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Which plants dominate the Great Basin Desert?
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North American Desert
Physical features of western North America.
The Great Basin Desert is primarily characterized and dominated by sagebrush and saltbush. In addition to these shrubs, the landscape is also defined by scattered short grasses.12
Because the region experiences a cold, arid climate—often including frost and snow—the vegetation is composed of drought-tolerant species adapted to these harsh conditions. The genus Artemisia, which includes sagebrush, is particularly significant, as it dominates the vegetation across very large areas of temperate deserts in the Northern Hemisphere.234