning across California.
Newsletter
laist.com
Climate change is decimating Mojave desert birds
Birds in California's Mojave Desert are finding it increasingly hard to quench their thirst.
lompocrecord.com
Experts say LA in danger of mega storm
Scientists call it California's "other big one," and they say it could cause three times as much damage as a major earthquake ripping along the San Andreas.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
