Efficiency of nonnative plants in the Sonoran Desert.

Abstract

This study analyzes the efficiency of non-native trees in the Sonoran Desert. Some non-native trees highlighted as examples are Chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach) and the Cottonwood tree (Populus deltoides) sometimes referred as Alamo tree in the Southern part of the Sonoran Desert. The overall idea is to consider the non-native diversity available in the Sonoran Desert and its benefits. Keep in mind that the Sonoran Desert spreads throughout the Arizona, a section in California and in Northern Mexico in the state of Sonora, and Baja California Sur; however our focus is mainly on the area around Tucson and Sonora, México. Desert plants typically require little water and maintenance, which tends to be one of the biggest environmental benefits for landscape designers. Landscape designers often present a landscape that will maintain itself according to the resources in its surrounding. Desert plants are preferred in the northern part of the Sonoran Desert because they tend to fall into a sustainable type of garden. This study consists of four sections: the argument, relevant examples, results and a potential. The first section exposes myths behind non-native plants and considers the efficiency of their performance in the Sonoran Desert. The efficiency of the non-native plants considers the performance of the plant at a social, ecological and economical level. The next section mentions three different nonnative plants commonly seen in the Sonoran Desert. These plants are the Chinaberry tree, the Alamo tree and the Red Pistache tree. Each tree contributes differently to the Sonoran Desert and improve the biodiversity at their site. The third section of the study provides a solution for non-native plants to have a sustainable performance in the Sonoran Desert. The last section compiles all the previous sections to identify significant change in the efficiency of non-native plants. As part of the results, one can consider the non-native plant disturbance to be essential in the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert is a location that adapts to extreme heat in the summer and due to its change in elevation also provides a diversity of plants for the cold winters. Therefore, this change in climates throughout the year allows nonnative plants to adapt at a faster pace than they would elsewhere. Some suggestions to mention in this paper include the adaptation of non-native plants nearby to residential homes. Residential homes require more trees that can perform a good job at providing shade to the building during the summer season.