Nevada Desert Research Center

The Mojave Desert ecosystem and global change

The mission of our center is to gain a better understanding of the ecological function and structure of the Mojave Desert at all scales, and how the function and structure might be impacted by global climate change. These types of studies are important because approximately 40 percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface is arid or semiarid, and more land is undergoing desertification each year. The Nevada Test Site is an ideal location for ecological studies because of the accessibility of large tracts of pristine land that have been protected for at least 50 years, and it encompasses several plant communities along an elevation gradient as well as Great Basin-Mojave Desert transitional communities.

Currently two large projects are underway at the Nevada Desert Research Center. These projects are a FACE (Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment), the Nevada Desert FACE Facility, study to examine the effects of elevated CO₂ on the Mojave Desert ecosystem and a Mojave Global Change study to examine the effects of other predicted climate change factors, namely nitrogen deposition, crust disturbance, and increased precipitation. In addition to gaining an understanding of the possible responses of the Mojave Desert to global climate change, the current funded research will also provide a better understanding of the Mojave Desert biosphere at molecular, physiological and ecosystem levels, as well as soil dynamics and the inter-relationships among plants, herbivores and insects.

This facility is located on the Nevada Test Site near the northern ecotone of the Mojave Desert. Current land holdings assigned to our facility total two square kilometers between 36° 46' 30", 115° 57' 45" and 36° 45' 20", 115° 59' 15". This area is a fairly homogeneous area on a broad gently sloping bajada. The vegetation is characterized as a Larrea tridentata, Lycium spp., Ambrosia dumosa plant community. Depending on research needs, it is possible to acquire operation permits for additional contiguous or other noncontiguous areas within the NTS. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nevada Operations Office is very supportive of ecological research.