About the Course
Joshua Tree National Park contains excellent examples of the flora of both the Mojave and the Colorado Deserts, as well as the habitat associated with the fan palm oasis. This course includes the identification of many of the major plants of the Park. It also includes the study of plants' adaptive mechanisms for desert survival, responses to precipitation and the effects of elevation and rainfall on the plant communities. Field trips are planned to the high and low desert regions of the Park, the Joshua Tree forest community, an area of creosote scrub, the fan palm oasis, and a riparian habitat.