Tom Schweich  

Volcanic Tableland

The plants that comprise the desert-scrub plant community of the Volcanic Tableland have evolved under extreme temperature and associated high evapotranspiration regimes. Peak plant growth occurs in spring when soil moisture levels are at their highest and slows when temperatures have warmed and most of the soil moisture has evaporated from the root zone. Despite these extreme conditions, the Volcanic Tableland support a diversity of plant species which can be especially vibrant in early spring (April-May) in wet years when carpets of annual plants grace the desert slopes and canyons. While annuals may dominate the visual apects of the Volcanic table land, the vegetation type is most often described in terms of shrubs. Based upon species present the vegetation of the tableland can be described as a Blackbrush or Shadscale Scrub.