Restoration in the Sonoran Desert of California

Despite the increasing recognition of the global importance of desertification (Dregne, 1986; Schlesinger et al., 1990) revegetation and environmental restoration in arid environments have not been extensively studied. Extreme temperatures, intense sunlight, limited moisture, and the low fertility of desert soils combine to make natural recovery of these areas very slow (Virginia and Bainbridge, 1987). Conditions suitable for plant establishment occur only infrequently and irregularly, and it may take 60 years to reach predisturbance biomass and 180 years for reasonable recovery of species diversity even on non-compacted soils (Webb et al., 1983). Experiments in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts beginning as early as 1890 and involving 83 species and more than 400 sites have demonstrated the difficulties involved in

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