Ecological Classifications

Suggested Citation: Kerr, Andy. 2000. Oregon Desert Guide: 70 Hikes. Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. p. 21.

<<<-Previous             Table of Contents            Next->>>

One way scientists categorize landscapes is to classify them into ecoregions, based on characteristics of geology and vegetation. Oregon has ten (not counting the near Pacific Ocean) ecoregions. The Oregon Desert (roughly that part of Oregon that does not have or did not have major forests) covers all of the Basin and Range, Columbia Basin, Lava Plains, and Owyhee Uplands ecoregions, as well as a goodly portion of the Blue Mountains, a small bit of the East Cascades (not mentioned further here since said portion has no "desert" wilderness remaining), and a minor portion of the Klamath Mountains ecoregions.

The proposed wilderness and other special management areas described in this book are categorized by ecoregion.