Joshua Tree National Park has announced results of the Cottonwood and Lost Palms BioDiversity Hunt. Over one hundred biologists and other specialists, community members and park staff assembled to comb through Cottonwood Spring, Lost Palms Oasis and the Lost Palms Trail in a 30-hour race to identify every living thing they could find in these habitats. This BioDiversity Hunt is the third conducted in the park following those conducted in 2011 and 2012 at the Oasis of Mara and 49 Palms. The previous BioDiversity Hunts resulted in identified more than 600 species from each location. This year’s Cottonwood, Lost Palms Oasis, and Lost Palms Trail hunt resulted in the identification of over 200 species of plants, nearly 300 species of invertebrate, 32 bird species, 12 species of reptiles, 7 mammal species, and 1 amphibian, for an estimated grand total of 558 species identified to date, and additional species identifications are expected.
The park acknowledges that this number only begins to describe the incredible and intricately linked diversity of species and interactions existing in the desert’s riparian areas. Inquiries about the BioDiversity Hunts should be directed to Amelia Rodelo at (760) 367-5579, or [email protected].
BIODIVERSITY HUNT RESULTS
