Desert ironwood is experiencing a population decline
This photo of a stack of desert ironwood branches was taken in Phoenix, Arizona. I was playing disc golf with my friend, Joe Babbino. The course was in the middle of the city, but it felt like you were in the middle of the desert. This stack of branches was probably put together by a bunch of kids. It really stuck out in the barren landscape that we were playing in.
Desert ironwood trees are a "near threatened" species. This means that they are experiencing a population decline, and may be threatened with extinction in the near future. There are seven levels in the IUCN Red List categorization, with two of these levels being "extinct in the wild" and "extinct". Every level should make us consider what can be done to protect the species.
The desert iron wood tree is found in shrublands and deserts. They only grow to be about 30 feet tall, which is surprising given the fact that they can live to be 500-800 years old. This tree can create an extensive canopy that provides both a respite from the heat and sun, as well as a home for many species. In the Sonoran Desert, it is considered a keystone species, because it: provides shelter, recruitment sites, and habitat to many plant and animal species.
Did you know that desert ironwood's greatest threat comes from humans? The species is in decline due to urbanization and recreation. It is also declining from the invasion of buffalo grass and the growing increase of fire in the regions that it exists.
Did you know that the desert ironwood tree is only found in the USA and Mexico? In the USA it can be found in California and Arizona. In Mexico it is found in Sonora. In both countries, it is exclusively found in the Sonoran Desert.
Desert ironwood's greatest threat comes from humans
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