the sonoran desert.ppt
TRANSCRIPT
The Sonoran DesertThe Sonoran Desert
Home of the Hohokam
um.org
www.nps.gov
www.desertm
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Sonoran DesertSonoran Desert
• Wetter than Chihuahuan Desert to eastWetter than Chihuahuan Desert to east
• Wetter than Mojave Desert to west
S di i i i• Supports distinctive vegetation– Saguaro
– Cholla
– Mesquite, ironwood, paloverde trees
Chihuahuan DesertChihuahuan Desert
modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov
www.desertusa.com
Mojave DesertMojave Desert
farm4.static.flickr.co
pubs.usgs.gov
Regional Vegetation ZonesRegional Vegetation Zones
• Tundra (San Francisco Peaks)
• Coniferous forest (Sierra system)
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• Deciduous forest (Mogollon Rim)
• Desert Grassland (Eastern Sonora)
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• Chaparral (Mogollon Rim)
• Sonoran Desert Scrubland (Phoenix Basin southward)
Diverse physical geography
www.arizona-map.org
Riparian zonesRiparian zones
• Isolated ribbons of deciduous forests– In river valleys and canyon bottoms
P i l t i ( Gil )• Perennial streams = rivers (e.g, Gila)
• Arroyos = dry canyons– May fill with water once or twice per yearMay fill with water once or twice per year
• Rivers = critical to prehistoric cultures
www.desertmuseum.org
Important RiversImportant RiversSalt River
Upper
Lower
en.wikipedia.org
www.bluechameleon.org
Important RiversImportant Rivers
Gila River
UpperMiddle Fork
en.wikipedia.org
upload.wikimedia.org
Lower Gila & SaltLower Gila & Salt
• Basically desert floodplainsBasically desert floodplains
• Fertile land
• Low precipitationLow precipitation
• Irrigation key to farming
www.foodmuseum.com
Jumping Cholla CactusJumping Cholla Cactus
www.carto.net
www.delange.org
en.wikipedia.org
Sahuaro Cactus
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en.w
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edia
.org
en.w
ikip
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.or
Prickly Pear CactusPrickly Pear Cactusde
sertu
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upload.wikimedia.org
Traditional uses of cactus fruitsTraditional uses of cactus fruits
• FoodFood– Fruit must be carefully peeled (today used in jelly)
Or it can be roasted– Or it can be roasted
– Paddles can be used as nopalitos
• Medicinal uses– Full of alkaloids
– Helps with diarrhea, diabetes, stomach aches
blogs.houstonpress.com
AgaveAgave
• Large succulentLarge succulent
• Many parts edible
i l f il• Raw material for textiles– Brushes, weaving
en.wikipedia.org
www.howka.com
Small seed plantsSmall seed plants
• SaltbushSaltbush
• Pigweed
G f• Goosefooten.wikipedia.org
www.biology.ed.ac.uk
Mesquite treesMesquite trees
www.texasbeyondhistory.net
betterhardwoods.com
Uses of mesquiteUses of mesquite
• Wood is hard, rot resistant,
• Foodwww.ivgstores.com
www.outoftheboxgifts.com
– Beans ground and used in breads
– High in protein (lysine)www.ehow.com
– High calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron & zinc
Ironwood TreesIronwood Trees
www.pima.gov
www.uapress.arizona.edu
Game animalsGame animals
• Small game – nearbySmall game nearby– Jackrabbits, desert cottontails
biomesfirst.wikispaces.com
• Large game – distant– Mule deer, desert bighorn sheep
www.cwsd.org
CropsCrops
• MaizeMaize
• Cotton
• Beans
• Squash
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
SummarySummary
• A fertile canvas for Hohokam cultureA fertile canvas for Hohokam culture
• Just add water
h ’ h h did• That’s what they did…
• Hohokam culture was centered in the Gila and Salt River basins
Hohokam cultureHohokam culture
• Probably not one cultureProbably not one culture
• There was a cultural cline across the region– All areas have something in common, but differ a bit acrossAll areas have something in common, but differ a bit across space too
• Culture is diverse today in the region– Stems from Hohokam?
soap.sdsu.edu
OutlineOutline
• Trace Hohokam through timeTrace Hohokam through time
• Discuss Hohokam adaptations to Sonaran Desert
• Highlight potential reasons for Hohokam declineHighlight potential reasons for Hohokam decline