Ironwood Forest National Monument
| Ironwood Forest National Monument | |
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IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
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Saguaro forest in Ironwood Forest National Monument
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| Location | Pima County & Pinal County, Arizona, United States |
| Nearest city | Tucson, AZ |
| Coordinates | 32°27′32″N 111°34′00″W / 32.4589576°N 111.5667845°WCoordinates: 32°27′32″N 111°34′00″W / 32.4589576°N 111.5667845°W |
| Area | 188,619 acres (76,331 ha) |
| Established | June 9, 2000 |
| Governing body | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
| Website | Ironwood Forest National Monument |
Ironwood Forest National Monument is located in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Created by Bill Clinton by Presidential Proclamation 7320 on June 9, 2000, the monument is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the United States Department of the Interior. The monument covers 188,619 acres (76,331 ha), of which 59,922 acres (24,250 ha) are non-federal and include private land holdings and Arizona State School Trust lands.
A significant concentration of ironwood (also known as desert ironwood, Olneya tesota) trees is found in the monument, along with two federally recognized endangered animal and plant species. More than 200 Hohokam and Paleo-Indian archaeological sites have been identified in the monument, dated between 600 and 1450.
An array of flora are present in the Ironwood Forest National Monument. The higher elevations have the pinyon-juniper woodland plant community. The lower elevations are in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion. One of the notable trees native here is the elephant tree (Bursera microphylla). Small populations of the endangered Nichols turk's head cactus, although not found among ironwood trees, occur in very localized limestone-rich areas within the monument.
The desert ironwood (Olneya tesota) is a very long-lived tree, with some specimens estimated to be more than 800 years old. Desert ironwood is a keystone species because it provides a nursery environment of shade and protection that enables young seedlings of other species to become established despite the harsh desert climate, where night-time low temperatures can exceed 105 °F (41 °C). The ironwood also provides shade and roosting area habitats for birds. Its smoky lavender-colored blossoms provide nectar for bees and other insects, as well as forage for animals. The blossoms produce bean pods which also provide food for desert animals.
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