Southwestern Desert Resources

by Halvorson, William; Schwalbe, Cecil; Van Riper, Charles, III

• ISBN13: 9780816528172
• ISBN10: 0816528179
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-02-01
• Publisher: Univ of Arizona Pr

Summary

The southwestern deserts stretch from southeastern California to west Texas and then south to central Mexico. The landscape of this region is known as basin and range topography featuring to sky islands” of forest rising from the desert lowlands which creates a uniquely diverse ecology. The region is further complicated by an international border, where governments have caused difficulties for many animal populations. This book puts a spotlight on individual research projects which are specific examples of work being done in the area and when they are all brought together, to shed a general light of understanding the biological and cultural resources of this vast region so that those same resources can be managed as effectively and efficiently as possible. The intent is to show that collaborative efforts among federal, state agency, university, and private sector researchers working with land managers, provides better science and better management than when scientists and land managers work independently.

Table of Contents

Dedication	p. viii
Introduction	p. 1
Area Inventories
Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument	p. 7
Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Tumacácori National Historic Park	p. 23
Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument	p. 41
Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Rincon Mountain District	p. 53
Vegetative Characteristics of Oak Savannas in the Southwestern Borderlands Region	p. 71
Distribution and Conservation Protection of Natural Land Cover in the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion in Arizona, as Described by the Southwest Regional GAP Analysis Project	p. 81
Vertebrate Species in Desert Caves and Mines - A Comparison Between the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts	p. 93
Status of Resources
Implications of Illegal Border Crossing and Drug Trafficking on the Management of Public Lands	p. 109
The U.S.-Mexico Border and Endangered Species	p. 123
Adaptive Management of the Grassland-Watershed at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area: the Role of Monitoring, Rancher Engagement, and Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Teams	p. 131
Ecology and Conservation in the Sonoyta Valley, Arizona and Sonora	p. 143
Overview of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program	p. 161
Termite Activity on Green Tissues of Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) in the Sonoran Desert	p. 171
Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Northwestern Sonora and Southwestern Arizona	p. 181
Observations on the Status of Aquatic Turtles and the Occurrence of Ranid Frogs and Other Aquatic Vertebrates in Northwestern Mexico	p. 205
Challenges to Natural Resource Monitoring in a Small Border Park: Terrestrial Mammals at Coronado National Memorial, Cochise County, Arizona	p. 225
The Small Mammal Community Associated with Ironwood (Olneya tesota)	p. 241
Finding that 4-star Diner or How Bats Might "Anticipate" Productive Foraging Areas	p. 253
Advancing Large Carnivore Recovery in the American Southwest	p. 263
Conservation Genetics of Black Bears in the Sky Islands of Arizona and Northern Mexico	p. 275
Recovery Efforts for the Sonoran Pronghorn in the United States	p. 283
Current Status of Mountain Lions and Urban Issues in Tucson, Arizona	p. 293
Social and Cultural Issues
Modeling Airborne Mineral Dust: A Mexico - United States Trans-boundary Perspective	p. 303
Open Space Protection as a Means of Urban Containment: A Case Study from Colorado	p. 319
Historic Transportation Corridors in the Southwest, 1536 - Present	p. 337
List of Contributors	p. 345
Index	p. 351
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.