Little Ajo Mountains
The Ajo Mountains are up to 1466 m (Mount Ajo ) high mountain range in the Sonoran Desert in the south of the U.S. state of Arizona. The name derives from the nearby mountain range northwest of the town of Ajo and is derived from the naming Tui De Mu Vari Aja by the Tohono O'Odham from. Members of this tribe cross the mountain since ancient times in search of food. They are, as well as the subsequent Bates Mountains in the west against each other tilted fault blocks of Tertiary basalts. Your detritus forms the Hangfußbereiche (Spanish: Bajada ), the valleys and plains. The steep western slopes of the Ajo Mountains lies within the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The ridge stretches over a length of about 35 km from north-north- west to south-southeast.
Vegetation
The rocky slopes of the Ajo Mountains are dominated by evergreen bushes of jojoba shrubs ( Simmondsia chinensis) and weidenblättrigen Mexican jumping beans ( Sapium biloculare ), as well as various agaves. On the highest ridges comes as a relic of the Pluvial -seeded juniper before (Juniperus monosperma ). In remote, humid canyons, the Ajo - oak (Quercus ajoensis ) has been formed, an endemic species of the Ajo Mountains. The middle and upper slope areas of Bajadas have high coarse rubble shares and are the locations of the Palo Verde cactus bushes, the most species-rich community of the North American deserts. Palo Verde ( Cercidium microphyllum ) is the dominant tree species there. He is accompanied by ironwood ( Olneya tesota ) and mesquite ( Prosopis velutina ). All three trees are among the Pea family ( Fabaceae ) and assets through symbiosis with soil bacteria to bind atmospheric nitrogen. to collect and discharge after the death of the ground. The bajadas the Ajo Mountains are rich in cacti. Often, several meters high growing saguaro cactus ( Cereus giganteus ), whose seeds germinate in the shade of the bushes. In the root zone of the trees, the nutrient concentrations are increased and the growth conditions for cacti better.
Wildlife
The ridges of the Ajo Mountains are habitat of bighorn sheep.
Development
The Ajo Mountains are accessible by a 34 km long motorable trail ( Ajo Mountain Drive ) for visitors. From a rest area in the middle of the path lead paths in the Estes Canyon and the mountains.
- Mountains in North America