Title: Blue Planet Biomes - Velvet Mesquite
Headings: Velvet Mesquite
Velvet Mesquite
Content: Many species of rodents dig their burrows   under the mesquite tree. The temperature under the tree can   be 15° F cooler than the surrounding desert. bosque
Native   Americans used mesquite pods as a staple food. They   made tea, syrup, and ground meal called pinole from   various parts of the tree. Mesquite bark was used   to make baskets, fabrics and medicine. The wood of   the mesquite tree burns slowly and is used as   firewood, and to make an aromatic charcoal for   barbecuing. The velvet mesquite is abundant in its habitat, although   mesquite bosques are in decline because of falling water   tables and invasion by tamarisk trees. The shrubby form of   mesquite has been invading grasslands throughout the   southwest. Velvet mesquite is a tough desert plant, well   adapted to the harsh conditions of its desert habitat. 2002
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