Flora, Fauna, and Ecology of the Southwest

1
Flora, Fauna, and Ecology of the Southwest

• Sherry S. Herron, Ph.D.

2
The Chihuahuan Desertfrom Grasslands to Badlands

• Native grasslands have been damaged or destroyed
  by
• Activities of introduced species goat, sheep and
  cattle grazing
• Growth of introduced trees tamarisk/saltcedar
  from Asia planted for streambank stabilization
  has resulted in drop in water table
• Growth of introduced grasses buffelgrass,
  Lehmans lovegrass, and King Ranch bluestem from
  Africa planted for cattle forage is crowding out
  native plants
• Grasslands not Badlands project seeks to
  restore ecosystem

3
River Floodplain

• The Rio Grande once supported an abundance of
  trees that were harvested during the mercury
  mining era to fuel the ore-processing furnaces.
• Cane
• Cottonwoods
• Mesquite

4
Desert Wash

• Localized and intense thunderstorms occurring
  during the summer result in extreme erosion.
  These trees can survive a raging
  river-in-waiting desert willow, mesquite,
  persimmon, acacia, leadtree, Mexican buckeye, and
  purple ceniza.

5
Shrub Desert

• Low elevation, gravel and rock substrate, brutal
  heat and dryness.
• Plants are widely spaced, reduce surface area and
  protect it from UV radiation, flower quickly
  lotebush, creosotebush, tarbush, althorn, cacti,
  ocotillo (in sandalwood family), leatherstem,
  lechuguilla.

6
Sotol Grasslands

• Higher in elevation than the shrub desert,
  perennial grasses live dormant and then green up
  during summer rains black, chino, and side oats
  grama grass yuccas, century plants (blooms once
  when about 50 years old and then dies), giant
  dagger, and sotol.

7
Woodlands

• Sky islands receiving moisture from clouds
  support Douglas fir, Arizona pine, maples,
  quaking aspen, juniper, oaks often in
  populations found nowhere else on Earth.

8
Mountain Lions

• Felis concolor cat all of one color, this top
  carnivore is essential in maintaining biological
  diversity.
• Solitary, secretive, and aggressive.
• Dont run! Convince the lion that you are not
  prey.

9
Black Bears

• After plunging to the brink of extinction,
  numbers are rising.
• Omnivores with a keen sense of smell. We must use
  bear boxes.

10
Javelina

• AKA Collared peccaries they are not pigs (cant
  sweat and have fewer teeth).
• In U.S., live only in west Texas, NM, and
  Arizona.
• Mark their territory with fluid from a scent
  gland.
• Can eat prickly pear cactus.
• Flatten tents when away and use bear boxes.