How to Use the Images

Table of
Contents

Photo 1: The Colorado Desert.

Photo 2: The Mojave Desert.

Two deserts, the Mojave and the Colorado (a subsection of the Sonoran), come together at Joshua Tree National Park. Few areas more vividly illustrate the contrast between high and low desert. The Colorado, occupying the eastern half of the park is dominated by the creosote bush. The higher, slightly cooler, and wetter Mojave Desert is home to the Joshua Tree.

Questions for Photos 1 & 2

1. List three descriptive words that characterize each desert.

2. Would you consider these deserts hostile environments? Why or why not? List at least one positive thing about each desert.

3. In which desert did the Keys family live?

* The photos on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of Photo 1 and Photo 2, but be aware that each file will take as much as 32 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.