The Cold Desert

By: Blaire Berry and Neil Balasekaran

Cold Desert Description• In the U.S. the cold desert is located in the Great

Basin in the states Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah. It’s covered in clay, gravel and sand and is mountainous. The soil is not very fertile and it’s so cold along with very little rain that very few species of plants grow. It snows very often in the cold desert. In the winter temperatures range from -2 degrees Celsius to -4. 21 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius in the summer. It receives 15 to 16cm. of rain in a year.

Plant and Animal Species• *Plant Species: greasewood, sagebrush,

shadescale. • Animal species: bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, pocket

mouse, poor-will, pronghorn antelope, sage thrashers, side-blotched lizards…

• *Most plants are deciduous. Plants grow in an abundance in areas with little to no shade.