How do the plant communities of Lake Mead National Recreation Area differ from one another? Objective -Students will compare at least two different plant communities in the Mojave Desert. -Students will describe at least one animal and one plant in each community. -Students will describe at least one animal/plant association. Background The Mojave Desert contains several different natural plant communities. What is a community? It is a place where living things interact in an area of naturally associated species. Plant communities are based on elevation, soil types, amount of precipitation, an Duration: 60 Minutes.