Modern Ecosystems

The Mojave Desert flora and fauna of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is diverse and resilient. National Park Service staff, volunteers, and research partners work together to learn more about the park's plants and animals. The world around us is changing. The National Monument helps protect a corridor for native plants and wildlife from surrounding urban development. Studying our environment over time helps us understand and plan for the effects of climate change.

 

 

Related Research
Modern Ecosystems

Source: Data Store Collection 9641. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

 

The Las Vegas bearpoppy is a perennial plant that blooms in the Spring. Baby bearpoppies can be as small as your fingernail. As they mature, they can reach the size of a basketball. Bearpoppy seeds can survive in the soil seed bank for many years and wait for enough rain.

NPS Photo

Sensitive Plants

Research and conservation help protect rare plants at our urban National Monument, such as the Las Vegas bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) and Las Vegas buckwheat (Eriogonum corymbosum var. nilesii). Around us, their habitat is disappearing. Rare plants play a vital role in the desert ecosystem, and we remain committed to their ongoing protection and understanding. Native plants face many threats, like habitat fragmentation, competing invasive species, and the impacts of climate change.

Botanical inventory and rare plant monitoring programs help us understand these rare endemic plants. New experiments and studies help inform restoration efforts and park management.

 

Mojave Desert tortoise use their shells for protection against predators. Juvenile tortoises (shown) will be smaller than your shoe. As they mature, they can grow to 9-15 inches long.

NPS Photo | John Mark Simmons

Threatened & Endangered Wildlife

Tule Springs Fossil Beds protects Mojave Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) habitat in the urban Las Vegas Valley. In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added this animal to its list of threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. These desert reptiles face threats like habitat loss and degradation, road traffic, and predation from ravens. Desert Tortoise Inventory and Monitoring programs help us understand if their populations are stable or changing. What we learn informs park resource management and education.

The Mojave desert tortoise spends most of its time in a burrow they dig into gently sloping sediment. The burrows offer cooler temperatures and increased humidity that help them conserve water. They are often spotted above ground at Tule Springs Fossil Beds in warmer months.

Help our resident reptiles thrive for generations to come. If you see a desert tortoise in the wild: Keep your distance! Use your camera’s zoom to get a close up. Approaching tortoises may stress them and picking them up may cause them to void their bladder and die of dehydration.