Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality,

Ecoregions of Nevada Vegas, Reno, and Carson City areas. Most of the state is internally drained and lies Literature Cited:
5. Sierra Nevada
Ecoregion 5 is a mountainous, deeply dissected, and westerly tilting fault block. It is largely composed of granitic rocks that are
lithologically distinct from the sedimentary rocks of the Klamath Mountains (78) and the volcanic rocks of the Cascades (4). A
high fault scarp divides the Sierra Nevada (5) from the Northern Basin and Range (80) and Central Basin and Range (13) to the 22. Arizona/New Mexico Plateau
and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial within the Great Basin; rivers in the southeast are part of the Colorado River system Bailey, R.G., Avers, P.E., King, T., and McNab, W.H., eds., 1994, Ecoregions and subregions of the east. Near this eastern fault scarp, the Sierra Nevada (5) reaches its highest elevations. Here, moraines, cirques, and small lakes
Ecoregion 22 is a high dissected plateau underlain by horizontal beds of limestone, sandstone, and shale, cut by canyons, and
framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and those in the northeast drain to the Snake River. There are 5 level III ecoregions United States (map): Washington, D.C., USFS, scale 1:7,500,000. are especially common and are products of Pleistocene alpine glaciation. Large areas are above timberline, including Mt. Whitney
punctuated by mountains, mesas, and buttes. The Arizona/New Mexico Plateau (22) is transitional between surrounding higher,
and ecosystem components. By recognizing the spatial differences in the capacities and 43 level IV ecoregions in Nevada and many continue into ecologically similar Bryce, S.A., Omernik, J.M., and Larsen, D.P., 1999, Ecoregions—a geographic framework to guide risk in California, the highest point in the conterminous United States at nearly 14,500 feet. The Sierra Nevada (5) casts a rain shadow
characterization and ecosystem management: Environmental Practice, v. 1, no. 3, p. 141-155. forested, mountainous ecoregions and lower, more arid shrublands. Ecoregion 22 is similar to the Colorado Plateaus (20) to the
and potentials of ecosystems, ecoregions stratify the environment by its probable parts of adjacent states (McGrath and others, 2002; Woods and others, 2001). over Ecoregions 13 and 80 to the east. Higher elevation areas are mostly federally owned and include several national parks. In
north in having abundant pinyon-juniper woodland and deep canyons (e.g. the Grand Canyon). However, the Arizona/New Mexico
response to disturbance (Bryce and others, 1999). Ecoregions are general purpose Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, Ecological regions of North Nevada, vegetation grades from Jeffrey pine to fir and whitebark pine at higher elevations. Alpine conditions exist at the highest
The level III and IV ecoregion map on this poster was compiled at a scale of America—toward a common perspective: Montreal, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 71 p. Plateau (22) is higher than the Colorado Plateaus (20), and it has less physiographic diversity. Ecoregion 22 lacks the broad, hot
regions that are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management elevations.
1:250,000 and depicts revisions and subdivisions of earlier level III ecoregions that Gallant, A.L., Whittier, T.R., Larsen, D.P., Omernik, J.M., and Hughes, R.M., 1989, Regionalization as basins, such as Monument Valley and the Uinta Basin, that are found in the Colorado Plateaus (20). The Arizona/New Mexico
strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernmental organizations a tool for managing environmental resources: Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Within Nevada, the Mid-Elevation Sierra Nevada ecoregion begins abruptly in the foothills of the Carson Range at the Plateau (22) also contains more semiarid shrubland and subhumid grassland than Ecoregion 20, making it more suitable for
that are responsible for different types of resources in the same geographical areas were originally compiled at a smaller scale (USEPA, 2002; Omernik, 1987). This 5a western edge of the state. Physiographically, the Carson Range is a Great Basin fault block mountain range, but its
Agency, EPA/600/3-89/060, 152 p. grazing cattle.
(Omernik and others, 2000). poster is part of a collaborative project primarily between USEPA Region 9, USEPA
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (Corvallis, Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Wilton, T.F., and Pierson, S.M., 1994, Ecoregions and subregions of geology and forest type are more typical of the Sierra Nevada. The mid-elevation dry forest of Ecoregion 5a contains a diverse
The Middle Elevation Mountains ecoregion, represented in southeastern Nevada by the Virgin Mountains, is a small
The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological Oregon), Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources–Division of
Iowa – a framework for water quality assessment and management: Journal of the Iowa Academy of
Science, v. 101, no. 1, p. 5-13.
mix of conifers, including Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, and California white fir. The understory includes sagebrush, 22d portion of the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau (22). Its woodland zone differs from the woodlands of other mountainous
regions can be identified through the analysis of the spatial patterns and the Environmental Protection, Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural antelope bitterbrush, and a fire-maintained chaparral component of snowbrush and manzanita. The amount of pinyon–juniper
J.A., Shelden, J., Crawford, R.C., Comstock, J.A., and Plocher, M.D., 2002, Ecoregions of Idaho: areas in the Great Basin in the prevalence of interior chaparral species, such as Gambel oak, desert scrub oak, and canyon maple,
composition of biotic and abiotic phenomena that affect or reflect differences in Resources–Nevada Natural Heritage Program, United States Department of woodland in Ecoregion 5a is insignificant in contrast to other Nevada ecoregions in this elevation range.
Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,350,000). interspersed with the pinyon and juniper. On the lower slopes, juniper mixes with Joshua tree and Mojave yucca; here, woodland
ecosystem quality and integrity (Wiken, 1986; Omernik, 1987, 1995). These Agriculture–Forest Service (USFS), United States Department of The High Elevation Sierra Nevada ecoregion includes subalpine forest and parkland between 7,500 and 9,500 feet starts at a lower elevation (about 4,000 feet) than in the Mojave Desert or Great Basin. Broad areas of mountain brush grow on
phenomena include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States
McMahon, G., Gregonis, S.M., Waltman, S.W., Omernik, J.M., Thorson, T.D., Freeouf, J.A., Rorick, 5b elevation. The vegetation in this zone is adapted to extremes in heavy winter snowpack and summer drought. Sierra
A.H., and Keys, J.E., 2001, Developing a spatial framework of common ecological regions for the upland slopes above the woodland. Isolated pockets of Rocky Mountain white fir and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir also occur.
wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each phenomenon varies from Department of the Interior–Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States conterminous United States: Environmental Management, v. 28, no. 3, p. 293-316. In Nevada, the Sierra Nevada (5) contains the Carson Range and Lake Tahoe. Dense lodgepole pine, red fir, western white pine, mountain hemlock, and whitebark pine comprise the moist forest at these elevations. They are outliers of a higher montane zone that is not extensive enough to map in Nevada.
one ecological region to another regardless of ecoregion hierarchical level. A Roman Department of the Interior–Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department Omernik, J.M., 1987, Ecoregions of the conterminous United States (map supplement): Annals of the forests, high precipitation levels, heavy snowpack, and a high stream density are Alpine tundra occurs on Mt. Rose, but it is too small an area to be mapped at this scale. The highest average annual precipitation The mountains, buttes, and canyons of the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau (22). Photo: NRCS
numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels of ecological of the Interior–Geological Survey (USGS)–Earth Resources Observation Systems Association of American Geographers, v. 77, p. 118-125, scale 1:7,500,000. characteristic and are in stark contrast to the drier conditions that are common in the rest amounts anywhere in Nevada occur in Ecoregion 5b. The east and west slopes of the Carson Range and the adjacent Lake Tahoe
of the state.
regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological (EROS) Data Center. Omernik, J.M., 1995, Ecoregions-—a framework for environmental management in Davis, W.S. and basin serve as important watersheds supplying water to urban and agricultural areas in western Nevada.
regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Simon, T.P., editors, Biological assessment and criteria-tools for water resource planning and
Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At level III, the continental The Nevada ecoregion project is associated with an interagency effort to develop a decision making: Boca Raton, Florida, Lewis Publishers, p. 49-62.

United States contains 104 ecoregions and the conterminous United States has 84
ecoregions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA], 2002). Level IV is a
further subdivision of level III ecoregions. Explanations of the methods used to
define the USEPA’s ecoregions are given in Omernik (1995), Omernik and others
(2000), Griffith and others (1994), and Gallant and others (1989).
Nevada’s physiography is composed of a repeating pattern of fault block mountains
and intervening valleys. Valleys are shrub-covered or shrub- and grass-covered.
Mountains may be brush-, woodland-, or forest-covered. Land use is primarily
rangeland but many mines and large military reservations occur. Some valleys are
irrigated and farmed, and rapid urban and suburban growth is occurring in the Las
120°
42°
9 80d
common framework of ecological regions. Reaching that objective requires
recognition of the differences in the conceptual approaches and mapping
methodologies applied to develop the most common ecoregion-type frameworks,
including those developed by the USFS (Bailey and others, 1994), the USEPA
(Omernik, 1987, 1995), and the NRCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture–Soil
Conservation Service, 1981). As each of these frameworks is further refined, their
differences are becoming less discernible. Regional collaborative projects, such as
this one in Nevada, where agreement has been reached among multiple resource
management agencies, are a step toward attaining consensus and consistency in
ecoregion frameworks for the entire nation.
119° 118°
OREGON 80
Omernik, J.M., Chapman, S.S., Lillie, R.A., and Dumke, R.T., 2000, Ecoregions of Wisconsin:
Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, v. 88, p. 77-103.
U.S. Department of Agriculture–Soil Conservation Service, 1981, Land resource regions and major land
resource areas of the United States: Agriculture Handbook 296, 156 p.
13. Central Basin and Range
Ecoregion 13 is composed of northerly trending fault-block ranges and intervening drier basins. Valleys, lower slopes, and alluvial fans are either shrub- and grass-covered, or shrub-covered. Higher elevation mountain slopes support woodland, mountain brush, and
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2002, Level III ecoregions of the continental United States
(revision of Omernik, 1987): Corvallis, Oregon, USEPA–National Health and Environmental scattered forests. The Central Basin and Range (13) is internally drained by rivers flowing off the east slopes of the Sierra Nevada and by the Humboldt River, one of the longest internally drained river systems in North America. In western Nevada, Pleistocene Lake
Effects Research Laboratory, Map M-1, various scales. Lahontan inundated a large part of Ecoregion 13 below about 4,400 feet elevation. Today, evidence of Lake Lahontan exists as extensive, nearly flat playas covered by fine textured, alkaline or saline deposits. In general, Ecoregion 13 is drier than the Sierra Nevada (5),
Wiken, E., 1986, Terrestrial ecozones of Canada: Ottawa, Environment Canada, Ecological Land cooler than the Mojave Basin and Range (14), and warmer and drier than the Northern Basin and Range (80). Soils grade upslope from Aridisols or Entisols to Mollisols. The land is primarily used for grazing and a greater percentage is used for livestock grazing than
Classification Series no. 19, 26 p. in Ecoregion 14. In addition, some irrigated cropland is found in valleys near mountain water sources. Military bases also occur in Ecoregion 13 and are of environmental significance because of their large area and their unique land use management practices.
Woods, A.J., Lammers, D.A., Bryce, S.A., Omernik, J.M., Denton, R.L., Domeier, M., and Comstock,
The Salt Deserts ecoregion is composed of nearly level playas, salt flats, mud flats, and saline lakes. These features are The basins and semi-arid uplands of the Carbonate Sagebrush Valleys surround the carbonate ranges of eastern Nevada
J.A., 2001, Ecoregions of Utah: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,175,000).
13a characteristic of those in the Bonneville Basin; they have a higher salt content than the Lahontan and Tonopah Playas 13p (Ecoregions 13e and 13q). Like the ranges, the Carbonate Sagebrush Valleys (13p) are also largely underlain by limestone
117° 116° 115° 114° (13h). Water levels and salinity fluctuate from year to year; during dry periods salt encrustation and wind erosion occur. Vegetation or dolomite. The combination of summer moisture and a limestone or dolomite substrate affects regional vegetation, particularly in
is mostly absent although scattered salt-tolerant plants, such as pickleweed, iodinebush, black greasewood, and inland saltgrass, terms of species dominance and elevational distribution. The substrate favors shrubs, such as black sagebrush and winterfat, that
42° Subsurface water that percolated through the The scarcity of water in the Central Basin
IDAHO occur. Soils are not arable, and there is very limited grazing potential. The salt deserts provide wildlife habitat, and serve some can tolerate shallow soil. Even in alluvial soils, root growth may be limited by a hard pan or caliche layer formed by carbonates porous limestone and dolomite of the Ruby and Range (13) creates conflicts among

Go o
recreational, military, and industrial uses. leaching through the soil and accumulating. As a result, shrub cover is sparse in contrast to other sagebrush-covered ecoregions in

Jarbidge R
Mountains (in Ecoregions 13n and 13o) competing users. Lake Winnemucca (in

eek
Denio 80a Jackpot
80l McDermitt
80e
Owyhee
Br resurfaces to the east as seeps and springs. Ecoregions 13h and 13j) disappeared during

se
Nevada, including Ecoregions 13c, 13k, and 13r. The grass understory grades from a dominance of cool season grasses, such as

Cr
Sou
80g Ow u The Shadscale-Dominated Saline Basins ecoregion is arid, internally drained, and gently sloping to nearly flat. These
80j y Jarbidge 80a 13b basins are in, or characteristic of, the Bonneville Basin; they are higher in elevation and colder in winter than the Lahontan bluebunch wheatgrass, in the north, to warm season grasses, such as blue grama (an indicator of summer rainfall) in the south.
The Ruby Marshes in Ecoregion 13g the last century when it no longer received

ne
Fo

th
80j 80 provide crucial nesting and feeding grounds water from Pyramid Lake due to increased

au
80l r kO

he

i ve
80j 80a w 80j

e R
for wildlife. Photo: State of Nevada, Division of withdrawals for irrigation and urbanization.

River
80k Salt Shrub Basin (13j) to the west. Light-colored soils with high salt and alkali content occur and are dry for extended periods. The In the Carbonate Woodland Zone the pinyon–juniper woodland canopy overtops and spans the existing sagebrush and

r
80d 80j 13q mountain brush communities. The pinyon–juniper woodland has a broader elevational range in the carbonate areas of

yhe
Environmental Protection Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage
Ki

saltbush vegetation common to Ecoregion 13b has a higher tolerance for extremes in temperature, aridity, and salinity than big

ive
ngs

e River
Program

r
80j sagebrush, which dominates Ecoregion 13c at somewhat higher elevations. The basins in Nevada, in contrast to those in Utah, are eastern Nevada than elsewhere in Ecoregion 13, even extending onto the floors of the higher basins, partially because of greater
River

80j Wild Horse

Vya 80j 80j 80k 80b
80d
Reservoir more constricted in area and more influenced by nearby carbonate mountain ranges, which provide water by percolation through the summer precipitation. Both pinyon and juniper decline north of Ecoregion 13q; in Ecoregion 80, juniper grows alone and without
Mar limestone substrate to valley springs. Isolated valley drainages support endemic fish, such as the Newark Valley tui chub. distinct elevational banding. Historically, miners cut pinyon and juniper for mine timbers. Since the beginning of fire suppression
y early in the last century, juniper–pinyon woodland has increased in density and expanded into lower sagebrush zones. More
Orovada 80j 80a The Sagebrush Basins and Slopes ecoregion consists of semiarid valleys, alluvial fans, low hills, and mountain flanks
80j 13c dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush. The sagebrush areas are situated at higher elevations than the Shadscale-Dominated

s River
No
80b recently, large areas of pinyon–juniper woodland have been cleared to increase forage for cattle. The woodland understory is

rth
River 80g Saline Basins (13b) where soils are not as saline, moisture levels are slightly higher, and winter temperatures are more moderate. diverse due to the influence of carbonate substrates and summer rainfall. There are more springs and live streams in Ecoregion 13q
80a 13c

Fork
t
Tuscarora Associated cool season bunchgrasses increase to the north in Ecoregion 13c, but they are less abundant than in Ecoregions 80a and than in western non-carbonate woodlands (e.g. Central Nevada Mid-Slope Woodland and Brushland (13s)) because the carbonate
old
r
ive

80j
mb

substrate is soluble and porous, allowing rapid infiltration.

EY

H u mboldt
n R

13l Montello 80g, which may be considered to be sagebrush steppe. Associated vegetation, substrate, and climate determine the differences
Hu

ON 80g 80j 13k 80b

LL
Quin

Riv
between Ecoregion 13c and other sagebrush-dominated ecoregions in Nevada, such as Ecoregions 13p, 13r, and 13v. Several rodent The Central Nevada High Valleys ecoregion contains sagebrush-covered rolling valleys that are generally over 5,000
NY

80b 13r feet in elevation. Alluvial fans spilling from surrounding mountain ranges fill the valleys, often leaving little intervening
VA

er
CA

Little

13c and bird species and the pronghorn antelope depend on sagebrush habitats for food and shelter.
LL

13k 13k

ek
WA

Rock Cre
The characteristic landscape of the Central Basin and Range (13) has an alternating flat ground. Wyoming big sagebrush and associated grasses are common on the flatter areas, and black sagebrush dominates on the
ER

13b The Woodland- and Shrub-Covered Low Mountains ecoregion includes low, rocky mountain ranges, mountain slopes, The Lahontan cutthroat trout occurs in the
pattern of fault block mountain ranges and intervening valleys. Precipitation increases 13d and foothills with enough available moisture to support open groves of juniper and pinyon. The region includes a zone of
ES

13z
RT

9 80j D 13l Wells 13d volcanic hills and alluvial fans. Ecoregion 13r tends to have a lower species diversity than many other sagebrush-dominated Truckee River-Pyramid Lake system of
13g 13q and air temperature decreases with increasing elevation, and both influence the Ecoregion 13j and in perennial streams
13j
SE

80j 13e distribution of vegetation. ecoregions (including Ecoregions 13c, 13m, 13p, 13aa, 80a, and 80g) because of its aridity and its isolation from more species-rich
41° 80d 13z 13m 13q 13p mountain brush that replaces woodland above the elevational limit of pinyon. In southeastern Nevada, Ecoregion 13d is transitional draining the Sierra Nevada in Ecoregions
13k 13k 41°
DE

Humb 13q areas. Saline playas may occur on available flats. Less shadscale and fewer associated shrubs surround these playas than in other
13h 13k between the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert, with some characteristics of each region. There, Gambel oak, scrub 13x and 13aa. Their numbers are declining
old

Winnemucca lower, more arid ecoregions to the west, including the Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j) and Tonopah Basin (13u). Valleys with due to loss of habitat, diversion of perennial

C L OV E R
80 oak, Joshua tree, and blue grama grass may be associated with pinyon–juniper woodland. Summer rainfall is a factor that
t
K

permanent water support endemic fish species, such as the Monitor Valley speckled dace. streams, and competition with introduced The value of streams and associated riparian
C

contributes to woodland diversity and productivity. Ecoregion 13d differs in climate, associated vegetation, and substrate from other game fish. Photo: Gary Vinyard, University of areas as critical habitat for wildlife far
O

Rive 13o 13a

R

80j r Elko 13b 13a woodland ecoregions in Nevada at similar elevations, such as Ecoregions 13q and 13s. The Central Nevada Mid-Slope Woodland and Brushland ecoregion at 6,500 to 8,000 feet elevation is analogous in Nevada-Reno, Biological Resources Research outweighs their limited areal extent in the
80j C
K 13k 13l
13l 13l 13n
13a West 13c 13s altitudinal range to other woodland areas in Nevada. However, continuous woodland is not as prevalent on the mountains Center Central Basin and Range (13).
LA Rye Patch13k The High Elevation Carbonate Mountains ecoregion includes a series of mountain ranges composed of limestone,
B
Reservoir
Carlin Sou
13q
Wendover
13e dolomite, quartzite, and conglomerate in east central Nevada. These mountains are in the zone of summer rain, although of central Nevada as in other woodland ecoregions, such as Ecoregions 13d and 13q. Pinyon–juniper grows only sparsely through

th

VA
13k 13a the shrub layer due to the combined effects of past fire, logging, and local climate factors, including lack of summer rain and the
much of the precipitation percolates through the porous rock to reemerge at lower elevations as springs. Still, these carbonate-

Fo
13k

LL
Gerlach 13q

r
pattern of winter cold air inversions. Where extensive woodlands do exist, understory diversity tends to be very low, especially in
CALIFORNIA

kH
um 13p dominated mountains support a wider variety of conifers, such as white fir, Douglas-fir, and Engelmann spruce, and a greater

EY
13l Beowawe b o l d t R iv er
13k 13l
Battle 13o diversity of understory species than other ranges in Nevada at similar elevations. Bristlecone pines have their widest distribution on closed canopy areas. Areas of black and Wyoming big sagebrush grade upward into mountain big sagebrush and curlleaf
13k Mountain 13q 13q 13a

Y
13h carbonate substrates above 9,500 feet elevation. Conditions do not favor alpine tundra, however; alpine plants are more limited than mountain-mahogany, which straddles the transition between this mid-elevation brushland and the mountain brush zone of the

LLE
13e
13k 13k Crescent Valley 13q 13b 13b higher Central Nevada Bald Mountains (13t).
on the nearby granitic High Elevation Ruby Mountains (13o).

Huntington C
13h 13b 13a 13e

VA
13h 13l 13h
13l
13s The Wetlands ecoregion includes saline, brackish, or freshwater wetlands in flat to depressional terrain. Wetlands may dry The Central Nevada Bald Mountains are dry and mostly treeless. Although they rise only a hundred miles east of the
13t 13a
13g up seasonally or be maintained by springs and groundwater infusions. Many wetlands have disappeared with farmland 13t Sierra Nevada, they lack Sierra Nevada species because of the dry conditions. These barren-looking mountains are

13a
13k 13l 13q
13g
13b
13l 13s 13q covered instead by dense mountain brush that is dominated by mountain big sagebrush, western serviceberry, snowberry, and low
13e development, river channelization, and stream incision; others have been created as a result of reclamation projects and irrigation

13q
BY
13e
ree

13h 13h 13l 13r sagebrush. They contrast with the forested High Elevation Carbonate Mountains (13e) to the east, where the mountain brush zone
seepage. Bulrushes, Baltic rush, cattails, burreed, and reed grass are common marsh plants. Many migratory birds, particularly

U
13h 13q 13g R
k

13k

Y
13r is too narrow to be mapped as a separate ecoregion. Scattered groves of curlleaf mountain-mahogany and aspen in moister Wild horses are protected in Nevada and Lack of precipitation and shallow, gravelly

VA L L E
13h 13k eek 13e 13q 13q waterfowl and shorebirds, depend on the wetlands and marshes of the Great Basin. their populations are monitored and
Lovelock 13l Cr 13b 13q microsites grow above the shrub layer. A few scattered limber or bristlecone pines grow on ranges that exceed 10,000 feet. The soil complicates grazing management in the
The nearly level and often barren Lahontan and Tonopah Playas contain mud flats, alkali flats, and intermittent saline managed. Though wild horses compete with Central Basin and Range (13). The sparse
e

13h lakes, such as the Black Rock Desert, Carson Sink, and Sarcobatus Flat. Marshes, remnant lakes, and playas are all that
Pin

Toiyabe Range (west of Big Smoky Valley) is high enough to have an alpine zone, but it lacks a suitable substrate to retain

PE
Pyramid 13t 13q livestock and wildlife for limited forage, vegetative cover is easily over-grazed as

13e
13k Humboldt

LO
13x Lake Lake 13s 13a snowmelt moisture. The isolation of these “sky islands” has led to the development of many rare and endemic plant species. their presence is tolerated because many shown here in the Carbonate Sagebrush
40° 13q remain of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan, which was once the size of Lake Erie. Playas occur at the lowest elevations in the Lahontan

TE
13 13k 13h 13t 40° consider them part of our national heritage. Valleys (13p). Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada
The Tonopah Basin lies in the transition between the Great Basin and the more southerly Mojave Desert. The Tonopah

AN
13g 13q 13b 13c Basin and represent the terminus or “sink” of rivers flowing east off the Sierra Nevada. They fill with seasonal runoff from 13u Basin shows varying degrees of Great Basin and Mojave Desert characteristics. The west side of the Tonopah Basin is a Photo: State of Nevada, Commission for the Natural Heritage Program
13x Preservation of Wild Horses
13h 13s 13a 13a 13b surrounding mountain ranges during winter, providing habitat for migratory birds. Black greasewood or four-winged saltbush may
13j 13h 13h 13e continuation of the Lahontan Basin while the lower and hotter Pahranagat Valley on the east side is more like the Mojave Desert.
13j grow around the perimeter in the transition to the salt shrub community, where they often stabilize areas of low sand dunes.
CARSON 13l 13t Similar to basins farther north, shadscale and associated arid land shrubs cover broad rolling valleys, hills, and alluvial fans.
VA L L E Y

13z 13b Cherry Ecoregion 13h has very limited grazing potential. Windblown salt dust from exposed playas may affect upland soils and vegetation.
EY

SINK 13q 13q

13s 13s Creek The Lahontan and Tonopah Playas are important as wildlife habitat and for some recreational and military uses. However, unlike the Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j) and Upper Lahontan Basin (13z), the shrubs often co-dominate in highly
LL

13s 13p 13b 13p 13p

r

13aa diverse mosaics. The shrub understory includes warm season grasses, such as Indian rice grass and galleta grass. Valleys with
Reese Rive

13s
VA

13a 13p
13x 13t 13 The Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin is an expansive dry plain that was once beneath Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. The
13g 13e 13e 13q 13j Lahontan Basin, compared to the Bonneville Basin to the east in Ecoregion 13b, is lower in elevation and warmer in winter. perennial water contain endemic fish species, including the Railroad Valley tui chub, Pahranagat roundtail chub, Railroad Valley
OND

EY
13s
er

LL
Ri v springfish, and White River springfish.
VA L L E Y

5a Fernley 13t 13e

VA

VA L L E Y The lowest elevations of the intermontane basins, such as the Black Rock Desert in Although there is a direct connection to the south through low elevation valleys to the Mojave Basin and Range (14), winters are
AM

Reno Truckee
EK

e 13e
Trucke 13z
13h
The Tonopah Sagebrush Foothills ecoregion includes the low mountains and hills rising from the floor of the flatter
RE

Ca
5 13t 13a Ecoregion 13h, are too arid and alkaline to support vegetation. However, saline lakes cold enough in Ecoregion 13j to discourage the northward dispersal of many Mojavean species into the Lahontan Basin. In addition
SC

13v Tonopah Basin (13u). The substrate is rocky and lacks the fine sediments found at lower elevations in Ecoregion 13u.
DI
IE

13t 13p

Y
RD

13z Eureka
nal

13x collect the outflow of the Great Basin’s internally drained streams and rivers. They

VA L L E
Sparks
DIX

WA

to shadscale, other salt-tolerant shrubs, such as Shockley desert thorn and Bailey greasewood, cover the lower basin slopes, and
13

Austin 13b 13q 13b

ED

ARK

Fallon
s

13x support brine shrimp that are the basis of a complex community of shorebirds, waders, Great Basin species are common in this ecoregion as they are further north in the Lahontan Sagebrush Slopes (13k). However,
13q distinguish the Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j) and Tonopah Basin (13u) from other Nevada salt shrub ecoregions. Sand dunes

13e
LAH
Lahontan ONTAN VALLEY 13s 13z and waterfowl. Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage Program
13t
EW

Washoe Reservoir because Ecoregion 13v is in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada and is adjacent to the Mojave Desert, it is more arid than

UTAH
5a Lake 13s
13r may occur where windblown sand accumulates against a barrier; dune complexes support a specialized plant community and
N

5b Virginia City 13k 13z 13e Ecoregion 13k. As a result, black sagebrush is more prevalent in the shrub overstory of Ecoregion 13v, and the more mesic
13k 13p 13a diverse small mammal populations. The Carson and Truckee rivers, originating in the Sierra Nevada, provide water for irrigated
River 13h 13h 13t 13u understory species that are found farther north and east are largely absent. Mojave desert species, such as blackbrush, Joshua tree,
on Carson
13h 13e farming. Riparian corridors along these rivers support the only trees found in the ecoregion.
Lake 13h 13e
rs

13g 13t 13q 13b Ely and cholla cactus, become more common in the east and south, where summer moisture is more prevalent. Streams are ephemeral
Ca

13k 13z Hills, alluvial fans, and low mountains within the Lahontan Basin comprise the Lahontan Sagebrush Slopes ecoregion.
Lake The alpine zone of the Central Nevada Bald
Tahoe 13k 13l 13s 13r 13h 13k These areas are rock controlled and their soils lack the fine lacustrine sediments that are found in the lower parts of the and flow during and immediately after storms. Storm events can be of sufficient magnitude to move large quantities of sediment in Mountains (13t) is characterized by a bare,
Carson City Wal 13e streambeds. Because of the droughty conditions, Ecoregion 13v has a low carrying capacity for cattle. Bristlecone pines are endemic to the Great windblown, gravelly substrate and scattered
Lahontan Basin. Because moisture increases and alkalinity decreases with elevation, the shrub community grades from the
STEPTOE

k 13q
VA L L E Y

13t 13e Basin and northern Mojave Desert. They alpine forbs. Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada
NG

13k
The Tonopah Uplands ecoregion includes woodland- or shrub-covered hills and mountains ranging from 6,000 to 9,500
er

Great
5b greasewood–shadscale community on the basin floor to a shrub community dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush and the endemic
EY

13x Yerington
13k Basin NP 13w feet in elevation. As elsewhere in the Tonopah region, Great Basin and Mojave Desert elements blend together especially occur in scattered groves near timberline, Natural Heritage Program
SPRI

39° 13t 13q 13q

VA L L

13t 13b 39° Lahontan sagebrush at higher elevations. Understory grasses increase in productivity toward the northeast, outside the rain shadow where individuals have been found to
13j
Riv

Minden
13s Preston 13e influence of the Sierra Nevada. The low hills and mountains within the Lahontan Basin experience frequent summer lightning and toward the south and east, where some mountain brush and interior chaparral components, including Gambel oak, become more exceed 4,000 years of age. Photo: Jim
er

13x 13e Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage Program

Round
13h
13e 13e fire. Introduced cheatgrass tends to replace the shrub community and provides fuel for recurrent fires. common. Pinyon–juniper woodland is extensive between 6,000 and 8,000 feet elevation. The highest peaks support a few white fir,
13h 13h Mountain Shoshone limber pine, or bristlecone pine.
Walker 13h 13s The Lahontan Uplands ecoregion is restricted to the highest elevations of the mountain ranges within the Lahontan Salt
13y 13r Lund 13l Shrub Basin (13j). Slopes vary in elevation from 6,400 to 8,800 feet and are covered by sagebrush, grasses, and scattered The Sierra Nevada-Influenced Ranges are those wooded Great Basin mountains that have climatic and biotic affinities
13t

Lake Gabbs 13t 13b

13t 13x to the Sierra Nevada. Overall, Ecoregion 13x receives greater precipitation than the mountain ranges of Central Nevada
13t 13t Utah juniper. Pinyon grows with juniper on the Stillwater Range and on Fairview Peak in the southeast portion of the Lahontan
13s 13q (Ecoregions 13s and 13t). However, in Ecoregion 13x, precipitation amounts vary from range to range in relation to the local
Markleeville 13u Basin, but it is otherwise absent from Ecoregion 13l. Low sagebrush and black sagebrush grow to the mountaintops above the
R
Y

13e

13q woodland zone. Cool season grasses, including bluebunch wheatgrass, dominate the understory in the north, but are replaced by strength of the Sierra Nevada rain shadow. Because of minimal summer rainfall, Ecoregion 13x contains pinyon–juniper
ITO

13y
OK

13w 13t 13e

13x 13q
LIN VALLEY

warm season grasses, such as Indian ricegrass, in the south. woodland, but lacks oak and Ceanothus species. The White, Sweetwater, Pine Nut, Wassuk, and Virginia ranges support varying
SM

ON

13s 13s
13y Hawthorne 13e 13q 13c amounts of Sierra Nevada flora, including small stands of ponderosa, lodgepole, Jeffrey, and western white pine. Scattered
13v The Upper Humboldt Plains ecoregion is an area of rolling plains punctuated by occasional buttes and low mountains. It
M

13h
13

5 13y 13m is mostly underlain by volcanic ash, rhyolite, and tuffaceous rocks. Low sagebrush is common in extensive areas of
EY

ephemeral pools perched over areas of flat, impermeable volcanic bedrock are similar to those in the High Lava Plains (80g) and
w

White River

13b
LL

HAM

13v Lockes support unique assemblages of flora and fauna. High ranges near the Sierra Nevada are more likely to have perennial streams.
shallow, stony soil, as are cool season grasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and Sandberg bluegrass. The Upper
VA

13q Bighorn sheep, deer, and black bear inhabit these mountains.
13aa
IG

13y 13v Mina B 13b Humboldt Plains ecoregion (13m) is wetter and cooler than other Nevada ecoregions in its elevation range. Ecoregion 13m is
13w 13t 13b
transitional to the Northern Basin and Range (80) that spans the Nevada–Oregon border. However, as in the warmer Lahontan Basin The Sierra Nevada-Influenced High Elevation Mountains occupy the elevational zone above the woodland-covered Halogeton is an introduced plant that grows Clark’s nutcracker has been given credit for
13y 13y
13h 13s 13s
13y Sierra Nevada-Influenced Ranges (13x), and are affected in varying degrees by Sierra Nevada climate. Elevations range in arid basins and along roadsides. It is toxic expanding the distribution of limber and
AD

13y 13h to the west, lightning fires are common and a post-fire monoculture of cheatgrass tends to replace the native grasses and shrubs. to livestock. whitebark pine into the Great Basin through
O

Bridgeport R
13x 13h IL 13p 13q Grazing is the major land use, though there is some agriculture near the Humboldt River. from 9,000 to nearly 14,000 feet. Ecoregion 13y is generally covered by shrubs (e.g. mountain big sagebrush, low sagebrush, and its collection and caching of pine nuts.
13s RA 13p
13u Warm Springs mountain-mahogany), small aspen groves (on moist sites), scattered stands of high elevation conifers, and Sierra Nevada subalpine Photo: John Mariani
The Mid-Elevation Ruby Mountains ecoregion covers the lower slopes of the Ruby Mountains in northeastern Nevada.
13
13e
13c 13n Although its elevation range, 6,500 to 8,500 feet, is typical of the pinyon–juniper woodland zone, sagebrush and mesic and alpine forbs. Moisture amounts captured by the highest ranges in Ecoregion 13y result in substantial perennial stream flow in
13h some areas.
38°
13h Tonopah mountain shrub species are dominant here. Pinyon and juniper are uncommon on the western slopes of the Ruby Mountains,
13v 38° The Upper Lahontan Basin lies outside of the rain shadow cast by the Sierra Nevada and records somewhat higher
13t
possibly because these foothills are in the direct path of winter weather fronts from the west and cold arctic air masses from the 13z rainfall and cooler temperatures than other portions of the Lahontan Basin. Although its shadscale–greasewood plant
13q Pioche north. This phenomenon is in contrast to the wide elevational distribution of pinyon–juniper in the Carbonate Woodland Zone (13q)
13v
13aa 13v 13r 13p 13b 13q Mountain ranges above 8,000 feet have varying degrees of forest cover depending upon community is similar to that in the Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j), some species differ due to climate gradations. For example,
5 Sierra Nevada 13u 13h 13p that receives more summer rain and less winter precipitation. At higher elevations within Ecoregion 13n, curlleaf mountain-
13y 13h 13s 13s 13a precipitation, substrate, soil type, aspect, and slope. The High Elevation Carbonate Bailey greasewood is less common and Thurber needlegrass is more common in the Upper Lahontan Basin (13z) than in the
Mountains (13e) are pictured here. Ecoregion 13e receives some summer precipitation, mahogany and aspen groves form the transition to the High Elevation Ruby Mountains (13o).
5a Mid-Elevation Sierra Nevada 13h 13h
and is characteristically underlain by limestone and dolomite. Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j). Ecoregion 13z also has a shorter growing season than the rest of the Lahontan Basin.
13q Panaca The High Elevation Ruby Mountains ecoregion represents those portions of the Ruby Mountains that are dominated by
5b High Elevation Sierra Nevada
13v
13r 13c 13o granitic and metamorphic rock types, and that were heavily glaciated during the Pleistocene. Extensive periglacial The Sierra Nevada-Influenced Semiarid Hills and Basins ecoregion includes the basins and lower mountain slopes
13w 13h
13v 13r
13q 13b 13aa immediately east of the Sierra Nevada that are affected by its climate or that have its characteristic granitic substrate.
13 Central Basin and Range 13w
Goldfield 13q 13q 13a
phenomena, such as solifluction fields, are still active at higher elevations. Since the end of Pleistocene glaciation, closed canopy
13h 13h Hiko conifer forests have not recolonized the Ruby Mountains, even though the Ruby Mountains receive more precipitation than the High Ecoregion 13aa differs from the Lahontan Sagebrush Slopes (13k) in that plants with slightly higher moisture requirements, such
13a Salt Deserts 13v as antelope bitterbrush and desert peach, may be associated with the semiarid shrub community, especially near the Sierra Nevada The White Mountains, and other parts of the Desert peach has somewhat higher moisture
Caliente 13d
Elevation Carbonate Mountains (13e) to the east. The High Elevation Ruby Mountains ecoregion (13o) is the wettest ecoregion in Sierra Nevada-Influenced Ranges (13x), requirements than other plants in the
13b Shadscale-Dominated Saline Basins front. Three large river systems, the Truckee, Carson, and Walker, flow eastward through this region from the Sierra Nevada,
PA H R A

13v 13h 13w Nevada outside of the High Elevation Sierra Nevada (5b). Some of the most extensive aspen groves in Nevada occur here. receive enough rainfall to support various semiarid shrub community. It grows in
13w providing water for agriculture and urban development. Their floodplains support some of the best remaining riparian cottonwood Sierra Nevada plant and animal species. western Nevada in the Sierra Nevada-
13c Sagebrush Basins and Slopes 13w 13v Subalpine meadows and scattered white fir, limber pine, and whitebark pine mingle upwards to the jagged, exposed peaks at Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage Influenced Semiarid Hills and Basins (13aa)
13d Woodland- and Shrub-Covered Low 13v elevations over 11,000 feet. Snowmelt moisture trapped by the impervious substrate supports extensive alpine meadows and alpine forest in the state, which has been degraded in many areas by grazing, agriculture, and invasive weeds. The Truckee and Walker
NAG

13w Program Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage

6 13v rivers and their tributaries also provide habitat for the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout.
Mountains lakes are common. Wildlife includes mule deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Program
AT

13w
13v 13v 13u
VA

13e High Elevation Carbonate Mountains 14g

LL

13v 13w 13g

13g Wetlands
EY

13h 13h
13w
13h Lahontan and Tonopah Playas 14b
SA
RC

13j Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin 14. Mojave Basin and Range
OB

h 14b
14b
AT

14b 13w 14a as

US

13k Lahontan Sagebrush Slopes 14b Ecoregion 14 is composed of broad basins and scattered mountains that are generally lower, warmer, and drier than those of the Central Basin and Range (13). Its creosote bush-dominated shrub community is distinct from the saltbush–greasewood and sagebrush–grass
W

37° 14a 14b

FLA

37°
ey

13l Lahontan Uplands associations that occur to the north in the Central Basin and Range (13) and Northern Basin and Range (80); it is also distinct from the creosote bush–bur sage and the palo verde–cactus shrub that occur in the Sonoran Basin and Range (81) to the south. The basin soils
Meadow Vall

14c
Amargosa
T

14f 14a
CA 14b 14f are mostly Entisols and Aridisols that typically have a thermic temperature regime; they are warmer than those of Ecoregion 13. Heavy use of off-road vehicles and motorcycles in some areas has made the soils susceptible to wind and water erosion. Most of Ecoregion
13m Upper Humboldt Plains LI 14c 14b
FO
RN Beatty 14 is federally owned and there is relatively little grazing activity because of the lack of water and forage for livestock.
13n Mid-Elevation Ruby Mountains IA
Level III ecoregion Mesquite The Creosote Bush-Dominated Basins ecoregion includes the valleys lying between the scattered mountain ranges of the with groves of limber pine and bristlecone pine. The isolation and relatively mesic climate of these “sky islands” have led to the
13o High Elevation Ruby Mountains 14a Mojave Desert at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 4,500 feet. Elevations are lower, soils are warmer, and
R iv

er development of numerous rare and endemic species, many of which extend downward in elevation into the Mojave Mountain
Level IV ecoregion Death Riv
er

14b Moapa
13p Carbonate Sagebrush Valleys Valley NP
in
evapotranspiration is higher than in the Central Basin and Range (13) to the north. Limestone- and gypsum-influenced soils occur, Woodland and Shrubland (14c). Recreational use is especially heavy in the Spring Mountains between Las Vegas and Pahrump.
County boundary
g

14g
Vir

13q Carbonate Woodland Zone AM

14b Mu 22 but overall, precipitation amount has a greater ecological significance than geology. Toward the south and east, as summer rainfall Arid Valleys and Canyonlands ecoregion includes steep canyons and benchlands below 2,000 feet elevation near the
State boundary 14b
d

AR d 14e Colorado River. This is one of the hottest and driest ecoregions in Nevada, receiving only 2 to 7 inches of rainfall per
14

13r Central Nevada High Valleys G

O 22d increases, the Sonoran influence grows, and woody leguminous species, such as mesquite and acacia, become more common. Shrubs growing in the extremely dry The numbers of desert bighorn sheep have
dy

SA 14f 14c Creosote bush, white bursage, and galleta grass characterize the plant community of Ecoregion 14a. Pocket mice, kangaroo rats, and conditions of the Creosote Bush-Dominated declined due to loss of habitat, past over-
year. Rocky colluvial soils cover eroded slopes and deeper soils occur on benches. Vegetation is a sparse, but diverse, shrub cover
Riv

7 13s Central Nevada Mid-Slope Woodland D

14b
Basins (14a) compete for limited water and hunting, and disease carried by domestic
desert tortoise are faunal indicators of the desert environment. Desert willow, coyote willow, and mesquite grow in riparian areas,
er

ES
that includes creosote bush, white brittlebush, white bursage, and occasional Sonoran desert elements, such as ocotillo. Along the may suppress the growth of other plants livestock. There has been some success in
ARIZONA

and Brushland ER
14f 14f although the alien invasive tamarisk is rapidly replacing native desert riparian vegetation. through the secretion of toxins. maintaining their numbers in protected
T 14b rivers, the introduced tamarisk is replacing native riparian vegetation, such as Fremont cottonwood and willow. The presence of
13t Central Nevada Bald Mountains The Arid Footslopes ecoregion is composed of alluvial fans, basalt flows, hills, and low mountains that rise above the the Colorado River and Lake Mead greatly influences the management and ecology of this ecoregion. wilderness areas through reintroductions and
AS

14c
H

13u Tonopah Basin 14b 14b basin floors of the Mojave Desert to an average elevation of 6,200 feet. The sparsely vegetated soils are very erodible the exclusion of livestock. Photo: Glenn
ME

The Mojave Playas are generally smaller in area than the Lahontan and Tonopah Playas (13h) and are not part of the
AD

14b 14c Vargas, California Academy of Sciences

14f broad Pleistocene pluvial basins that are found in the Central Basin and Range (13) to the north. Ecoregions 14f and 13h
OW

13v Tonopah Sagebrush Foothills 80 Northern Basin and Range 14b during storm events. In areas transitional to the Great Basin in the north, blackbrush dominates slopes just above the upper
S

14d 14a 14e

13w Tonopah Uplands 80a Dissected High Lava Plateau elevational limit for creosote bush. Elsewhere, a mixture of more typical Mojave Desert forbs, shrubs, and succulent species occurs, are both largely barren and only sparse saltbush vegetation is typically found on their margins. Greasewood, which is common
13x Sierra Nevada-Influenced Ranges 80b Semiarid Hills and Low Mountains Las Vegas Lake 14b including Joshua tree, other yucca species, and cacti on rocky sites. Ecoregion 14b has a diverse array of reptiles, including iguanas, near Lahontan and Tonopah Playas (13h), is absent from the margins of the Mojave Playas (14f). Where moisture is sufficient,
14f Pahrump 14b Mead 14b
chuckwallas, and leopard, collared, horned, and spiny lizards. Desert bighorn sheep may also be present on remote rocky outcrops cold-intolerant trees and woody legumes such as velvet ash and mesquite occur on the Mojave Playas (14f), particularly toward the
13y Sierra Nevada-Influenced High 80d Pluvial Lake Basins in Ecoregion 14b, particularly in the Desert National Wildlife Range, which was established to preserve bighorn habitat. south.
36° Elevation Mountains 80e High Desert Wetlands Henderson 14b
The Mojave Mountain Woodland and Shrubland ecoregion occurs between 6,000 and 8,000 feet elevation where mean Amargosa Desert ecoregion is an arid, internally-drained basin. It has greater temperature extremes and less Sonoran
14g The
36°
13z Upper Lahontan Basin 80g High Lava Plains 14g Hoover Dam 14c annual precipitation levels increase to between 10 and 16 inches per year. Vegetation includes pinyon, Utah juniper, Rocky
influence than the Creosote Bush-Dominated Basins (14a). This is due in part to the Spring Mountains that border
Co

Boulder
13aa Sierra Nevada-Influenced Semiarid 80j Semiarid Uplands Mountain juniper, curlleaf mountain-mahogany, and cliffrose. In many areas, a denser and more diverse mixture of large interior
lor

City The alternating mountain-and-basin pattern of Ecoregion 14 is similar to the Central Ecoregion 14g on the east and block summer rainfall. In the Amargosa Desert (14g), rainfall occurs mostly between October and
ado Rive r

Hills and Basins 80k Partly Forested Mountains Basin and Range (13) to the north. However, Ecoregion 14 is warmer and drier and has chaparral shrubs occurs, including oaks, ceanothus, silktassel, and Apache plume. A sagebrush zone is largely absent, but some April. Creosote bush and bursage predominate as they do in Ecoregion 14a, but the diversity of associated shrub species is lower.
14b milder winters and a different vegetation mosaic than Ecoregion 13. Mojavean flora, Wyoming big sagebrush may be found in the understory of the woodland along with blackbrush. The riparian zones along the few
80l Salt Shrub Valleys including creosote bush, Joshua trees and other yucca species, are pictured here in the Irrigated farms in the Amargosa Valley produce alfalfa, sorghum, dairy products, and pistachio nuts. As in the Pahranagat Valley Desert tortoise numbers have declined Ash Meadows is a system of springs, seeps,
14 Mojave Basin and Range foreground. perennial streams in the Spring Mountains have willow, mountain brush, black cottonwood, and Gambel oak, and provide rare to the northeast in Ecoregion 13u, the Amargosa Valley is a discharge point for an underground water system. Where the precipitously in the last 20 years. The desertand ponds in the Amargosa Desert (14g).
14f tortoise is easy prey to hunters, off-road Maintaining the water levels of the ponds is
14a Creosote Bush-Dominated Basins 14b habitat for bird life in the desert. Amargosa River surfaces, it creates wetland oases that can be extensive, including Oasis Valley near Beatty. A larger, but isolated, vehicles, and urban development. Ravens necessary for the survival of the endangered
14b Arid Footslopes 14 The Mojave High Elevation Mountains ecoregion is mostly underlain by limestone and other sedimentary rocks. The system of seeps and springs at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge provides habitats for a large number of endemic plants and are also a major predator of young tortoises. Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and other
14 14c 14b 14e 14d high mountains of Ecoregion 14d support mountain brush, ponderosa pine, and white fir that merge, at highest elevations, animals. Photo: Glenn Clemmer, Nevada Natural Heritage inhabitants of its springs and pools. Photo:
14c Mojave Mountain Woodland and Program State of Nevada, Division of Environmental
14b Protection
Shrubland
Searchlight
14d Mojave High Elevation Mountains SCALE 1:1 350 000
Lake
Mohave
14e Arid Valleys and Canyonlands 15 10 5 0 30 60 mi
14b
14f Mojave Playas
14b 80. Northern Basin and Range
14g Amargosa Desert
30 20 10 0 60 120 km Kingman The Northern Basin and Range consists of dissected lava plains, rocky uplands, valleys, alluvial fans, and scattered mountain ranges. Overall, it is cooler and has more available moisture than the Central Basin and Range (13). Ecoregion 80 is higher and cooler than the
22 Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Albers equal area projection Laughlin Snake River Plain (12) to the northeast in Idaho. Valleys support sagebrush steppe or saltbush vegetation. Mollisols are more common than in the hotter and drier basins of the Central Basin and Range (13) where Aridisols support sagebrush, shadscale, and
22d Middle Elevation Mountains Standard parallels 37° N and 41° N greasewood. Juniper woodlands occur on rugged, stony uplands. Ranges are covered by mountain brush, grasses (e.g. Idaho fescue), aspen groves, or forest dominated by subalpine fir. Elevational banding of mountain vegetation is not as apparent as in Ecoregion 13.
14a
Most of Ecoregion 80 is used as rangeland. The western part of the ecoregion is internally drained; its eastern stream network drains to the Snake River system.
35° 35° The Dissected High Lava Plateau ecoregion is a broad to gently rolling basalt plateau cut by deep, sheer-walled canyons anadromous component. Bluebunch wheatgrass is generally associated with Wyoming big sagebrush, except where bunchgrasses
6 7 6 8
IN T E R IOR —G E OLOG ICA L S U R V E Y , R E S T ON , V IR G IN IA —2003
80a and covered with vast expanses of sagebrush. Ecoregion 80a differs from other sagebrush-dominated ecoregions in Nevada, have been depleted by grazing and replaced by cheatgrass. Scattered ephemeral pools on impermeable volcanic bedrock are
119° 118° 117° 116° 115° 114°
such as Ecoregions 13c, 13p, 13k, and 13v, in having higher precipitation and colder winters. Cool season grasses, such as characteristic of Ecoregion 80g in Nevada; they harbor unique flora and fauna as do those in the Sierra Nevada-Influenced Ranges
PRINCIPAL AUTHORS: Sandra A. Bryce (Dynamac Corporation), bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue, are associated with the sagebrush. Understory species are denser and biological soil crusts (13x) of the Central Basin and Range (13).
Alan J. Woods (Dynamac Corporation), James D. Morefield (Nevada tend to be more extensive and in better condition than in other ecoregions at similar elevations farther south in Nevada. Ecoregion Sheep graze the flanks of the Bull Run Biological soil crusts are composed of
Level III Ecoregions of the Conterminous United States Natural Heritage Program), James M. Omernik (USEPA), Thomas R. The Semiarid Uplands ecoregion covers disjunct areas across northern Nevada. It includes hills, low mountains, volcanic
McKay (NRCS), Gary K. Brackley (NRCS), Robert K. Hall (USEPA), 80a drains externally to the Snake River, unlike the similar High Lava Plains (80g) that are internally drained. 80j cones, and buttes that rise out of the drier Dissected High Lava Plateau (80a) and High Lava Plains (80g). Elevational Mountains in Ecoregions 80j and 80k. Here
the juniper woodland zone is replaced by
cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens. They
cover the dry desert floor and protect it from
1 Coast Range 29 Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains 57 Huron/Erie Lake Plains
2 77 Damian K. Higgins (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), David C. The Semiarid Hills and Low Mountains ecoregion is higher and more rugged than the sagebrush plains and basins of banding is much less apparent on the mountains of Ecoregion 80j than in Ecoregion 13q to the south. Mountain big sagebrush and mountain brush and scattered groves of erosion. Photo: Eric Peterson, Nevada Natural
58 Northeastern Highlands
80b neighboring Ecoregions 80a and 13p. It is covered by mountain big sagebrush, low sagebrush, associated grasses, and on
1 2 Puget Lowland 30 Edwards Plateau
McMorran (USFS), Karen E. Vargas (Nevada Division of aspen. Heritage Program
10
15 41 42 3 Willamette Valley 31 Southern Texas Plains 59 Northeastern Coastal Zone grasses, such as Idaho fescue, are common. The density and extent of juniper woodland varies with long-term climate fluctuations,
48 49
82
4 Cascades 32 Texas Blackland Prairies 60 Northern Appalachian Plateau Environmental Protection), Eric B. Petersen (Nevada Natural Heritage shallow and rocky soils, scattered juniper woodland. These hills represent the northern limit for both pinyon and Utah juniper; grazing pressure, and fire frequency. Juniper woodland is absent in the Jarbidge and Santa Rosa mountains, where mountain brush
1 3 5 Sierra Nevada 33 East Central Texas Plains and Uplands Program), Desiderio C. Zamudio (USFS), and Jeffrey A. Comstock
4 11 42 6 Southern and Central California 34 Western Gulf Coastal Plain 61 Erie Drift Plain western juniper replaces them to the west and north. Groves of aspen grow on alluvial fans and along stream networks. and scattered aspen groves occupy the woodland zone.
16 17 50 58 62 North Central Appalachians
(Indus Corporation).
43
58 Chaparral and Oak Woodlands 35 South Central Plains The Pluvial Lake Basins of northwestern Nevada were last filled with water during the Pleistocene Epoch. Presently, some In northern Nevada, the Partly Forested Mountains ecoregion covers the high elevation portions of the Jarbidge and
9 17
46
51 50
59
7 Central California Valley 36 Ouachita Mountains 63 Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain
64 Northern Piedmont
COLLABORATORS AND CONTRIBUTORS: Bill Brooks (BLM), 80d basin floor playas collect and evaporate water seasonally. Ecoregion 80d has cooler mean annual temperatures than the 80k Independence mountains. These mountain ranges support limber pine, subalpine fir, low juniper, whitebark pine,
78 17 83 8 Southern California Mountains 37 Arkansas Valley
80 12
52 53
57 60 58
62 9 Eastern Cascades Slopes and 38 Boston Mountains 65 Southeastern Plains Robin Tausch (USFS–Rocky Mountain Research Station), and Bill W. basins of Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j), and lacks its arid shadscale shrub community. Greasewood, inland saltgrass, and mountain brush, and, at highest elevations on poorly drained soils, small areas of tundra and alpine meadows. Alpine tundra
56
62 Foothills 66 Blue Ridge Daily (NRCS).
18 44 47
57 61 67
39 Ozark Highlands
67 Ridge and Valley
seepweed grow in more alkaline soil, and Wyoming big sagebrush, basin big sagebrush, and associated grasses dominate better development is more limited in the Jarbidge Mountains than in the High Elevation Ruby Mountains (13o) because the
10 Columbia Plateau 40 Central Irregular Plains
5
13
19
54 64 84
11 Blue Mountains 41 Canadian Rockies 68 Southwestern Appalachians REVIEWERS: Edgar F. Kleiner (Emeritus Professor, University of drained, less alkaline soils. Alfalfa is grown on a limited basis in irrigated areas. metamorphic substrate of the Jarbidge Mountains is not conducive to soil building or water retention. Streams draining the
55 70 63 69 Central Appalachians Nevada-Reno), Frederick F. Peterson (Emeritus Professor, University Jarbidge and Independence mountains provide habitat for eastern populations of the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout.
1 7 20
21
25 40 12 Snake River Plain 42 Northwestern Glaciated Plains The High Desert Wetlands hold water more consistently than the Pluvial Lake Basins (80d). Although water levels
6
27 66 13 Central Basin and Range 43 Northwestern Great Plains 70 Western Allegheny Plateau of Nevada-Reno), Harold Klieforth (Emeritus, Associate Research Fewer mountain ranges occur in the Northern Basin and Range (80) than in the Central
Basin and Range (13). Broad plains covered in sagebrush steppe, rimrock, and rocky 80e fluctuate from year to year, lakes and wetlands provide critical habitat for nesting and migratory birds as well as associated The Salt Shrub Valleys ecoregion is composed of arid basins once inundated by Pleistocene lakes. Climate, soil, and
80l vegetation are similar and transitional to the Lahontan Salt Shrub Basin (13j). Nearly flat basin floors and barren playas
69
28 40
72 14 Mojave Basin and Range 44 Nebraska Sand Hills 71 Interior Plateau Meteorologist, Desert Research Institute), David Charlet (Professor,
71
15 Northern Rockies 45 Piedmont 72 Interior River Valleys and Hills uplands are typical of Ecoregion 80. Photo: Jim Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage Program upland birds and mammals. Sedges, rushes, tufted hairgrass, meadow barley, and creeping wildrye grow in wetter areas.
14 39 Community College of Southern Nevada), David A. Mouat (Associate This Humboldt beaver in the Jarbidge Open pit gold mines are common in the
16 Idaho Batholith 73 Mississippi Alluvial Plain
8 22 68 65
46 Northern Glaciated Plains
Research Professor, Earth and Ecosystems Sciences, Desert Research The High Lava Plains of Nevada are part of a vast sagebrush steppe that extends northward to the Blue Mountains of are poorly drained, have a high water table, and retain water seasonally. Strongly alkaline soils are characteristic. Vegetation is Mountains of northern Nevada is a relic of a Independence Range (80j). Photo: Jim
6 26 38 66
45
17 Middle Rockies
18 Wyoming Basin
47 Western Corn Belt Plains
48 Lake Agassiz Plain
74 Mississippi Valley Loess Plains
75 Southern Coastal Plain Institute), Glenn Gentry (Supervisor, Water Quality Monitoring, 80g Oregon. Ecoregion 80g is similar to the Dissected High Lava Plateau (80a) in its physiography, climate, and vegetation, dominated by black greasewood, spiny hopsage, bud sagebrush, Wyoming big sagebrush, inland saltgrass, alkali sacaton, and time when beaver were more widespread. Morefield, Nevada Natural Heritage Program
37 Photo: David A. Charlet, 1993, Community
81 23 36 73 67 63 19 Wasatch and Uinta Mountains 76 Southern Florida Coastal Plain Nevada Division of Environmental Protection), and Mark Warren basin wildrye.
49 Northern Minnesota Wetlands
77 North Cascades (Staff Biologist, Nevada Division of Wildlife).
but, unlike Ecoregion 80a, it is internally drained. As a result, the fish assemblage of Ecoregion 80g lacks an College of Southern Nevada
79 23 25 20 Colorado Plateaus 50 Northern Lakes and Forests
29
21 Southern Rockies 51 North Central Hardwood 78 Klamath Mountains
74
24
27 32 35 65
22 Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Forests 79 Madrean Archipelago CITING THIS POSTER: Bryce, S.A., Woods, A.J., Morefield, J.D.,
33 23 Arizona/New Mexico Mountains 52 Driftless Area 80 Northern Basin and Range Omernik, J.M., McKay, T.R., Brackley, G.K., Hall, R.K., Higgins,
Nevada
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
75
30 73 24 Chihuahuan Deserts 53 Southeastern Wisconsin Till 81 Sonoran Basin and Range D.K., McMorran, D.C., Vargas, K.E., Petersen, E.B., Zamudio, D.C.,
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

25 Western High Plains Plains 82 Laurentian Plains and Hills

34 75
26 Southwestern Tablelands 54 Central Corn Belt Plains 83 Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson
and Comstock, J.A., 2003, Ecoregions of Nevada (color poster with Natural Heritage
31 map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs): Reston,
76
27 Central Great Plains 55 Eastern Corn Belt Plains Lowlands
84 Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,350,000). Program
28 Flint Hills 56 Southern Michigan/Northern
Indiana Drift Plains
This project was partially supported by funds from the USEPA– Office of
Map Source: USEPA, 2002 Research and Development’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Program through contract 68-C6-005 to Dynamac Corporation.