Notes

Common Arizona Wildflowers – Sonoran Desert

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/20493/22264318#habitat-ecology

=== Helgen, K.M., Cole, F.R.,Helgen, L.E. and Wilson, D.E. 2009. Generic revision in the Holarctic ground squirrel genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy 90(2): 270-305.

https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/90/2/270/894719 ====
genus Xerospermophilus used to be part of the Spermophilus although DNA sequencing of the cytochrome b gene has shown Spermophilus to be paraphyletic to the prairie dogs and marmots,[===
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) The following ties the Spermophilus to the
Xerospermophilus with Euroasian roots. The difference is Xerospermophilus occupies arid, desert, or semidesert habitats.

+++ "Encelia farinosa Brittle Bush, Brittlebush, Incienso PFAF Plant Database". www.pfaf.org. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
The hairs on the brittlebush plant serve several purposes. Many desert plants have hairy leaves or stems. The hairs act like a blanket over the leaves to protect them from the heat and cold. The white color reflects the sunlight helping to keep the plant cool. They also help trap any moisture and reduce the amount of water lost. https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Brittlebush.php +++

http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/enceliafarinosa.html


https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/encfar/all.html

SONORAN DESERT, tucson is part of the northeastern subdivision is the highest and coldest part of the Sonoran Desert. Central Gulf coast.
Biome- Desert is the driest biome. In addition to the Sonoran Desert, the other three North American deserts—the Mohave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin, also occur in Arizona.
SUMMER MONSOON or summer rainy season (early July to mid-September) A tropical air mass brings humidity and moderates the temperatures from June's extremes; frequent thunderstorms occur; this is the main growing season for many of the larger shrubs and trees.

A sixth season, late summer, lasting from mid August through September, is sometimes added; this is a hot and dry period after the monsoon ends
Warm temperatures; low humidity; little rain; few species in flower, but the growing season for winter annuals begins if there is enough rain. Late summer and autumn occasionally receive heavy rains from the remains of Pacific hurricanes (tropical storms).
WINTER (December & January; sometimes February). Mostly sunny, mild days, with intermittent storms that bring wind, rain, and cool-to-cold temperatures; February often warm and dry, more spring-like (see plate 17).

SPRING (early to late February through April). Mild temperatures; little rain; often windy; one of two flowering seasons; winter annuals may start blooming in February in warm, wet years (see plate 18).

FORESUMMER (May & June). High temperatures; very low humidity; no rain in most years; May is very warm and often windy; June is hot and usually calm. There is little biological activity except for the flowering and fruiting of saguaro and desert ironwood. Most plants and many animals are dormant until the rains arrive (see plate 19).

FORESUMMER (May & June). High temperatures; very low humidity; no rain in most years; May is very warm and often windy; June is hot and usually calm. There is little biological activity except for the flowering and fruiting of saguaro and desert ironwood. Most plants and many animals are dormant until the rains arrive

Dunbier, Roger. The Sonoran Desert: Its Geography, Economy, and People. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1968.

As of December 2015, the U.S. National Park Service oversaw 409 sites within the National Park System and assists in managing national historic areas, wild and scenic rivers, historic landmarks, and national trails. As of December 2015, the National Park System contained more than 84 million acres, including national parks, historical parks and sites, national monuments, battlefields and military parks, recreation areas, seashores, and parkways. Around 280 million visitors attended sites in the National Park System in 2014. The National Park Service employed around 20,000 permanent, temporary and seasonal employees as of July 2015.[25]

Arizona had 23 National Park Service sites as of January 2016. A complete list of Park Service sites in Arizona can be found here

https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_State_Lands,_Proposition_100_(2000)