Sonoran Desert

I really liked Anner's blog and I wanted to add something about one invasive species that is encroaching the Tucson area. This invasive species is called Buffelgrass and it was brought in to bolster the range production for sheep. The main problem is that it cures out relatively fast and becomes a fire hazard. In the mid 90's, a lot of the west was going through a drought there were several fires in the Phoenix, Tucson, and surrounding communities. These fast moving fires typically damage the stems of the cacti and ultimately kill them. This bunch grass grows and reseeds so fast that local volunteer groups cannot keep up with it's advance. If you would like to know more about this invasive grass, click on the link. I wanted to add another image of a Saquaro that I saw at the Saquaro National Park. Tess

http://www.buffelgrass.org/index.php