Ecosystems of the Sonoran Desert

Saguaro Cactus

• The saguaro cactus is a plentiful cactus in the upper Sonoran desert. The endangered long-nosed bat depends upon the saguaro. A saguaro sapling utilizes shrubs and trees for shelter. Saguaros live for up to two centuries. The bat drinks nectar from the flowers and pollinates them with pollen from its wings and feet. The bat eats the saguaro fruit and disperses seeds. The Gila woodpecker also finds solace in the saguaro by burrowing within it.

Creosote Bush

• Creosote is a kind of bush in the Sonoran Desert. You can see it everywhere. It serves as a refuge for the desert pocket mouse and whiptail lizards. Animals burrow by the creosote bush, with its shallow root system that allows it to grow in the arid desert. These roots keep soil in place for the burrowing animals.

Bursage

• During rains in the Sonoran Desert water flows and brings rocks and sediment to the base of the mountain slopes. This debris is deposited along the mouths of canyons in soil formations known as "alluvial fans." The alluvial fans run together and create nutrient-rich soil on the valley floor. Bursage plants grow there and supply nutrients as well. The desert cottontail and the Sonoran pronghorn feed on the bursage plant.

Chainfruit Cholla

• Chainfruit cholla is another cactus in the Sonoran Desert. It has thorns that usually deter animals from eating it, but the antelope squirrel loves the chainfruit cholla's bounty. Chainfruit cholla also provides a hiding place for nests and hatchlings. It feeds an endangered animal called the Sonoran pronghorn.