Soil Ecology Restoration Group
last update November 3, 1995
Spacing Patterns in Mojave Desert Trees and Shrubs
Paper published in the proceedings of the 1995 Wildland Shrub Symposium
Matthew Fidelibus, Raymond Franson, David Bainbridge
Abstract
Planting shrubs at an excessive density or planting incompatible species together may reduce desert revegetation success. As part of the revegetation program at a Mojave Desert mine, a study was initiated to determine spacing patterns among the woody perennial species in areas not disturbed by the current mining activity. Shrub density ranged from approximately 9,000-14,000 individuals/ha. Most shrubs were found to be randomly dispersed; however, larger shrubs such as creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), and Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), were regularly dispersed and widely spaced. Plants were found to often associate with conspecific neighbors. Data on species composition, density, dispersion, and neighbor preferences will be used in mine site revegetation.