Nevada

F

Plant Life

The most widespread form of plant life in Nevada is sagebrush, especially big sagebrush. Sagebrush grows in most of the nonsalty soils of the northern basins, especially between altitudes of 1,500 and 2,100 m (5,000 and 7,000 ft). Most of the state’s northern portion, therefore, has a low, bushy cover of these silver-gray plants and grasses, making up what is generally considered the typical Nevada landscape. Most of the sagebrush plants are widely spaced, occupying only a small part of the land surface. In some places the sagebrush grows 3 m (10 ft) high.

Several other shrubs, such as winter fat, and ephedra, commonly called Mormon tea, are often found together with sagebrush. Rabbit brush grows where the land is too saline for sagebrush. In the north there are also numerous kinds of grasses. The spread of cheat grass, introduced from Asia near the beginning of the 20th century, has become a problem in Nevada. The grass takes moisture and nutrients from native species, causing their decline, and has been associated with an increased occurrence of wildfires since the 1950s.

The drier and hotter parts of the state, in west central and southern Nevada, have a vegetation of shadscale, saltbush, greasewood, and Nevada ephedra. These bushy plants have a maximum height of about 30 cm (about 12 in), and are widely spaced. In the hottest parts of the state, in the desert areas extending south from Logandale, Las Vegas, and Beatty, the vegetation is composed largely of creosote bush and burroweed, or white bur-sage. Also in this area are several species of cactus and yucca. One interesting type of yucca is the Joshua tree, with oddly shaped branches and waxy flowers.

Forests and woodlands cover 15 percent of Nevada’s land area. Many of the lower mountain ranges, where rainfall is heavier than in the basins, have woodlands of piñon and juniper. They are low shrublike trees that are well adapted to semiarid conditions. The piñon pine is noted for its sweet edible nuts. The higher mountains of Nevada, where rainfall is heaviest, are densely forested. Ponderosa pine, also called western yellow pine, and Douglas fir grow on the higher mountain slopes, especially on those around Lake Tahoe. These forests also contain numerous small flowers and such shrubs as elderberry, currant, and snowbush. Near Lake Tahoe are some stands of sugar pine and lodgepole pine. The high peaks of some mountain ranges, such as Wheeler Peak and Mount Moriah in the Snake Range, reach above the timberline. Here there are a few small areas of mountain tundra. These meadowlike areas have short curled grasses and tiny wildflowers.

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G

Animal Life

The mountain forests are the home of mule deer, beavers, foxes, muskrats, porcupines, bobcats, lynx, cougars, and several varieties of squirrels. The mule deer inhabits almost every part of the state. The abundance of deer has led to an increase in the population of cougars, for which deer are an important food. There are elk in the mountains of White Pine County. Bighorn sheep are found in southern Nevada. A great variety of small animals inhabit the desert areas, many of them active at night. These include kangaroo and pack rats, rabbits, coyotes, ground squirrels, badgers, skunks, numerous species of lizards, desert tortoises, diamondback and sidewinder rattlesnakes, scorpions, beetles, velvet ants, centipedes, tarantulas, and Gila monsters. Herds of pronghorn live under government protection on an antelope range in northwestern Nevada.

Desert birds include the cactus wren, mockingbird, nighthawk, and roadrunner. Game birds include the quail, chukar, sage grouse, pheasant, dove, and duck. Anaho Island, in Pyramid Lake, is a major breeding ground for white pelicans. Nevada’s fish include trout, channel cats, bluegills, black crappies, black bass, and Sacramento perch.

H

Conservation

In such an arid territory as Nevada the land must be used carefully to prevent soil erosion and to maintain forests and range grasses. Many conservation programs are federally operated, since the federal government owns a large percentage of the land in Nevada.

The introduction of domesticated animals like horses, sheep, and cows in the late 19th century largely destroyed the natural cover of vegetation. The vegetation of Nevada was not adapted to grazing because Nevada had no large plant-eating animals such as buffalo or elk. Therefore the arrival of large domesticated animals doomed many tiny, delicate native plants. Without this cover the land could not hold moisture, and serious soil erosion resulted. Since 1934 and the passage of the Taylor Grazing Act, Nevada has, like other Western states, placed much of its land in grazing districts. In these districts, grazing rights are leased to ranchers and are carefully controlled. One of the by-products of this policy has been the preservation of wildlife. The Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are among the agencies that manage federal lands. Government agencies also advise farmers and ranchers about the best use of their own private lands. The state has its own departments of Natural Resources and Agricultural and Mining.

Water conservation in Nevada is also a pressing problem. The relatively small amount of water available from streams is used almost to its maximum extent. Some groundwater, or water beneath the earth’s surface, is also available. To conserve this supply, comprehensive state water laws regulate well-drilling and the pumping of groundwater. Hoover and Davis dams on the Colorado River benefit Nevada and the other Southwestern states by providing water storage, hydroelectric power, irrigation, flood control, and recreational resources for tourists.

Despite Nevada’s wide-open spaces, its urban areas—Las Vegas and Reno—have air pollution problems.

During the late 1970s the U.S. government began to consider storing nuclear waste underground at Yucca Mountain, in the desert of southwestern Nevada. After years of study, the government approved the construction of a storage facility at Yucca Mountain for storing highly radioactive used fuel rods from nuclear power plants. Opposition from Nevada residents, along with concern that the site might not be safe from earthquakes and other hazards, has delayed construction of the site. If built, it would become the first nuclear waste storage facility in the United States.

III

Economic Activities

Nevada had the fastest-growing population of any state in the 1990s and early 2000s, and one of the fastest-growing economies. Boom and bust has been a typical economic cycle for Nevada, although the boom in the 1990s was without precedent in the state.

Mining has been the traditional cornerstone of the Nevada economy, but the economy became more diversified in the late 20th century. The initial mining boom began with the discovery of the great silver and gold deposits of the Comstock Lode in 1859. Other discoveries led to the establishment of small mining communities throughout the state. Agriculture, especially cattle ranching and other livestock raising, developed as the second most important aspect of the economy. The legalization of gambling in 1931 led to growth of the tourism and entertainment industries, which today dominate the state’s economy. A rapidly growing population, in part due to the increased job opportunities in the tourism-driven service sector, has in turn made the construction industry an important employer. The federal government also employs many people in Nevada and contributes to the state’s economy. The most important federal facilities in the state are Nellis Air Force Base and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site.

A

Agriculture

Raising livestock, especially cattle and sheep, is the most important agricultural activity in Nevada. Because of Nevada’s arid conditions and sparse vegetation, the animals need a great deal of land on which to graze. Ranches in Nevada are correspondingly large. Livestock also graze on government-owned land. Most of the cattle ranches are in northern Nevada. Dairy farming is important in the south and west of the state.

Most of Nevada’s crops are grown in valleys, and most of the cropland requires irrigation. The most important crops are alfalfa, hay, and other winter fodder for livestock, including wheat, barley, and oats. Farmers also grow potatoes and onions. Fruit and vegetable farms are found chiefly in the southern part of the state.

Most of the ranching is done in the less arid northeastern parts of the state. Almost all the livestock graze on public lands at least part of the year.