Avoid placing tents on top of vegetation and use a camp stove instead of making a campfire. Unless signs indicate otherwise, leave gates open or closed as you find them. Shallow soils erode quickly when vegetation is removed or protective cryptobiotic soil crusts are destroyed. These crusts are a comples of slowly-growing cyanobacteria, algae, mosses and lichens that bind the soil together, retain scarce water, and provide a usable source of nitrogen for desert plants. Your tracks do matter, once plants or soil crust are damaged, they may not recover in your lifetime.
Wood is a scarce resource that provides wildlife habitat and contributes to nutrient cycling.
Gates help protect fragile resources. Strive to leave no trace of your outing. When driving, riding, and hiking avoid taking shortcuts and travelling through cryptobiotic soils. Select an area of bare soil for your tent. Use a camp stove rather than burning firewood.