At a native stand of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) in North Las Vegas, a rainfall simulation study was conducted over a 12 month period from October 2005 to October 2006. Simulated rainfall occurred during the winter, spring, summer, and fall periods. Rainfall simulation systems were positioned on each of 12 plots, each containing a single creosote bush. Simulated rainfall events occurred at night with multiple short pulses designed to maximize infiltration while minimizing ponding. Yearly simulated rainfall amounts were set at 0, 15, 30 and 60 cm (replicated three times) and were approximately 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 times the natural rainfall. The cumulative reference evapotranspiration (ETref) was 156.7 cm and cumulative ambient precipitation was 7.9 cm. Soil and plant canopy surface to air temperature differentials (Ts-Ta and Tc-Ta) were assessed using an infrared thermometer (IRT). Significant differences were based on simulated rainfall treatment (P
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