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What
is a Sky Island?
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'Sky
Island' is a term used to describe
an isolated mountain range rising out of the desert,
with its peaks located in a cooler and wetter
biome.
As you travel from the desert biome to higher
elevations, temperatures decline and the amount
of precipitation increases. For every 1,000 feet
in elevation increase, temperatures drop about
3 degrees Fahrenheit and annual precipitation
increases about 3 inches.
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The
Sabino Canyon Visitors' Center is located at the
2,700-foot level at the base of the Santa Catalina
Mountain range, one of southern Arizona's sky islands.
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Here at the Visitors' Center,
where annual precipitation averages 12 inches,
the Sonoran Desert surrounds us with its unique
cacti and desert wildlife.
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To the north, tower the Santa
Catalina Mountains, which include Mt. Bigelow
at 8,200 feet, and Mt. Lemmon at 9,150 feet. These
peaks are 20 degrees cooler and receive an average
of 27 inches of rain per year.
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The ponderosa pine forest habitat
resembles many areas of Canada. Much of the precipitation
falls as snow, which melts in the spring to feed
the headwaters of Sabino Creek.
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