Desert Tortoise Habitat Restoration Methods for the Eastern Mojave

26,000 acres of Eastern Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, Nevada, is a specially managed area that receives Mojave Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) translocations. A 2011 Revised Recovery Plan aims to increase population densities of the tortoise by increasing native plant coverage and reducing invasive plant presence. Invasive plants such as Arabian schismus (Schismus arabicus) are of little nutritional value to the tortoises, dominate landscapes and outcompete native plants, and increase the risk of wildfires. This project also included a field experiment to test best practices for revegetation of native species.