High Desert Ecological
Province
The most northern extent
of the Great Basin of North America. It is in south-central
Oregon. It is characterized by numerous large and small
closed basins surrounded by extensive terraces formed in ancient
lakes. interspersed are low basaltic ridges, hilly uplands,
isolated buttes, mountains, and block-faulted igneous formations.
Elevations in Oregon range from 4,030 feet at Harney Lake to 9,670
on Steens Mountain. Elevations of basins and terraces in
Oregon are between 4,030 and about 4,500 feet.
Overview
of extensive closed basins typifying High Desert Province, Oregon.
Wagontire Mountain is on the horizon at right.
Ancient
shoreline of Warner Valley along the west side of Poker Jim Ridge
on Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
Concentric
bands of vegetation on a shallow lakebed in Hart Mountain National
Antelope Refuge. The vegetation bands are related to the
frequency, depth, and duration of inundation.
Stand
of rough fescue in a managed natural shrub grassland at about
7,000 feet elevation on Hart Mountain.
Managed
natural shrub-grassland dominate by bluebunch wheatgrass and Thurber
needlegrass in the vicinity of Glass Buttes.
Information and photos from: Anderson, E.W., Borman, M.M., and Krueger, W.C. 1998. The ecological provinces of Oregon: A treatise on the basic ecological geography of the state. Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. SR 990. Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
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