ok it’s pretty much the very opposite of the ocean but I would like to raise awareness of a really cool biome!
The piñon juniper woodland is a desert-like environment and covers about 15% of the western US and occurs between 4,500 and 7,500 feet in elevation! This biome consists of some ground cover, scrubby piñon trees and juniper trees, which are usually not much taller than 10 feet! This biome also occurs in close proximity to Joshua trees which are an endangered species endemic to the southwest US. A lot of different species call this habitat home, including tumbleweeds (which are native to Ukraine!), the endangered pinyon jay, reptiles, great horned owls, and many species of cactus!
The piñon juniper woodland doesn’t really get much coverage and is threatened by climate change especially wildfires and many species are declining in population. This environment has a lot of cultural significance to the native people and is an important habitat in the American west. I hope this silly little post has helped raise some awareness of this beautiful biome! here’s a picture I took in Arizona in a piñon juniper woodland at about 5000 feet of elevation
Resources to learn more :
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