Las Vegas Bear Poppy (Arctomecon californica), a critically endangered plant in Nevada, is found in the northeastern Mojave Desert ecosystem on approximately 108 population sites on private, state, and federal land; 44% of the population is found on federal land. Fifty-three percent of the species's global population is believed to lie in the Las Vegas Valley. Genetic studies on A. californica indicate that several genotypes may exist within the Las Vegas Valley population. Thus, continuing disturbance and loss of habitat due to rapid development in the valley will mean a loss of genetic diversity to the species and the overall Mojave Desert ecosystem and may hasten the species's disappearance. Other plants in the poppy family are known to contain alkaloids that have potential medicinal benefits. Other species dependent on this plant, such as the rare Mojave bee (Perdita meconis), could be detrimentally affected by a decline in A. californica. The objective of this research is to determine the specific soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical habitat requirements of A. californica in part of its current range (southern Nevada) so that the trend of declining population numbers can be augmented in the future via nursery and field restoration efforts.