Not Just Sand

Deserts cover roughly one-third of Earth's land surface and are among the most misunderstood ecosystems. The image of empty sand dunes represents only a fraction of desert reality. Deserts include rocky plateaus, salt flats, ice-covered polar regions, and surprisingly diverse ecosystems teeming with specially adapted life.

Desert ecosystems are deceptively productive. The Sonoran Desert supports over two thousand plant species, three hundred bird species, and dozens of mammal species — each adapted to extract survival from conditions that would kill most organisms within hours.