Get the inside tip with America's number one radio show about language, A Way with Words
Dictionary definition of “sky island”

sky island

n. an isolated ecosystem occurring at a high altitude, such as on a mountain top, which shows evolutionary tendencies similar to those occurring on islands surrounded by water. Subjects: ,
Citations: 1969 New York Times (Nov. 2) “The Nameless Rocks in Arizona’s ‘Sky Island’” (in Wilcox, Arizona) p. 10-27: As breezes from the Gulf of Mexico lift over the Chiricahua Mountains, an exceptional amount of rain falls on this desert region, which has bee aptly called a “sky island.” The volcanic soil among the rock and ample shade produce an ideal microclimate for lush vegetation. Birds, animals, insects and reptiles live exceedingly well in such salubrious surroundings. 1987 Carol Ann Bassett Newsday (Long Island, New York) (May 5) “A Desert Mountain Versus The Stars” p. 5: From a parched sea of desert in southeastern Arizona, Mt. Graham rises 2 miles to a crested summit above the clouds. Isolated in time and space for 11,000 years, the mountain is what biologists call a sky island, “a cradle of evolution.” 2006 Mary Esch @ Lake Placid Newsday (Long Island, New York) (Aug. 26) “Researchers work to ensure survival of a rare songbird”: It’s a difficult bird to study because it’s distributed across a fragmented range of mountaintops which we sometimes refer to as “sky islands.”

Leave a comment (must be approved by the moderator before it will appear).

Name (mandatory):

Email (mandatory):

Location (optional):

Your Web Site (optional):

Remember my personal information

Notify me, by email, of follow-up comments.

Recent Catchwords
sorry gift n. (2/19)
break the ton v. phr. (2/19)
ghost shift n. (2/17)
stock n. (2/13)
startle factor n. (2/13)
hair crush n. (2/13)
seagen n. (2/13)
rollup n. (11/30)
simming n. (11/8)
nimbleton n. (11/6)
kitchen n. (11/6)
skuke n. (11/6)
parlor n. (11/6)
strap hanging n. (10/8)
parclo n. (10/8)
Dipper n. (10/8)
jeggings n. (10/5)
dittoism n. (10/5)
 More catchwords...
New Comments
Tom Kysilko commented on educanto (2/26)
duffeydw commented on rexing (2/24)
camerondiamond5 commented on pinhook (2/23)
dwshorn commented on stock (2/15)
Fordged commented on robotripping (2/3)
DeniseSipple commented on Yankee dime (1/17)
Loponstorm commented on robotripping (12/3)
OceanDeep commented on mouth-breather (12/3)
seasoned_geek commented on metric buttload (11/17)
gladius.primus commented on bakkie (11/17)
Ben Zimmer commented on riffed (8/18)
Gregory Teague commented on Taig (8/13)
Ben Zimmer commented on single shot (8/9)
christymarx commented on heinie (8/6)
amy_lu commented on mouth-breather (7/19)
Subscribe to the RSS feed.Subscribe to the mailing list.Browse the archive.Add to Technorati Favorites. © 1999-2009 by Grant Barrett, Double-Tongued Dictionary, New York City.