Biological Survey of Ironwood Forest National Monument

Aguirre Valley Images

Photographer: Mark Dimmitt

Right: Aguirre Valley is a large, flat expanse of mostly silty soils. The vegetation consists of creosotebush-dominated scrub dissected by large mesquite washes. Except for the mesquites, trees and saguaros are almost absent. View east from Sunland Gin Road to Solo Peak, the westernmost end of the West Silver Bell Mountains.
Above: At tThe edges of Aguirre Valley where the soils are gravelly, there are some beautiful landscapes.
Left: Several huge braided washes, often a mile wide, cross Aguirre Valley. The trees are almost entirely velvet mesquite.
Aguirre Valley has a number of interesting features that we dubbed "death playas." Wherever the surface completely lacks topographic relief, there are no living plants. The decaying stumps indicate that this condition has developed within the last several decades. The surrounding areas have very slight undulations that collect runoff and support stands of vegetation, mostly creosotebush and shrubby mesquites. Nearby are broad washes with dense forests of large mesquite trees.

 

 
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Biological Survey of Ironwood Forest National Monument General Vegetation Vascular Flora Cacti Distribution and Status of Saguaros and Trees Natural History of the Desert Ironwood Tree (Olneya tesota) Rare Plant Inventory Exotic Plants Assessment Human Impacts Lesser Long-Nosed Bat Geologic Aspects of Ironwood Forest National Monument Avra Valley Gallery Aguirre Valley Images Pan Quemado Gallery Ragged Top Gallery Roskruge Mountains Gallery Samaniego Hills Gallery Sawtooth Mountains Gallery Silver Bell Mountains Gallery Waterman Mountains Gallery West Silver Bell Mountains Gallery Arizona Upland Gallery Lower Colorado River Valley Gallery Xeroriparian Habitats (Desert Washes) The Desert Ironweed Tree - Olneya tesota Cacti of IFNM Crucifixion Thorns of IFNM Gallery of Selected Noncactaceous Flora
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