Lovell Canyon (Spring Mountains, Nevada)

Lovell Canyon
Spring Mountain NRA, Nevada
Site Assessment
By Caroline Baker
November 21, 2006

Lovell
Canyon
Spring Mountains,
southern Nevada

From http://www.topozone.com (2006)
Location

Lovell Canyon lies within the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Area, approximately 12
miles from Las Vegas, Nevada. The area encompasses approximately 24,997 acres
(USDA 2005).
“This range in habitat and the area’s unique geology and microclimates support several
endemic plant communities, plants that are found no where else in the world” (USDA
2005).

After http://www.topozone.com (2006)

Topography
Information was recorded while driving into Lovell Canyon Wash from the Lovell Canyon
Road eastern-most entrance (off of Highway 160) and continuing through the loop to the
western-most entrance (off of Highway 160). An altimeter was used to determine
approximate elevation. Route of travel is highlighted in the map below.
After http://www.topozone.com (2006)

Topography
The landscape topography follows as such:
1. [eastern-most entrance to Lovell Canyon]
2. Low Desert Washes, rabbitbrush
3. Lower-elevation Rolling hills, blackbrush and Joshua tree woodland
4. Higher-elevation Rolling hills and washes, blackbrush and pinyon-juniper woodland
5. Meadows and washes, buckwheat species, rabbitbrush along roadside
6. Higher Meadow (burn area) along roadside, steep hills and washes beyond
7. Lovell Canyon Ranch [End of paved road – Enter jeep trail road]
8. Steep Hills, manzanita and ashy silk tassel shrubs
9. Steep Hills, dense Gambel’s oaks, pinyon pines and junipers
10. Valleys and Steep Hills with maximum elevation - approximately 6000 ft.
11. [Descent towards Trout Canyon]
12. Rolling Hills, buckwheat species and Mexican cliff rose
13. Desert Washes
14. Desert, Mojave yucca and Joshua tree woodland
15. [End Lovell Canyon Road – western-most entrance]

Soils

Soils
The soils of lower elevation
washes of Lovell Canyon have
alluvial soil deposits.
Alluvial soils deposits are
eroded rock debris transported
from higher elevations in
mountains to the valley floor,
usually transported by seasonal
water flow in arid climates
(Spector 2001).
Thin biological soil crusts reside
over surface soil in areas where
seasonal water flows (indicated
by dry river beds, fine loose soil
particles and elevation) are not
present.

Soils
The soils of the higher elevation
rolling hills of Lovell Canyon
consist of weathered sandstone
rock fragments and finer
particles.
Biological soil crusts cover large
expanses of land surfaces,
compromising a large portion of
the soil’s surface area. In some
areas of Arizona, Colorado,
New Mexico, and Utah soil
crusts may represent over 70%
of living ground cover (Belnap
1990). Living ground cover
includes vegetation.

Biological Soil Crusts
(Also called cryptobiotic soil crusts and living soil crusts)
"Cryptobiotic crusts are important features of arid and semiarid ecosystems throughout
the Southwest, including pinyon-juniper pinyon juniper woodlands and deserts" (Belnap ( Belnap –Viewed Viewed 10
Nov. 2006).
Living soil crusts in deserts are composed primarily of blue-green blue green algae and secondary
components include soil lichens, mosses, green algae, microfungi, microfungi,
and bacteria
(Belnap Belnap 1990).
Photograph 1 Photograph 2
(Photograph 1 From: http://www.blm.gov/ca/images/bishop_images/a_biosoiltext1.gif)
(Photograph 2 From: http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Non-V/Crypto/DCP_3967a.jpg)

Biological Soil Crusts
Jayne Belnap clearly describes the importance of biological soil crusts in the the
desert in her article
“Soils Soils and Cryptobiotic Crusts in Arid Lands" found on the U.S. Geological Geological
Survey’s Survey s website.
(http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/sw154.htm
http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/sw154.htm)
°With With moisture, blue-green blue green algae moves across the soil leaving a fibrous sheath behind. behind.
This
sheath binds loose soil particles and/or rocks together.
°Soil Soil erosion due to wind and water forces becomes less probable as sheaths build up atop soil
surfaces over time.
°With With the ability of sheaths to absorb up to 10 times their volume volume
of water, they facilitate a
slow release of water into the soil and hold water that would have have
otherwise become runoff.
°Clay Clay particles, the smallest of soil sizes, aggregate on sheaths. sheaths.
The clay particles hold
essential nutrients for plant growth, contributing to the health of plants surrounded by living
soil crust.
°The The blue blue-green
green algae, soil lichens, mosses, green algae, microfungi, microfungi,
and bacteria add organic
matter and nitrogen to the soil, much needed components of desert desert
plant survival.
°Once Once soil crusts are disturbed they are more prone to wind and water water
erosion, and may take
years to recover, if they can recover at all.

Soils
Human Influence
(Smaller Photograph from: http://www.intermind.net/~speleo/atv/lovell/index.html)
Recreational opportunities abound in
Lovell Canyon, including wildlife
viewing, bird watching, hiking,
mountain biking, off-roading and
horse-back riding.
Despite the benefits human receive
through recreational activites, their
ecological footprint has great adverse
effects on the very environment they
so enjoy.
Unofficial roads are a common sight
in Lovell Canyon, including off-road
trails. One problem associated with
human land use is surface erosion
and sediment runoff from roads (ESA
2000).

Native Vegetation
Vegetative Communities

Rabbitbrush
Elevation Ranges: 2000 ft to 4000 ft
Rabbitbrush species are found along washes and
paved roadside in Lovell Canyon. Two species
were identified during site visits; Chrysothamnus
viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus paniculatus and
several hybrids between the two were noted
(Harrison 2006, personal communication).
Rabbitbrush can be found at elevations between
2000 and 4000 feet (Shreve and Wiggins 1964).
A resiliency factor of rabbitbrush includes its ability to withstand stress resulting from
high salt content and drought (Sankhla Sankhla, , et al. 1987). 1987
The black-banded rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus paniculatus) is found in neighboring
Red Rock National Conservation Area. A common trait of this rabbitbrush is a fungal
“ring” wrapping around the tips of branches.

Manzanita
Elevation Ranges: to 4500 ft
Manzanita colonizes areas after fire and remains a part of the vegetative community
(Hanes 1971). Seeds require fire scarification for germination. It is often found
mixed in pinyon-juniper woodlands.

Pinyon-Juniper Pinyon Juniper Woodland
Elevation Ranges: 5000 m to 7000 m

In southern California junipers have been
found with other vegetation such as
Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak (Quercus
gambelii), manzanita (Arctostaphylos
spp.), sagebrush (Artemesia spp.), ephedra
(Ephedra spp.), buckwheat (Eriogonum
spp.), silktassel (Garrya spp.), Apache
plume (Fallugia paradoxa), Mexican
cliffrose (Purshia mexicana), desert
almond (Prunus fasciculata), skunkbush
sumac (Rhus trilobata), and blackbrush
(Coleogyne ramosissima) (Thorne 1982).
During site visits all plants mentioned
above were observed in Lovell canyon in
pinyon-juniper habitat.
Singleleaf pinyon pines and Utah Junipers
can be found between 5000 and 7000 ft
elevation (Rock Rock Canyon Interpretive
Association and the Bureau of Land
Management 1999).
1999

Other Plants
found
throughout
Lovell Canyon
Wash

Eriogonum sp. (Buckwheat)

Artemesia sp. (Sagebrush)

Menodora spinescens

Yucca Brevifolia (Joshua tree)
Prunus fasciculata (desert almond)
Gutierrezia sp. (snakeweed)

Wildlife
Wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep, deer, elk, mountain lion and Palmer's Chipmunk
are found in the spring Mountains (Spring Mountains Association), including Lovell
Canyon.
Photograph 1 : ELK Photograph 2 : DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP Photograph 3 :PALMER’S SHIPMUNK
Photograph 1 From http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1996/aug/photos/buck-runs.jpg
Photograph 2 From http://firstlady.state.nv.us/images/wl14.jpg
Photograph 3 From http://www.jordegern.dk/images/species/tamias_palmeri.jpg

Lovell Canyon
Site Assessment
Presentation and Un-sourced Un sourced Photographs
C. Baker
November 2006

Lovell Canyon
Site visits & Photography:
09/12/2006
10/12/2006
10/19/2006

References
Belnap, Belnap,
Jayne. 1990. "Microbiotic
" Microbiotic crusts: their role in past and present ecosystems". Park Science Science
10:3-4. 10:3 4.
Belnap, Belnap,
Jayne. U.S. Geological Survey. (Viewed 10 Nov. 2006). "Soils and and
Cryptobiotic Crusts in Arid Lands". Retrieved from
http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/sw154.htm>
ESA (Ecological Society of America). "Applying Ecological Principles Principles
to Management of the U.S. National Forests". Issues in Ecology
Ecology
Spring. Issue Number 6 (2000): 6.
Hanes, Ted L. 1971. Succession after fire in the chaparral of southern southern
California. Ecological Monographs. 41(1): 27-52. 27 52.
Harrison, Russell. Personal Communication. Seed Collection Field Visit to Lovell Canyon. October 19, 2006. Contact information:
Russell.Harrison@lvspringspreserve.org.
Russell.Harrison@lvspringspreserve.org
Rock Canyon Interpretive Association and the Bureau of Land Management. Management.
(Viewed on 6 Nov. 2006). “Plant Plant Communities”. Communities . 1999. Retrieved
from .
Sankhla, Sankhla,
Narendra; Narendra;
Davis, Tim D.; Weber, Darrell J.; McArthur, E. Durrant. Durrant.
1987. Biology and economic botany of Chrysothamnus
(rabbitbrush
rabbitbrush): ): a potentially useful shrub for arid regions. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. Bot.
10(2): 481-496. 481 496.
Shreve, F.; Wiggins, I. L. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sonoran Desert. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 2 vols. [21016] [21016
Spector, Spector,
Christy. (Viewed 13 Nov. 2006). “Earth Earth Deposits: A Basis for Creating Landforms and Soil.” Soil. 2001. Retrieved from
.
Spring Mountains Association. (Viewed on 19 November 2006). “The The Spring Mountains: A Brief History”. History . Retrieved from
.
Thorne, Robert F. 1982. The desert and other transmontane plant communities of southern California. Aliso. Aliso.
10(2):
219-257. 219 257. [3768]
USDA Forest Service. Last modified 3 March 2005.
Visited on 11 November 2006.