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Ecology

Vegetation

Common Wildflowers, Lichens, and Mosses of the Shrub-Steppe

The pictures in the following selection are from the booklet "Common Wildflowers of the Shrub-Steppe," published by the Arid Lands Field Institute, Washington State University at Tri-Cities, University Center for Professional Education.

...Although this part of eastern Washington is often called a desert (receiving only 6-7 inches of rainfall a year at the lowest elevations), it is actually part of the shurb-steppe ecoregion and supports diverse wildlife and plant communities. The plants and many other native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs can be found in natural, relatively undisturbed areas such as the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE), the Saddle Mountains, and the Columbia and Wahluke Wildlife Reserves...."

The Arid Lands Field Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of and appreciation for the natural and human history of arid lands of Washington and Oregon through informal education and research.

Each item below is a thumbnail preview and picture title. Click on a title to view a larger version of the picture and accompanying explanatory text.

Lichens

Ecology

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