Great Basin Desert

Great Basin is a cold desert bioregion represented by a small section in the NE corner of Kern County. Pinyon/Juniper and sagebrush scrub are habitats within this bioregion. Great Basin comprises the southern Great Basin in the Basin and Range geomorphic province. Great Basin Desert is widely separated by short mountain ranges in desert plains. Isolation is the key as the region contains many isolated mountains, plateaus, alluvial fans, playas, basins and dunes. Typically Great Basin Desert experiences a long, cold winter and a significant proportion of its precipitation falls as snow. This desert is one of the several communities comprising Merriam's Upper Sonoran Life Zone.

	Great Basin Desert vegetation is difficult to categorize in Kern County as many microregions throughout the Kern Valley and east Sierra show characteristics of a mix of great basin, Mojave, riparian, grassland, and scrub habitats. The photo below is an example of this mixture. Taken just south of Jawbone Canyon Rd and Kelso Valley Rd, notice a combination of California juniper (bushes not trees) which are Mojave desert species, Shepherd's tea (great basin), blue sagebrush (great basin), and exotic annual grasses (Mediterranean grassland).

Sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata) is the indicator species of this desert. Sagebrush is often in association with the yellow-blossomed rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus). Succulents are represented primarily by prickly pears. The predominant vegetation of Great Basin Desert includes sagebrush, western juniper, rabbitbrush, mixed saltbush and single-needle pinyon pine. A wide variety of animals can be found in great basin desert. Look to the rocky slopes around the desert mountain ranges, you may spot a very rare desert bighorn sheep. Other mammals of the desert include kit fox, coyote, skunk, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrels, kangaroo rat and many species of mice. Bird species are very diverse in desert oases.
Habitats Kern County Biogeography Kern County Geology Indigenous Peoples of Kern County Interior chaparral and woodlands Great Valley Grassland Great Basin Desert Mojave Desert Sierran Forest
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