Lands of contrast, diversity, and beauty

Deserts are places where water is severely limiting to life as it only receives less than 10 inches of annual precipitation and are characterized by high evaporation rates. But despite their popular image as a hot, dry, and virtually lifeless wasteland, deserts support a deceivingly rich level of plant and animal wildlife with a high degree of biological diversity. The best examples can be the Chihuahuan Desert, which has the greatest diversity of birds, mammals, reptiles, and butterflies and the Sonoran Desert.