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ECOSYSTEMS > INLAND OREGON
A desert is any area on earth that receives less than 10 inches (25 cm) of annual precipitation. The low precipitation results in hostile living conditions for plants and animals. Although most of us think of a desert as being a parched sand dunes, cactus and high temperatures, deserts can actually exist all over the Earth. For example, there are “polar deserts,” which occur at high northern and southern latitudes and are characterized by extreme cold, glaciation and heavy ice. Some deserts, like the Atacama Desert of Chile, are extremely dry and have relatively little vegetation. Such conditions may cause extreme denudation, the erosive process by wind and temperature extremes. Others, like the Sonoran Desert, located in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, have comparatively thick vegetative cover and even experience periodic heavy rains known as monsoons. |
Where Can I See Deserts In Oregon?
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Alvord Desert
GPS Coordinates: 42.5354445, -118.4735229 |
Oregon High Desert
GPS Coordinates: 43.7920232, -120.9710572 |
Features Related to Deserts:
Fort Rock State Park: From a distance, Fort Rock resembles a medieval castle rising out of the flat desert floor of central Oregon. Learn how volcanism formed this unusual structure.
Hiking the Crack in the Ground: This unique geologic formation is located in a remote part of Oregon but offers some amazing hiking opportunities.
Landmark Places: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument: Beautiful and remote, the John Day Fossil Beds is a large area of mostly semi-desert in eastern Oregon. The area is considered one of the best sites in the world for the study of Cenozoic Era fossils.
Landmark Places: High Desert Museum: The High Desert Museum takes a engaging approach to interpreting central Oregon, a region where different ecosystems and cultures meet and blend.
Landmark Places: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge: Established in the early twentieth century after the area's bird population was decimated by hunting, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is today one of the best birding sites in Oregon.
Hiking the Crack in the Ground: This unique geologic formation is located in a remote part of Oregon but offers some amazing hiking opportunities.
Landmark Places: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument: Beautiful and remote, the John Day Fossil Beds is a large area of mostly semi-desert in eastern Oregon. The area is considered one of the best sites in the world for the study of Cenozoic Era fossils.
Landmark Places: High Desert Museum: The High Desert Museum takes a engaging approach to interpreting central Oregon, a region where different ecosystems and cultures meet and blend.
Landmark Places: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge: Established in the early twentieth century after the area's bird population was decimated by hunting, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is today one of the best birding sites in Oregon.
