photo by Noel Snyder

Fall 2005 Thick-billed parrots nesting in aspensSky within Island Chihuahua’s Allianc Sierra de la Maderae 1 Many Thanks to Our Contributors! Huge kudos go to Dennis Caldwell for de- signing our gorgeous new logo, and for put- ting up with all our divergent opinions in the process! Thanks also to Dana Backer, the mere mention of whose name makes invasive spe- cies’ roots quake; Angela Barclay, our great Welcome, Nicole! Farewell, Gita! hope for solving the remaining mysteries of Sky Island Alliance is a non-profit what we should and shouldn’t plant after fires; Nicole Urban-Lopez was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, and Carolyn Campbell, the mere mention of whose membership organization dedicated as a native, she shares a special relationship with our surrounding to the protection and restoration of name makes politicians’ and unscrupulous landscapes. Nicole is a recent graduate from the University of Ari- the rich natural heritage of native developers’ roots quake; Erika Geiger, grass- zona, where she earned a B.A. in political science and focused on species and habitats in the Sky land research guru, whose name will hope- environmental policy. She recently returned from Washington, DC, Island region of the southwestern fully never again be misspelled by careless United States and northwestern where she spent the summer working with environmental legislation editors; Chris Hass, PhD, tracking expert Mexico. Sky Island Alliance works as an intern for Congressman Raúl Grijalva. extraordinaire who was recently voted “Most with volunteers, scientists, land Nicole enjoys spending time outdoors, reading and being involved Likely to See Coati Scratches Where No- owners, public officials and in the local music scene. Her favorite area of the Sky Islands is the body Else Has Bothered to Look;” James government agencies to establish Chiricahua Mountains, and she has spent many weekends there Leckie, who is as keen on Saguaro National protected areas, restore healthy hiking, cooking and enjoying the scenery. Nicole joins Sky Island Park’s fauna as he is on its flames; Ellis landscapes and promote public Alliance as the Membership and Outreach Coordinator and looks Margolis, intellectual Johnny Aspen Seed appreciation of the region’s unique forward to meeting our wonderful members and volunteers! who uses any excuse he can get to explore biological diversity. …and a farewell to Gita as our newsletter editor-in-chief. Follow- the mountain West; Guy McPherson, a rare ing her biology research roots, Gita has taken a job with The Nature 520/624-7080 • fax 520/791-7709 breed of scientist who can see clear to ad- Conservancy at the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, and vocate for protecting the natural world while [email protected] she has extra tan lines and bug bites to prove it. She’s helping boost www.skyislandalliance.org he works to understand it; Jeneiene monitoring and adaptive management practices––fancy terms for Schaeffer, loyal friend of Saguaro National PO Box 41165 knowing enough about the effects of our actions (or inactions) to Tucson, AZ 85717 Park; Ceal Smith, most astute observer of wild change them before they cause real damage. Gita is delighted to be creatures and all their marvels, be they fig Staff working alongside Janice and Trevor and the rest of the Sky Island wasps or children; Noel Snyder, who flies off Matt Skroch Alliance crew on this jewel of the Sky Islands, and she is equally to study and protect birds more often than Executive Director pleased to connect with a whole new branch of the Las Cienegas anyone else we know; Mills Tandy, whose un- [email protected] family. She’ll miss the creative side of crafting a newsletter out of assuming manners and large, fuzzy dog belie Acasia Berry such naturally fabulous raw material, but will reluctantly hand over Associate Director one of the region’s brightest botanists; and, [email protected] the deadline whip to some other hardy soul. of course, the Sky Island Alliance staff. David Hodges Policy Director [email protected] Trevor Hare Conservation Biologist Table of Contents [email protected] Janice Przybyl Wildlife Monitoring Program Ecological Souffle; SIA Receives Conservation Award...... 3 [email protected] A Celebration for Manning Cabin; Seasonality...... 4 Mike Quigley Wilderness Campaign Coordinator Contemplating a Future of Lost Opportunities...... 5 [email protected] Road Rattlings; The Seasonal Ecology of Fire...... 6 Cory Jones GIS Specialist Coatis and Fire; Face to Face with a Cat-Face Scar...... 7 [email protected] Quaking Aspen: The “Phoenix” Tree of the Sky Islands...... 8 Sergio Avila Wildlife Biologist Grassland Fires Past and Present...... 10 [email protected] Effects of Seeding Ryegrass on Vegetation Recovery...... 11 Nicole Urban-Lopez Membership and Outreach Coordinator Who Goes Where? A Review of Wildlife Monitoring Techniques...... 12 [email protected] SDCP: Countdown to Completion; Critical Connections for Wildlife...... 14 Sky Jacobs Office Assistant Alliance Notes, Field Schedule...... 15 [email protected] Newsletter Gita Bodner, Editor Turtle, Production Editor Board of Directors Seeking SIA newsletter submissions Paul Hirt, President Send us your poetry, your words of wisdom, your art! Steve Marlatt, Vice President We want to keep this newsletter filled with inspirational, informative material, and we’d like your help! Do you Nancy Zierenberg, Secretary Dale Turner, Treasurer write poetry? Draw, sketch, paint, or photograph? Like to address regional conservation issues? Review books or Brooke Gebow websites? Anything that relates to the Sky Islands region is fair game! You can respond to items in our recent Lainie Levick newsletter, comment on your experiences as a volunteer or conference-goer, etc. Also, let us know if you’d like to be Rurik List a regular contributor, e.g. with a column each issue. The deadline for our next newsletter is January 15, 2006. Carlos Lopez Gonzalez Material submitted after that date may be saved for subsequent issues. Please email submissions to Rod Mondt Angel Montoya [email protected], or mail them to Sky Island Alliance, PO Box 41165, Tucson, AZ 85717. Resolu- Chris Roll tion of digital images should be at least 300 dpi if possible. Give your favorite small-town restaurant a boost by Todd Schulke writing a review and letting us promote it!

2 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 Ecological Souffle By Matt Skroch, Executive Director s I extended my arm toward the orange coals and flame the complex, costly and varied suc- managed improperly, for fire. In ad- of our campfire, I fully recognized that as my perfectly cesses of dealing with fire during and dition, let’s remember that just be- white marshmallow dangled off the end of my stick, it after its arrival to a landscape that cause the marshmallow is black, it’s A previously had been unmanaged, or not all bad. would burst into flames at any moment. I just couldn’t wait for that perfectly toasted, lightly browned variety of campfire marshmallows that some more patient folk subscribe to. I High-intensity fires provide stark, wanted to see it burn and sizzle before devouring the black mess of charred sugar. blackened landscapes that inherently Staring with great respect at my have combined to create explosive convey disaster to most of those who burning sphere of goo, I felt a sense of conditions in recent years. Wildland excitement and wonder in the flame, fires generally burn hotter now, pro- see these images on television, in the so close to my eyes. Knowing I would viding unique challenges to public soon put it out with a quick puff, I sat safety and ecosystem integrity. newspaper or directly in the field. Yet entranced by the sugar flame for sev- These high-intensity fires provide eral seconds. I reckon you may know stark, blackened landscapes that inher- disaster is not always the case. what I’m talking about. If you don’t… ently convey disaster to most of those well, try it sometime. who see these images on television, in Later that evening, as we’ve done the newspaper or directly in the field. so many times on Sky Island Alliance Disaster is not always the case, how- field trips, we all stared into the small ever, and we must resist the emotional circle of our campfire, refusing to take response invoked from seeing the ef- Sky Island Alliance our eyes away—even while engaged fects of these big burns. Instead, more in conversation with fellow volun- concern may be placed on where the teers. There’s just something about a high-intensity fires occurred on the Receives the campfire that captures your eyes and landscape and what may be done on won’t let go. As a pastime of our hu- our part to reduce the risk of long-term man race, the campfire is about the ecological damage. Joseph Wood Krutch only thing that will compete with the Active restoration of burned areas ubiquitous television for our unbend- can give nature a kick-start toward Conservation Award ing attention these days. That’s say- regrowth. This issue of Restoring ing a lot. Connections provides some great his fall, Sky Island Alliance was thrilled to re- Fire has been an integral part of our insight into dealing with the af- ceive the Joseph Wood Krutch Conservation lives for millennia. Just as it ignites our ter effects of fire on landscapes. TAward, which is given annually to an individual marshmallows over an open flame, it People spend millions of dollars or group that has demonstrated a sincere and sustained also heats our houses, cooks our food, every year seeding, planting and commitment to conservation in Arizona. Sky Island and propels our vehicles and aircraft stabilizing soils after fires. These Alliance was recognized for our very important contri- around the world (hopefully less so with are necessary tasks in certain bution to landscape-scale conservation by identifying new hybrid technology). Fire isn’t al- situations, yet it’s clear that us- wildlife-movement corridors with the Arizona Depart- ways controlled, and when it comes to ing prescribed burns (and other ment of Transportation and the Arizona Game and Fish wildland fires, more often than not we management techniques before Department, in addition to our extensive inventory and are at its mercy. It’s frustrating for hu- critical conditions arrive) is educational programs. We would like to thank The Na- mans to not have control over nature’s more efficient both in ecologi- ture Conservancy of Arizona for presenting this award, ways—and our wildfires. We’ve cal and economic terms. Fire as well as our many volunteers and organizational part- struggled to gain the upper hand since is a tool in many ways. We ners who continue to contribute to our critical conser- our evolution, with limited success in need to use it more often— vation efforts. Thank you! spite of our costly efforts. in the form of prescribed Big, frequent fires have occurred burns—to prevent throughout history, with the main dif- ference not being the acreage burned, but the relative intensities of today’s fires. Our conditions of prolonged drought and high fuel loads (lots of brush, understory and deadwood)

Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 3 Seasonality A Celebration for Manning Cabin’s By Mike Quigley, Wilderness Campaign Coordinator Firefighting History easonality. Back east, where I’m from, seasonality is dra- matic: It’s green with new growth, or it’s red and gold with By Jeneiene Schaffer, Friends of Saguaro National Park Sautumn leaves, or it’s white with snow. Here in southern Arizona, seasonality is more subtle. And I’m thankful for that. This year, the monsoon season started the Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness late, but it brought a lot of rain to a lot a reality in law like it is already a real- of areas. The Tumacacori Highlands ity on the ground. We’ve talked with were transformed from their winter key staff people for both Senators, browns to their summer greens, and the and, at this point, the Senators them- change was stunningly beautiful. I’ve selves need to hear from all of us that been hiking there often during the past this is the right thing to do. year as part of our effort to have this Please write or call Senator McCain magnificent place designated as a Wil- and Senator Kyl and tell them that you derness area. It’s always beautiful— support Wilderness for the Tumacacori wild, wide-open, dramatic. But this Highlands. Ask them to join with Rep- summer, it went green. My colleague resentative Grijalva by sponsoring iden- t sits alone most of the time, visited now and then by has a photo of the place from a good tical legislation in the Senate. hikers that sweat the rugged nine-mile hike into the monsoon season past. The trees drip- If you’re an Arizonan, please also en- Rincon Mountains to an elevation of 8,000 feet. Nestled ping green, the grasses lushly green, courage your Representative to support I the hilltops and slopes fuzzy with green. Wilderness (and if your congressman is in the Saguaro National Park Wilderness, the Manning Cabin I used to kid him about it, asking what Grijalva, a note of thanks and encour- was built in 1905 by Levi Manning (who was the mayor of Tuc- Photoshop trick he had applied to trans- agement would be welcome, I’m sure). son from 1905 to 1907). Originally intended as a mountain get- form that rugged, straw-golden land If you’re living outside of Arizona, please away for Manning’s family, the National Park Service turned it from a southern Arizona vista into a let our delegation know that you appre- into a backcountry ranger station for firefighters in 1933—a role scene from the English countryside. He ciate the wild parts of Arizona and let it still plays today. kept telling me: “Wait for the monsoon.” your own Representatives and Senators Sure enough, that’s all that it took— know that they should support this Ari- Tucson Citizen environmental re- of the 20th or 21st century improve- a lot of rain and some Arizona sun- zona issue when the time comes. porter Larry Copenhaver remembers ments that have been introduced. shine. That magical combination in a It’s a new season. It’s time for our his “electrifying” experiences on the To kick off this revival of a part natural, wild place like the Tumacacori elected officials to get green. Let’s tend fire trail crew. During the summers of Tucson’s history and to help with Highlands gives way to meadows of that garden. Let’s make that happen. of 1962 to 1964, he and seven other preservation efforts, the Friends of knee-high blue and sideoats gramma Write letters, send emails, make phone crew members stayed in the bunk- Saguaro National Park, along with grasses, waist-high sacaton, wildflow- calls. And next year, maybe we’ll en- house near Manning Cabin. “We the Western National Parks Asso- ers, and standing pools of water that joy the green season in our new Wil- didn’t have a chainsaw back then. ciation and the Arizona Historical nurture leopard frogs, butterflies and derness area. We had to carry a six-foot, two-man Society, hosted a Manning Cabin dragonflies by the score. And, in many saw that was essentially a potential 100th anniversary celebration at of the remote canyons, shade and run- Our friends at the Campaign for lightening rod. Now, when you con- Tanque Verde Guest Ranch on Oc- ning water. Imagine! America’s Wilderness have set up sider that these fires were caused by tober 23. Events included exhibits I often think there is seasonality to a great website where you can edit lightening in the first place, it made on the cabin, firefighting and fire other things too, like cultural trends or and send an email to the Senators: us very worried.” history in the Rincons, Wilderness, relationships. And there is certainly sea- action.leaveitwild.org/action/ While working on a hot spot at the mule-packing demonstrations, pio- sonality to politics. Congress recesses index.asp?step=2&item=27516 top of Mica Mountain, their worries neer and fire-fighting dress up for for the month of August (historically an literally flashed before their eyes. “A the kids, and the Hispanic history unbearably hot and humid time in Wash- If you prefer mail, phone or fax, bolt of lightening zipped across the in the Rincon Valley. More than ington, DC). Elections are in the fall; the contact information is: saw that I was carrying. I dropped 500 people attended this fun event. primaries in the spring. Like tending a The Honorable John McCain the thing, and we all ran away fast— The Arizona Historical Society is garden—when to plant, when to water, US Senate terrified we might get hit for real.” continuing presentations through- when to add some compost—timing can 241 Russell Senate Building The lack of aerial suppression is an- out November. matter a great deal when trying to move Washington, DC 20510 other reflection from Copenhaver as Finally, Saguaro National Park is our political system to do the right thing. Phone: (202) 224-2235 to what it was like to put out fires in asking folks—from firefighters to Politically, now is the season for con- Fax: (202) 228-2862 the Rincon Mountains more than 40 hikers—to share their experiences tacting our Senators to tell them that and years ago. Copenhaver says, “There at Manning Cabin. It hopes to cre- we want their support for the The Honorable Jon Kyl are no vehicle access roads within 10 ate an “oral history” that will remain Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness US Senate miles of the cabin, so you couldn’t for generations to come. proposal. We’ve been gathering broad 730 Hart Senate Building haul water in.” How did they put out For more information, contact public support; we’ve been discussing Washington, DC 20510 the fires? “We threw dirt on them.” Meg Weesner, chief of science and the proposal with elected officials; and Phone: (202) 224-4521 In the years since, time has taken resources management, at (520) Congressman Raúl Grijalva is pre- Fax: (202) 224-2207 a toll on the cabin. Restorations 733-5170, or Jeneiene Schaffer, pared to introduce legislation in the need to be made, and the National Friends of Saguaro National Park, House of Representatives. Now is the Outside Arizona, you can find con- Park Service wishes to remove any at (520) 622-1080. time to strongly encourage Senators tact information via www.house.gov John McCain and Jon Kyl to make or www.senate.gov. 4 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 Contemplating a Future of Lost Opportunities By David Hodges, Policy Director

n 1995, the US District Court of Arizona imposed what would turn out to be an of money. Due to the war in Iraq, Katrina, tax cuts, 18-month injunction prohibiting any timber sales from taking place on any na- etc., there will not even be close to adequate fund- tional forest lands in Arizona and New Mexico. Over a two-year period leading ing for the foreseeable future (the use of fire as a I tool becomes more important as it will always be up to this event, I had the opportunity to examine, on the ground, every proposed much cheaper than thinning acre-by-acre). timber sale in Arizona and many in New Mexico (note: only two of these were in the This means we remain at the mercy of blowhard greater Sky Islands region—most were in central and northern Arizona). What I politicians who continue to use these events to cas- found left me disillusioned and disturbed with how our public lands were being man- tigate conservationists, pontificate about how we aged for fuels, fire and timber. need to cut more trees and build roads to save our forests, promise to work to solve the problem and I looked at sales that were de- of the Santa Catalinas not to have then disappear until the next big fire season. Then, scribed as “thinning” projects burned in the past three years. when the cameras are rolling, they will appear and and touted as a means to reduce Combined with a program that repeat the same mantra again and again. wildfire risks and enhance for- maintains cleared areas around For these people, playing politics with tragedy and est health. What I found in structures in the upper elevation natural disasters comes as second nature. Though many cases was the largest, most forests while doing the same at often self-proclaimed experts on fire, they are ill fire-resistant trees were marked the wildlands-urban interface informed as to the science of forest processes, and for removal, while thickets of below, this could allow the they do more harm than good in conveying to the small, fire-susceptible trees mountain to return to a fairly larger public what the issues actually are. were left behind. natural fire regime. No wonder I fear that nothing will be different in I looked at timber sales that Unfortunately, the window 20 years, that we will be having the same conversa- had a diameter cap on the size of tree that would be for achieving this is closing at an alarming rate, as tion and debate on forest health and fire, and that cut (these were touted as “old growth enhancement many of the opportunities presented by these re- our elected officials will still be spouting nonsense projects”), and in some instances found hundreds cent fires will be gone in a few years. and distorting issues for political gain. of trees marked for cutting that were significantly In my mind, when folks are getting riled up at the Lest I leave you with the impression that all is greater than the diameter cap. latest fires, about insects, about drought and about bad, I am hopeful in several areas. Locally, the I learned that a “seed cut” (the stated purpose forest health, the question has always been whether Coronado National Forest has made tremendous was forest regeneration) was nothing more than a this change anything? I suspect we will be having strides in incorporating scientific principals into for- clear cut with an occasional tree left on the land- these same conversations 20 years from now, and est and land management. The agency I knew 20 scape as a seed bank for future forests. These rem- this is unfortunate. I believe that in many cases we years ago (or even 10), no longer exists. nant trees would then be cut in five years. know what we need to do, but we lack money and I do believe that we can and will make meaning- I learned that mistletoe was mistakenly treated as leadership from our elected officials. ful progress here in the Sky Islands. But this will a scourge on the forest that must be eradicated via This is a national policy and funding issue that require public pressure on elected officials to en- the removal of trees—many, many, many large will be decided (or not decided), for better or worse, sure adequate funding for the land management trees—that had to be cut down to “save the forest.” in DC. This does not leave me optimistic in the agencies, as well as support for good forest manage- These inconsistencies between environmental short term as meaningful restoration will cost lots ment by those agencies. planning, documentation and the on-the-ground reality had a tremendous influence on the court’s In keeping with the spirit of “Rambling Rants,” I have one more bone to pick here. During the past decision to grant an injunction halting logging in decade, there has been an ongoing debate regarding how much and where to thin forests to protect the Arizona and New Mexico. wildlands-urban interface. Those who always look for excuses to build more roads and cut more trees I offer this brief history as context to where we’ve have pushed the notion that embers travel for miles in advance of a large fire. To them, this is reason been, where we’re going and where we may end up. to not just clean up close to structures but to cut deep into the surrounding forest. Since the lifting of this injunction, our forests (al- After the Aspen Fire had burned most of Summerhaven in 2003, there was much talk of how the ready compromised by more than a century of tim- fire came out of wilderness and that thinning deep into the forest could have avoided this tragedy. ber production) have faced a combination of insects Even President Bush, during his photo-op on Mt. Lemmon (to push his “Healthy Forest Initiative”) and drought, further complicating any restoration talked of the need to build more roads and to have a more aggressive policy targeting the forests strategies. We’ve also seen major fires in many of around communities. It was even suggested at several post-fire meetings that the Pusch Ridge our Sky Island ranges since 1994, and they have Wilderness be decertified! increased in frequency as the drought stretches on. Unfortunately for the propagandists, this story turned out to not be true. The most important story The good news is that these recent fires also pro- of the Aspen Fire was missed completely by the media and ignored by decision makers in DC. This is vide opportunities that did not previously exist. a story about how Summerhaven was not destroyed by a crown fire raging out of the wilderness but On Mt. Lemmon in the Catalinas, the Bullock and was taken out by a low-level ground fire that burned from cabin to cabin. Aspen Fires burned a year apart and greatly de- Amazingly, after years of being warned of the need to clean up around their homes and having creased fuels on much of this mountain range. barely escaped the Bullock Fire the previous year, most folks had not done the thinning and raking From a strategic perspective, this condition allows needed to protect their cabins. Had this bare minimum of preventive maintenance been conducted, for a natural fire restoration plan that can be tied most of those homes would still stand. To read “An Examination of the Summerhaven, Arizona, Home into these two large burned areas, which would Destruction Related to the Local Wildland Fire Behavior During the June 2003 Aspen Fire” and view act as buffers/firebreaks. the report’s many illuminating photos, visit: www.firelab.org/media/Summerhaven.pdf. The Forest Service should move quickly to intro- Until next time, duce fire back into Pusch Ridge, the only major area —David

Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 5 danced in our dreams. Also in June, a few hardy souls continued the Blue River tamarisk work by Road Rattlings backpacking the unroaded lower Blue. The water By Trevor Hare, Conservation Biologist flowed cool and clear, and we slept on sand bars and lounged in the shade of cottonwoods and sy- camores. In July, we revisited the amazing Apache I can taste it—the raspberries, the gooseberries, Box—we were planning on swimming, only to find the Portuguese chourico, the pond water, the green that there was no water but of course canyon tree chilies, mesquite smoke, the lemonade berries, the frogs and garter snakes. victory and the defeat, the bitter and sweet and tart, In August, 10 more folks came out to Las Cienegas the juniper berries, the mushrooms and the bellotas. National Conservation Area to close a warren of ille- I can close my eyes, and I can taste it. gal roads and ATV play areas to help protect an ero- The sights and sounds, the smell and the taste of my sion control project in Mattie Canyon. It was here home stay with me and provide the way for me. My that we discovered the work of a brave soul who he colors are blowing my mind! The pictures, my field notes, my data forms don’t and can’t blasted two beautiful western diamondback rattle- Tsounds and smells are freaking intense! tell it; only the poor-will and the green grass can tell snakes with a shotgun, leaving them in the road as a Even the taste is different and wild! me and can lead the way for me. Sometimes I get lost, warning to all other snakes. In September, our Third but only in town. Sometimes I get in trouble, but only Annual Labor Day Gathering and Wilderness Cel- The black tail and the yellow breasts, the green, in town. Sometimes I yell and stress and again, only in ebration in the Chiricahuas revealed lushness beyond the painted and the varied, rose throats, cardinal town. Only wild critters and exposed rock, only the compare—and raspberries, ladybugs and twin-spot (all over) and white ears. The gray and ferruginous, encinal and the gallery forest know which way. rattlesnakes! The following weekend, the Huachuca berylline and sulphur, indigo and rufous, the slate And the way leads us here and there. Back in May, Mountains invited us—with rain and grass and sun- and rusty, the gold and red and blue and orange, 10 of us visited the Las Cienegas National Conser- shine—to walk in its lovely riparian corridors. and the tan, the brown, the earth. The rattle, the vation Area to close a small road and an illegal camp- Hopefully, the winter schedule will reveal all of woosh, the who who, the beep and boop, the rustle, site that is now growing over and looks great. Also the wondrous stuff we saw and experienced this sum- the scream and the nyuck, the plop and the slip, the in May, 15 of us visited the Dos Cabeza Mountains mer. Soon, we will revisit the Huachuca Mountains roar and the growl. Wow! where we explored a small canyon full of power and to finish the inventory of the area in anticipation of The Huachucas smell like snakes (as does Paradise), pictographs, slick rock and spring water. And over restoration activities and follow-up monitoring. In the Dos Cabezas smell old and of rocks, the Peloncillos the Memorial Day weekend, 25 of us traveled up December, we will visit the Peloncillo Mountains and Pajaritos smell of frogs and jaguars, and the the Blue River for a tamarisk-mapping project. We to do some more road inventories and give ourselves Chiricahuas smell like raspberries and bears. The smell found too much of the ugly little invader but not so an early winter solstice gift. Then in 2006, look for- of history and sage and of the future, chilies and carne much that eradication and/or control is not possible. ward to returning to the Santa Ritas after a five- asada, of cigar smoke and whiskey, the smell of coffee So that is our next step. year hiatus. in the morning and the campfire, of death and of life, In June, we visited the Peloncillo Mountains for I hope that those who couldn’t join us this past of decadence and exuberance, these all permeate the a riparian inventory weekend, and we slept on the season soon will, and I want to thank all who did air and aura around these Sky Islands. dance floor shaded by oaks while leopard frogs make it out!

The Seasonal Ecology of Fire By James Leckie, Saguaro National Park Lead Fire Monitor

s managers become increasingly savvy in the application predominately give birth of fire, new questions emerge regarding the manner in in late August and Septem- Awhich we care for our resources. No longer is it enough ber. The effects of fall burns on to say: “Let’s put fire on the ground.” Today, we are asking our- these young lizards have not been selves where and how often do we ignite our lands, factoring in the documented, but it is reasonable to assume that these late season availability of the resources we use to ignite them. We are also must burns are more detrimental to their asking when do we ignite them based on the “good of the resource.” be careful, numbers than summer burns when the because there are many inhabitants of young are not present. This is just one These questions are not easily an- role in how the forests respond after the forest and we have only begun to example of a need for further research. swered without clear, quantifiable ob- fire. Initial studies at Saguaro National tap into their gestalt. The forests are home to many spe- jectives and lots of data. Researchers Park show that fall burns increase the Animals have evolved with the same cies—each interdependent on its have spent lifetimes trying to answer probability of overstory and pole tree fire regime as the plants. Case in point: neighbor’s role. We have a great re- them. And more lifetimes are needed mortality. Conversely, seedling recruit- Many species of reptiles in the Rincon sponsibility to them to restore and to clarify the answers we are finding ment is bolstered by fall burns. Grasses Mountains have young in the fall, po- maintain that home. Ultimately, we as well as the myriad new questions recover more vigorously from summer tentially to coincide with the post- must answer to them. our data raises. burns while fall burns promote forb monsoon availability of resources. As we continue down this path, we At Saguaro National Park, our main growth. Ferns seem to be encouraged Historically, most of the naturally oc- will be better equipped to predict re- form of post-fire treatment is monitor- by fire regardless of the season.* As curring fires in southeastern Arizona sponses and therefore attain manage- ing. We have had an active prescribed this data trickles in year after year, we began in July to coincide with the ad- ment objectives. burn program for nearly 20 years, and are beginning to see these trends in vent of the monsoon. These young rep- we have vegetative data dating back al- the forest with greater depth and clar- tiles historically “escaped” their first fire *Results are based on three fall and two most as far. This data indicates that the ity—trends we create as a direct result season by not being born until after summer mosaic pattern burns of moderate seasonality of the burn plays a major of our management actions. But we it. Mountain short-horned lizards intensity, five years after fire. 6 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 Coatis and Fire By Dr. Christine Hass, PhD, Wildlife Biologist & SIA Tracking Trainer had been observing coatis in the Huachuca Mountains of variety of predators, including moun- of fire suppression beginning around southeastern Arizona for four years when a brush fire con- tain lions, golden eagles, bobcats, black the turn of the last century. Forest sumed a portion of one troop’s home range. The fire burned bears, jaguars and humans. thinning and controlled burns will I Coatis were first reported in the US likely impact coati distribution, at mostly grass and mesquite, but it also burned through a riparian in the late 1800s. While I have my least in the short term. The long-term forest of sycamore, cottonwood, walnut, ash and chokecherry. It doubts that it was the species’ first effects remain to be seen. was this riparian forest that the coatis had used, yet after the fire, appearance in this country, this time I am not advocating that forest man- they ceased coming to the area for at least the remaining year that period does appear to mark an in- agement plans be based solely on I was able to monitor that particular troop. crease in the number of sightings coatis. However, if keeping a throughout the Sky Islands. There diversity of Madrean bird Most of my study was done at Fort ground. It’s not hard to understand were also drastic changes going on in and mammal species within Huachuca Military Reservation, but why they might avoid newly burned the habitats in and around the moun- an area is a management it also included the nearby Coronado areas—a fire burning along the ground tains at the time. Earlier in the 1800s, goal, then maintaining National Forest and the Nature will incinerate much of the insect and not only was a more natural fire re- horizontal cover and soil Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Pre- other invertebrate life. Trees killed or gime in place, but it was augmented invertebrates needs to be serve. At the time, the military was heavily damaged by fires produce little by fires set intentionally by the considered in the plans. actively thinning brush and trees near or no food for the coatis. Studies in Apaches and Sobaipuri. Then cattle Sometimes you do need roads and picnic areas, as well as the Midwest have shown that it may arrived in large numbers, resulting in to see the forest for limbing trees to reduce the possibility take years for ground-dwelling beetle severe overgrazing in some places. It the (little) trees. of crown fires. Coatis either avoided populations to recover following a for- wasn’t until the droughts of the late these thinned areas, or they moved est fire. I am unaware of any studies 1800s killed off most of the rapidly through newly opened areas on the effects of fire on beetles and cattle that the forest be- where I had previously observed them other insects in the Sky Islands, but I gan to regenerate. slowly foraging. Likewise, Ramsey imagine the results are similar. Fire suppression Canyon had also done a lot of thin- The reaction of coatis to burned and changed the appear- ning of the oak understory. A troop thinned areas also points out the im- ance of the forest, result- that had frequented the preserve for portance of cover—not just overhead ing in higher densities of more than five years all but disap- cover from the forest canopy but also juniper, oak and mes- peared when the thinning started, not horizontal cover. Coatis like thick, quite—all coati foods. reappearing until the oaks resprouted brushy areas; indeed, much of their be- It’s possible that the and were a couple of feet tall. havior is adapted to that kind of habi- distribution and num- Coatis are fruit and bug eaters, and tat. Thick cover may also be coatis’ bers of coatis we see they do much of their foraging on the attempt to avoid detection by a large today are the result

Face to Face with a Cat-Face Scar By Ceal Smith, Satori School Science Teacher

e had planned to hike to the summit but made it no further than the “tree- the debris pile is transformed into flames licking up cave” about one-quarter of a mile up the trail. When the kids discovered it, against the side of the tree. The black burn mark is wide at the base, then slender and pointy further there was no moving on. They ran straight to the tree as though they had W up the tree trunk—hence the name “cat face.” The been there a million times before. They squealed and yelped, climbed in, peered out, up same trees can be burned again and again, and the and down. They ran in, out and around the tree for an hour or more as it fed their furtive scars are permanently recorded in the woody flesh imaginations. Like magic. A Buddhist would call it a spirit tree. I don’t know what the of the trees. Fire-adapted trees like ponderosa pine Native Americans would call it, but I’m sure they too would recognize its special power may live 400 years or longer. as naturally as the kids did that afternoon. Because of our distinct seasons, scientists are able to use the rings of a tree’s growth to find out about I’ve encountered trees like this from time to time, environmental changes through time. Each tree ring and they have always struck me as weary, old dea- represents one season of the tree’s growth. A nor- cons of the forest—their scars like crescendos in mal (unburned) ring has white cambium growth at the long, slow story of that particular place through the beginning of a season and darker growth near time. Unbeknownst to me, trees with “cat-face” scars, the end of the season. A cat-faced fire scar is dra- as they are called, are important ambassadors for matically different. These scars are typically black, the fire-adapted forest. Scientists, particularly of the and the ring itself is rolled in and burnt back. The tree-ring lab kind, seek out trees with cat-face scars fire often burns out the year’s growth in the area to aid in efforts to understand the history of fire in where it burns, so the ring itself gets burned out. fire-adapted forests. By examining rings from several trees in a stand, it Cat-face scars always occur on the uphill side of a is possible to reconstruct the fire history of an en- tree. Branches, leaf litter and other flammable de- tire forest. Just as I suspected, these trees are in- bris are caught up against the base of the tree on deed weary, old deacons of the forest. To the kids, the uphill side. As fire moves through the forest, they are just plain magic. Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 7 Quaking Aspen...

By Ellis Margolis, University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree Ring Research

s the monsoons fade and a hint of fall arrives on the first cool breeze that blows through the Adesert, we begin to look to the mountains for fall color. Without the vast sugar maple or beech for- ests that draw “leaf peepers” to the northeastern US, we count on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) to add color to our predominantly evergreen montane land- scapes. Aspen is actually much more than just a pretty face; in fact, it is one of the most ecologically interest- ing and unique trees in the Sky Islands. Quaking aspen is the most widely distributed native tree in North America, and it has the second largest geographic distri- bution on planet Earth. It is the dominant deciduous tree species in the high-elevation forests of the Sky Islands, and quaking as- pen often exists as the only species filling this important ecologi- cal niche. Part of the reason for the widespread success of this species is an ability to re-sprout from a clonal root system, even when all of the aboveground portion is killed (e.g., following a

Carr Peak, Huachuca Mountains: Brightest patch seen from below. Fires in 1977 and 1986 cleared swaths of dark pines from the high slopes of Carr Peak. Jump forward in time and these same slopes paint themselves for each season, first shim- mering green, then fluttering gold, and finally pale, still white. If you want a preview of what Sky Island seasons are doing before you plan your epic color-seeking hikes, look no further than Carr Peak, one of the regions most accessible aspen stands. Special thanks to Mills Tandy for his insights into the fire- related botany of the Huachuca Mountains! photo by Bob VanDeven

The Galiuro Mountains: Lowest elevation, most surprising stand Sierra de la Madera, Chihuahua: Best wildlife- nesting area. Containing perhaps the finest aspen stands in all of the Sierra Madre Occidental, a Top Aspen newly created preserve just northwest of the town Chiricahua Mountains: Largest Sky Island stands. Stand-re- of Madera in Chihuahua features the thick-billed placing fire patches in 1851 and 1886, though small by today’s parrot as its most charismatic inhabitant. Nesting standards, painted at least 140 hectares (350 acres) of aspen across Stands in the primarily in old flicker holes in the aspens, the Fly’s Peak, Chiricahua Peak and the ridge that joins them. After a thick-bills are specialist feeders on the cones of vari- century of fire suppression and fuel buildup, the 1994 Rattle- ous conifers in surrounding areas. Recent counts snake Fire cleared trees from some 5,000 acres (and burned less Sky Islands indicate approximately 600 individuals each sum- intensely on an additional 22,000 acres), including some of the mer and fall. The stands of giant aspens also host old aspen stands. As alarming as this huge fire seemed at the time, Compiled By Gita Bodner thriving populations of other hole-nesting species, it dramatically expanded opportunities for the Chiricahua’s aspen especially eared quetzals, mountain trogons and el- stands. The Crest Trail now offers some of the most spectacular egant trogons, but also including spotted owls and autumn hikes in the region. Sure, these stands are a far cry from saw-whet owls. One recent nest snag contained the the huge swaths of white trunks and golden leaves that blanket nests of three thick-billed parrot pairs, a honeybee parts of the Rocky Mountains, but the Chiricahuas boast sum- hive and a nest of saw-whet owls, all active simul- mer-like weather just a few walking miles away and an under- taneously. In times past, but within the memory of story with wildflowers from the Sierra Madre. local residents, the high-elevation reserve also Aspen researcher Ellis Margolis hedges this “biggest” claim: “In hosted the legendary imperial woodpecker. The ar- our lifetimes,” he says, “the Chiricahuas do have the biggest Sky eas surrounding the preserve are now regularly tim- Island stands of aspen we can see on the landscape.” But most of bered of their conifer species, with the exception the aspen organism itself lies below ground, where, like some of Douglas fir, but the aspens have been left giant subterranean mushroom, it bides its time for thousands of unexploited and the domain of wildlife species. This years as clearings in the forest open and close, and its aboveground is the only region in its entire range where the thick- stems sprout and fall like so many mushrooms. If you include the bill is known to nest in aspens. Special thanks to underground world, the identity of our largest aspen stand re- Noel Snyder for this profile! mains a well-buried mystery. 8 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 the “Phoenix” Tree of the Sky Islands high-severity crown fire). Some argue that aspen clones are among means that fires that kill all competing conifer trees are the best the oldest living organisms, possibly thousands of years old. How- type for quaking aspen. That also means that where large patches ever, current dating techniques cannot accurately age the clones. of quaking aspen are present on the landscape, there were large, We do know that individual aspen stems (what we normally think stand-replacing crown fires that gave the competitive advantage of as aspen trees) live to ages of greater than 250 years. to the aspen. “Quaking aspen in the Sky Islands,” you might ask? Yes, it is What does this mean for the Sky Islands, where aspen have present in most Sky Island mountain ranges in the US and even tended to come only in small patches instead of large stands? This into Mexico. However, quaking aspen in the Sky Islands is much is evidence to support the theory that the large, stand-replacing less conspicuous than the famous large stands in the San Francisco crown fires we’ve witnessed in recent years are unprecedented in Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona, the San Juan Mountains of south- the Sky Islands. Having said that, stand-replacing burns are clearly ern Colorado, or the Sangre de Cristos of northern New Mexico. not new to this region––they are just historically seldom seen at The reason for the small stands is a combination of multiple the large scale of several of our recent burns. factors: smaller areas of potentially suitable habitat resulting from Some aspen stands in the Sky Islands do seem to have sprouted physiographic characteristics of the Sky Islands and historic fire from pre-1900 stand-replacing fires. For example, relatively large regimes. The island nature of the mountains results in limited con- (40 hectares) patches of quaking aspen pop up in the Chiricahua tiguous areas of land above 8,000 feet, thus restraining the amount Mountains (e.g., Fly’s Peak). These stands regenerated following of area that receives sufficient moisture to sustain aspen. This ini- a large fire in 1886. This fire was recorded all over the mountain tial restraint on aspen is further limited by fire dynamics. by fire scars on pines that survived the fire. Thus, this fire was Aspen in upper montane forests need fire––the right kind of largely a low-intensity surface fire with some patches of stand- fire––to persist on a landscape. Just like the mythical Phoenix, replacing fire that gave rise to the aspen stands––a mixed-severity aspen clones will sprout from the ashes, even in areas wiped clean fire. Mixed-severity fires were likely common throughout the up- by the most intense fire storms. Aspen growing amongst other tree per elevations of the Sky Islands, where small patches (less than species need fire because they are a shade-intolerant species (i.e., 40 hectares) of upper-mixed conifer forests would burn as a crown they need full sunlight to regenerate, compete and survive). This fire and aspen would rise from the ashes.

Galiuro Mountains: Lowest elevation, most surprising stand. Common wisdom states that aspens in the American Southwest grow at elevations of 7,000 feet or higher—usually much higher. Yet tucked into one hidden valley in the rugged, remote Galiuro range, some 30 white stems thrive at just 6,000 feet above sea level. This stand is just one reason some tree researchers refer to the Galiuros as “the upside-down mountains,” with shrubs in the high country and tall forests lower down in the range’s many drainages. Unlike most in the region, this stand is not borne of fire; instead, it’s a spring-fed riparian patch growing among maples and alders. “Self-sustaining” patches like this occur in other places, too, where disturbances from wildlife, rockslides or other factors we don’t entirely understand enable them to persist through time.

Mt. Graham, Pinaleño Mountains: Most majestic stems. Mixed in with the perennial green of their conifer forest neighbors, the grandeur of Mt. Graham’s aspens lies not in the stand but in the individual stem—monoliths too big to wrap your arms around and old enough to wear grizzled gray bark at eye level. These ancients turn to smooth white only high in the canopy where their trembling leaves catch sun and treetop breezes. Of all the Sky Islands, Mt. Gra- ham has the largest area capable of harboring aspens, yet as of 2004 had no solid stands bigger than five hectares (12 acres). This seems to be because until a few years ago, the high country of this range had shown no evidence of large—

or even medium-sized—stand replacement burns in the last photo by Gita Bodner 300 years. Researchers trace the oldest trees on much of the range back to 1686, evidence that a large fire in 1685 cleared a great deal of the mountain’s high elevations. For 200 years after this presumed mega-burn, frequent surface fires seem to have kept fuel loads so low that no burns were able to flame open holes in the canopy. Yet peppered throughout the pines and spruces, this range has some of the largest—and oldest—aspen trees in the region. Aspen The Aspen Trail: Most aptly named stems rarely, if ever, live long enough to trace all the way back to 1685, but some of Mt. Graham’s giants come close. Aspen Loop Trail, Santa Catalina Mountains: Most aptly named. Right above the me- Perhaps they are remnant progeny of a huge stand from tropolis of Tucson, the relatively easy-going Aspen Loop Trail has long been one of the the 1680s, feeding the clonal roots that will soon fill canopy most popular high-elevation hiking trails in the Sky Islands. Before the 2004 Aspen Fire, holes left by the 1996 Clark Peak and 2004 Nuttal Fires. this trail was almost entirely under a closed canopy of towering pines and riparian hard- wood, with several small stands of aspens in the mix. Now large swaths of pine are gone— but watch for these aspen stands to take their rightful place along the trail of their name. Fall along the Aspen Loop Trail is sure to get ever more spectacular in the coming decades! Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 9 Grassland Fires Past and Present By Guy R. McPherson, Dana M. Backer and Erika L. Geiger, University of Arizona School of Natural Resources

he historical prevalence of fire in Sky Island ecosystems dominance in many former grasslands. While the desire to restore and suggests that fire is a necessary component of any com- Once established, mesquite is amaz- maintain ecological processes and na- prehensive strategy focused on the retention of biological ingly resistant to mortality via fire (or tive biodiversity are noble ambitions, T other means). Mesquite plants develop complete ecological restoration may diversity. Because fire was—and is—a dominant process in these an extensive and seemingly inexhaust- not be achievable for most ecosys- systems, restoration of historical fire regimes would seem to be ible belowground “bud bank” within a tems, especially those dominated by an important first step toward maintenance of high levels of bio- few years after germination. Removal of non-native grasses and long-lived logical diversity. the aboveground portion of the plant, woody plants such as mesquite. even with recurrent high-intensity fires, Nonetheless, ecological restoration Maintenance of biological diversity and for maintaining myriad species that rarely induces mortality in mesquite offers a goal toward which progress is important because present and fu- are rarely noticed by most visitors. Re- plants that exceed a few years in age. should be measured. We should not ture generations of humans depend on covery from these fires probably de- Personal observations indicate that suc- abandon efforts to restore ecosystems a rich diversity of life for a variety of pended to a great extent on post-fire cessive high-intensity, early summer fires merely because the most Herculean ecosystem services, such as pollination precipitation. Frequent summer thun- within a period of five years will cause efforts will fall short. The appropri- of crop plants and purification of air derstorms doubtless contributed to about 10 percent of established mesquite ate metric for restoration likely is and water. We depend on these types rapid post-fire recovery, whereas a plants to die; this appears to represent some distance, as yet undefined, from of services to maintain our civilization paucity of precipitation likely delayed an approximate upper bound on fire- the goal of complete restoration. As and ultimately our survival. Unfortu- recovery for years or even decades. induced mortality. such, restoration efforts should place nately, human actions are responsible The consequences of contemporary Fire has been suggested as a manage- high priority on areas that are most for a dramatic and ongoing decline in fires differ from those of fires during the ment tool for control of non-native similar to the desired condition at the biological diversity. As architects of the pre-settlement period in two primary grasses. The most abundant non-native expense of areas that are dissimilar extinction crisis currently facing Earth, from desired conditions (e.g., histori- we have a responsibility to future cal “reference” condition). Ideally, generations of Homo sapiens and restoration efforts should focus on non-human species to retain as much ecological processes, not individual biological diversity as possible. Natu- species or specific attributes of com- ral resource managers and land stew- munity structures. In addition, res- ards must embrace their capacity and toration is a site-specific endeavor capability to sustain and enhance the that must reflect and exploit local diversity and complexity of wildland patterns of climate and weather. Re- ecosystems. Reintroducing ecologi- habilitation of local fire regimes that cal processes with which species resemble historical regimes is an im-

evolved underlies the ability to main- portant step toward retention of bio- tain species diversity in the Sky Is- photo by Guy R. McPherson logical diversity. We should not allow lands. The substantial economic cost excessive focus on obvious species such of maintaining high levels of biologi- as mesquite and Lehmann lovegrass cal diversity will pale in comparison to obscure the overall goal of main- to the costs of failing to do so. These taining conditions appropriate to the costs include extinction of myriad conservation of thousands of species species, potentially including our own. in the Sky Islands. As Albert Einstein Coincident with Anglo settlement, pointed out (albeit in a different con- grasslands of the Sky Islands were text), “Not all that is counted counts, noted for the presence of recurrent Restoring grasslands with fire in southern Arizona and not all that counts can be fires, and the season, frequency and counted.” We should keep “counting” behavior of these fires likely contrib- ways: Pre-settlement fires kept mesquite species in the Sky Island’s grasslands mesquite and Lehmann lovegrass, uted to high levels of biological diver- from establishing, whereas today’s fires is Lehmann lovegrass, a warm-season while recognizing that they are two sity. Extensive fires occurred relatively have little impact on mesquite trees, and perennial grass introduced from South species from among thousands that frequently, averaging every five to 20 contemporary fires apparently contrib- Africa to stabilize the region’s over- occupy grasslands in the Sky Islands. years in most of the region’s grass- ute to the spread of non-native grasses grazed soils during the 1930s. Although With respect to restoration of bio- lands. The time between successive that were not present during the pre- fire often is viewed as a tool for con- logical diversity, it is particularly ap- fires undoubtedly varied considerably, settlement period. trolling Lehmann lovegrass, results of propriate to reintroduce fires into perhaps ranging from two to 30 years Mesquite was likely present through- a five-year experimental research pro- southwestern ecosystems. Important on specific sites, and this variability out the region’s grasslands, but fire, gram in grasslands of Fort Huachuca questions focus on the season, fre- was an important component of the drought and interference from native suggest that fire does not reduce biom- quency, variability and intensity with disturbance regime. Most fires oc- grasses ensured that it dominated few ass of Lehmann lovegrass relative to which fires should be reintroduced, curred in late June or early July when grassland sites. The introduction of native grasses. Results from this experi- but we know enough about these ele- the first summer thunderstorms moved livestock during Anglo settlement re- ment match observational research ments to reintroduce fire into these into the region following the extended duced the interference from grasses, throughout the Sky Islands during the systems. As a result, societal, politi- hot, dry period in May and June. Sum- spread mesquite seeds in cattle feces, last two decades. “Recovery” of ecosys- cal, managerial and logistical concerns mer fires were (and probably are) par- and reduced the cover and biomass of tems to dominance by native grasses likely will continue to constrain rein- ticularly important for sustaining grasses that formerly helped support fire appears unlikely within temporal scales troduction of fires to a far greater ex- grasses at the expense of woody plants spread. As a result, mesquite assumed relevant to the human condition. tent than ecological knowledge. 10 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 Effects of Seeding Ryegrass on Vegetation Recovery Following Fire in a Ponderosa Pine Forest By Angela D. Barclay, Natural Resource Consultant, Cottonwood Environmental Consulting resettlement natural fire intervals ranged from two to 15 years in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests across Pthe southwestern US. Since the late 1800s, however, wide- spread, low-intensity surface fires ceased across most of this region due to intense livestock grazing and proactive fire sup- pression. This gradual change in land use and management con- verted open “parklands” to dense thickets of ponderosa pine, photos courtesy Angela D. Barclay thereby establishing conditions for high-intensity crown fires. Vegetation loss after a catastrophic and rehabilitation treatments were fire has the potential to affect biologi- achieving their intended results.” cal, geomorphic and hydrological pro- As part of the Forest Service’s Burned cesses. Burned areas are sometimes Area Emergency Response (BAER) ef- manually seeded because regrowth of forts, exotic plant species such as native species may be too slow, or the ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) are of- density of surviving plants too sparse, ten used for seeding, but the effects on to maintain soil stability and restore nu- native plants are rarely monitored or Decrease in ryegrass cover from 1997 to 1998 in seeded areas trient cycles. Non-native grasses are published in the primary literature. used most often in seeding because they Planting ryegrass has reduced biomass, recovery of vegetation. On the seeded non-seeded areas. Ryegrass suppression establish easily and colonize disturbed diversity and species richness of native plots, foliar cover of ryegrass declined of native forb production and diversity sites rapidly. Experiments assessing the plants, and it may also inhibit native suc- from 1997 to 1998 due to self-inhibi- could in fact have persistent effects on effects of seeding have provided con- cessional species through competition tion and/or reduced precipitation. Fo- post-fire vegetation recovery. flicting results, including reduced ero- for nitrogen. Opponents of ryegrass liar cover and diversity of native forbs There are other drawbacks to seed- sion, no effect on erosion and variable seeding argue that the species is a strong were greater in 1997 than 1998, prob- ing with ryegrass. First, seeding aug- success controlling erosion depending competitor for water, nutrients, light and ably due to a wet growing season the ments fine fuels prone to rapid rates on aspect and elevation. growing space. Seeding proponents first year. Cover, species richness and of fire spread and increases the A recent synthesis of the effectiveness agree that ryegrass may interfere with diversity of native forbs were highest chances for early reburns. Early in post-fire rehabilitation treatments con- native species, but it may not threaten in non-seeded areas of moderate- and reburns are unnatural and kill regen- cluded that seeded grasses are not effec- the long-term functionality of ecosystems high-burn intensities. In 1997, regen- erating shrub and tree seedlings. In tive in curbing erosion in the first year because it leaves the system within three eration and survivorship of conifer high-burn intensity areas with few after seeding. This is particularly a prob- to five years of initial seeding. Although seedlings decreased as ryegrass cover surviving trees, forest regeneration lem in the monsoonal Southwest, where it is only transient in the ecosystem, increased, particularly in areas of high- could be forestalled by a lack of avail- there is always a high probability of in- ryegrass may have long-term effects, burn intensity. Exotic plant cover, able seed if a reburn occurs within a tense thunderstorms in July and Au- such as interfering with the development mostly horseweed (Conyza canadensis), decade of the initial fire. Seeds were gust at the end of a long fire season, of deep-rooting native plants essential increased from 1997 to 1998 in non- found to rarely come from trees more causing significant erosion. Also, an in- for long-term protection of watersheds. seeded areas of moderate- and high- than 50 meters away, so the impact crease in long-term erosion could occur Short and long-term effects of seeded burn intensity. Both the initial success may be significantly magnified with in the lull between the decline of seeded vegetation on soil erosion, nutrient cy- of seeding and the eventual impacts on increasing area of reburn. In addition, grasses and recovery of native vegeta- cling and succession of native plants native vegetation were strongly modu- early reburns can destroy root biom- tion, particularly if nitrogen depletion remain uncertain, particularly the ef- lated by climate variability. ass and increase erosion potential. or shading by exotic plant species in- fects of ryegrass in ponderosa pine eco- The Dome Fire study suggests that Ryegrass also attracts gophers, whose hibit succession by native species. systems. Where ryegrass was used to ryegrass cover (or seeding treatment), burrowing may increase soil move- Costly post-fire rehabilitation prac- seed after fire in central California, natu- in combination with the region or year ment and subsequent erosion. tices, such as seeding with non-native rally regenerated ponderosa pine seed- (i.e., time since seeding or annual pre- In the near future, seeding and other species, have been applied by land man- lings had lower survivorship in seeded cipitation), reduced space and resources post-fire rehabilitation methods will be agers for more than a century, yet these rather than non-seeded plots. Similarly, otherwise available to native forbs. considered indispensable as wildfire se- practices remain controversial. A recent following wildfires in the Sierra Ne- Ryegrass may prevent the establishment verity increases with the present glut in General Accounting Office (GAO) re- vada Mountains, increased ryegrass of post-fire seeders, or it at least may fuels and inevitable high-intensity burns. port noted that wildfires burn millions cover was associated with decreased preclude them from producing a viable In particular, massive rehabilitation ef- of acres annually, and following the 2000 density of ponderosa pine seedlings. seed reserve before the next fire. A lim- forts after severe fire years highlight the and 2001 fire seasons, the US Forest Cover of native herbaceous vegetation ited seed bank study conducted in the need for continued post-seeding studies Service obligated $192 million and the and shrub seedling density also de- summer immediately following the in ponderosa pine forests of the South- Department of Interior gave $118 mil- creased as cover of ryegrass increased. Dome Fire suggests that there were ac- west. Future studies should address is- lion for 421 emergency stabilization and Following the May 1996 Dome Fire tually higher densities of new non- sues of seed banks, ryegrass suppression rehabilitation treatment plans—such as in north-central New Mexico’s Jemez graminoids (e.g., forbs and shrubs) in of native forbs and conifer seedlings, seeding, fencing, installing soil erosion Mountains, which burned 6,900 hect- seeded than non-seeded areas in 1996. effectiveness of ryegrass in curbing soil barriers, and road or trail work. Neither ares of ponderosa pine, a study was con- By 1997 and 1998, however, cover, spe- erosion and reasons why ryegrass tends the GAO nor the agencies could “deter- ducted to examine the effects of burn cies richness and diversity of native to exit the system three to five years mine whether emergency stabilization intensity and ryegrass seeding in the forbs were actually lower in seeded than from seeding. Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 11 Who Goes Where? A Review of Wildlife Monitoring Techniques By Sergio Avila, Sky Island Alliance Wildlife Biologist, and Janice Przybyl, Wildlife Monitoring Program

nowledge of how wildlife moves across the landscape, where they live, how the year, can be analyzed and related with weather they obtain food and water, what they eat and how they interact are questions conditions, habitat type, presence of other species not just of curiosity. The answers to these questions help define conservation (prey, predators, competitors), behavior and varia- K tions of all these variables through time. strategies that protect wildlife and their habitat. A camera is an “open-eye” where we “observe” wild- life activity. However, it’s not only one eye; it can be How do we obtain this information? Can we be mean that a species was not present, only that its a group of eyes throughout our study area (space), like investigative reporters and seek opinions and sign was not discovered. A benefit of track surveys collecting information permanently (time) and allow- answers from the “animal on the street—or in the lies in the low cost and non-invasive nature. At Sky ing us to interpret the results according to the study tree?” Can we gather a focus group of bobcats and Island Alliance, the conservation value of tracking is design needs. In addition, we can obtain photos of facilitate a discussion on how they exist on the fringes strengthened through wildlife behavior or of urban development? Perhaps not, although we the inclusion of “citizen maybe record new spe- can still learn from our furry friends. scientists” and the edu- Ideally, a detailed research and cies in an area—all with- Wildlife biologists utilize a variety of techniques to cational aspects that out disturbing the ani- gather data about a particular species. Sometimes it accompany the involve- monitoring protocol should answer mals (flashes do not is just a matter of going to a site, finding, observing ment of the public. seem to bother them). and counting—that is if you have an observable spe- Many variables con- not only basic questions: Where does How do these cameras cies, such as burrowing owls or prairie dogs, ducks tribute to the challenge work? Remote camera or geese. However, the species that Sky Island of creating valid the animal come from and go? What set-ups (or camera traps) Alliance’s Wildlife Monitoring Program is concerned datasets from track sur- are devices that include with are few and elusive, making the task of finding, veys, one of which is is the size of its territory? sensors (heat and/or mo- observing and collecting data more difficult. the subjective nature of But also more complex questions: tion), a setting panel, “Capture, mark, recapture” techniques may allow identifying wildlife batteries and the cam- monitoring through time and space, depending on the sign and possible How does this data change the era. These devices can be species, habitat and technology used. However, ad- misidentification. To contained in one box or vances in new monitoring techniques coupled with address this, Sky Island conservation strategy for a species? have several elements utilization of old methods allow us to collect data with- Alliance has developed that are set up to “cap- out ever having the animal-in-hand. What follows is a an intensive training What changes can be made to ture” the animals. review of various monitoring methods, types of data program so that track- The traps are set up in that can be expected and—something very important ing volunteers have the improve habitat? areas where the animal’s to recognize—the limitations of each technique. skills needed to identify sign has been found wildlife sign, properly photograph tracks and record (tracks, scats, scrapes), in front of bodies of water or Wildlife Leave Footprints, We Take data. Other variables that can lessen the probabil- in front of fresh kills where predators could be photo- Only Photographs ity of finding tracks include soil conditions (muddy, graphed. When the animal walks in front of the cam- Volunteers in Sky Island Alliance’s Wild- sandy, rocky) and weather (wind, rain), which era, the unit “senses” the animal’s heat or movement life Monitoring Program are trained to look can obliterate identifying clues. and… click! a frame is taken. for and recognize tracks and other signs The merits of tracking are enhanced when Because cameras record information only when left by six species: black bear, bobcat, coati, this data is used to supplement informa- animals pass in front of them, they do not portray jaguar, Mexican gray wolf and puma. Track tion gathered through an array of other the entire picture of wildlife on the landscape. surveys are considered “non-intrusive” or non-invasive monitoring techniques, Other information such as feeding habits, breed- “non-invasive” because there is no in- such as remote cameras and genetic ing status, dispersing patterns, definite habitat use tended interference or interaction with analysis of hair or scat samples. or detailed movements cannot be recorded with the wild animal. cameras. In addition, costs can be high, depending A bear moves down a sandy Smile, You’re on Candid on the type of camera, the number of stations and wash, and hours or days later, Camera! the cost of maintenance—batteries, film, develop- Sky Island Alliance trackers Remote camera set-ups ing and fieldwork. can document its signature— are similar to tracking in You can visit several websites that feature research maybe a track, a scratch on that they are non-invasive projects that have utilized camera traps. Saguaro a tree or a pile of scat (fe- and photographs provide Park National Park placed cameras in the Rincon ces). Data from this type of additional data on the Mountains to document different species. Selected method provides only pres- species—a literal snap- photos can be viewed at: www.nps.gov/sagu/re- ence/absence information shot in time. Cameras search/index.htm. To view jaguar photos and other on a particular species at a provide the exact time species, visit the Borderlands Jaguar Detection given site, therefore exami- that photos are taken so Project (www.borderjag.org) and the Northern Jag- nation of data from track that we know when ani- uar Project (www.northernjaguarproject.org). surveys is limited to spatial mals are moving: night, and temporal analysis of early morning, dusk, etc. It’s All in the Genes documented occurrences. This presence/absence in- If we go back to the bear sign our volunteers found Furthermore, absence of formation, together with in the wash and carefully remove any bear hairs sign does not necessarily time of day and season of snagged on the tree or collect the scat, we can send

12 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 different lines of research. GPS systems can store data directly on the animal unit for later downloads; data can also be recovered directly across a radio link or indirectly via a satellite system. Radio collaring and following the animal’s move- ment by telemetry can be prohibitively expensive. Costs accrue through the expense of equipment, the cost of flight time (if monitoring from the air) and through the personnel costs of training, tracking, trap- ping and fitting animals with collars. This technology depends on batteries for its adequate function, so bat- tery-life is a limiting factor, and the detailed informa- tion gathered will only bear results on animals marked—not groups, families or populations. Economic costs aside, radio telemetry has other costs: animals must be trapped, sedated, manipulated, marked with the transmitter, released to their original site and re-trapped to retrieve the radio and/or information stored in it. The process of trapping and radio-collar- ing has high risks and can result in mortality from the immobilizing drug or can induce behavior modifica- artwork by Janice Przybyl tions in the target animal soon after recovering from the immobilization. It is important to consider limita- Oh dear! We’ve been sitting here so long, tions not only for researchers, but also for the species. I think my mortality beeper went off! Some species are more susceptible than others to the dangers of handling, due to their own natural behav- ior (stress, habitat or weather limitations) or because samples to a lab for analysis—genetic, diet, hor- information obtained through this technique has they belong to a certain category (endemic, endan- mones, pathogens and physiology. Though cost of yielded important results, such as biodiversity data gered, threatened) and risks should not be taken. labwork can be prohibitive and DNA analysis tech- on large, remote areas, corridors utilization and in- niques have not been worked out for all species, dividual identification of animals and their offspring. Wrap-Up this method can provide a wealth of information For more information on Wasser’s work, visit: Depending on the goals and type of data needed, not available from tracks or remote cameras. Spe- www.nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2002/5/ there are various methods available to researchers in cies and possible sub-species, gender, individual scatdog.cfm or www.news.nationalgeographic.com/ their quest to study and learn from wildlife behavior identification, breeding status, family lineages, dis- news/2003/10/1001_031001_scatdogs.html and natural history. While we’ve provided a cursory tribution and congenital illnesses are some of the summary of several techniques here, there are many possible insights available. Abduction and Weight Lifting: other considerations to take into account. Above all, For non-invasive purposes, DNA studies can be Capturing and Radio Collaring it is imperative to adhere to the Scientific Method, conducted using hair or scat samples (invasive stud- Let’s go back to the bear we tracked through the which provides a time-tested and standardized frame- ies extract tissue samples from the animal, like blood, wash, whose scat and hair we collected. If we want to work for objectivity and study design. With many skin, mucous and other samples). Collecting hair know the route the bear travels between mountain wildlife species in the Sky Islands, the conservation samples from wild animals is a challenge, though re- ranges and how he gets under or over a major high- status and management implications for those ani- searchers have rigged different devices to snatch hairs way, we need to fit the bear with a radio collar and mals should play a large role in formulating research either as an animal passes by or deliberately rubs track his movements using radio telemetry. We can goals and methods. Each method comes with various against a device. Barbed wire can capture hairs from then accurately monitor, in real time, the bear’s move- costs and benefits—ecological, monetary and logisti- bears crossing over or under fences. Often, scent or ments across the landscape over time. cal—and we suggest that conservation status play a visual lures are placed on or nearby as an attractant. Radio telemetry was developed in the 1950s to significant role in deciding how to move forward with Scats are highly useful because they contain ele- study free-ranging wildlife and evolved into one of research projects. For instance, with rare, threatened ments that help researchers interpret many of the the most useful tools in wildlife ecology and man- or endangered species whose populations may be criti- animal’s habits or health condition. Food habits, hor- agement. The information obtained can provide ac- cally low, more invasive techniques such as trapping mone levels, parasite infestation or other illnesses can curate descriptions of the animal’s distribution, habi- and collaring—regardless of the benefits in data and be identified and provide interesting information. tat use and travel routes while detailed maps can logistics—may not be prudent considering the risks Most researchers rely on happenstance for locating delineate the animal’s territories and interactions with of mortality, stress and other impacts to the animal. scat and sometimes the scat from different species is other radio-collared animals. As the conservation status of a species becomes more hard to differentiate. Recently, help has pooped up In general terms, radio telemetry allows research- fragile, additional sensitivity to study methods should from a surprising quarter—scat detection dogs! Sev- ers to have “communication” with the animals from a be given. Because of the many and increasing ad- eral research projects have been testing the feasibility distance. This communication is established through vances in data collection methods today, we antici- of using specially trained dogs to find scat from spe- a radio device placed on the animal, normally a collar pate that research will continue its shift away from cific species. Samuel Wasser, from the University of for mammals, under the skin for snakes or a box on the more traditional, invasive techniques of the past Washington, found that using trained dogs to locate top of tortoise shells. The radio sends a signal to a while concurrently providing equally significant data scats greatly enhances sampling efficiency, especially receiver in the researcher’s hands. that will provide new insights into the natural histo- in large remote areas. Costs include dogs (purchase, The incorporation of Global Positioning System ries and conservation needs of our wildlife heritage. training and care) and handler costs. However, (GPS) units into the radio has opened the door to That’s a good thing.

Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 13 Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan Update: Countdown to Completion By Carolyn Campbell, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection

fter more than seven years of work, Pima County is poised period before the county submits the 2) Support the Coalition’s work fi- to complete its Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan plan to the US Fish and Wildlife Ser- nancially. The Coalition has been (SDCP)—a nationally recognized effort to plan for fu- vice (FWS). Although FWS will also successful so far only because of the A conduct a public comment period, as support from our member groups and ture growth throughout the region in a way that protects our required by law, we know that our the community at large. Our policy natural environment and quality of life and that meets the re- best chance to influence the final draft work and expanded public outreach quirements of the federal Endangered Species Act. Sky Island will be on a local level with the Pima during the upcoming months will be Alliance, along with the 37 other conservation and neighborhood County Board of Supervisors. We’ve crucial to the plan’s success. groups that comprise the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protec- expanded our public outreach efforts 3) Provide comments when the final in preparation for this opportunity. tion, has been participating diligently in the process to ensure draft is released. Like the Open Space In the meantime, we will continue Bond, the Coalition’s efforts can only that the plan truly lives up to its name. to work with the county as it reviews go so far. When the draft is released, and permits ongoing development ac- Pima County will need concerned With the Coalition’s encouragement, last spring’s Open Space Bond to pur- tivities, updates current ordinances to folks like you to again remind them of Pima County has made important chase or otherwise protect important be consistent with the plan, and de- the community support behind our progress in establishing a plan that will SDCP lands. velops management and monitoring efforts to conserve our desert home into adequately protect our Sonoran Desert plans for conserved lands. the future. environment into the future. One of What’s Left to Do Completion of the SDCP will be our the most significant steps includes the Pima County is working on the fi- How You Can Help last and best opportunity to shape how development and adoption of the nal draft of the plan, which is antici- Visit www.sonorandesert.org to: growth and conservation will occur for “Conservation Lands System” into pated to be released before the first 1) Stay informed about the SDCP’s the next 50 years—please help ensure Pima County’s Comprehensive Land of the year. The final plan will include progress. Sign up for the Coalition’s e- that Pima County’s future will be a Use Plan, which provides guidance for all of the details on how the county newsletter to get updates about impor- good one! where and how development should will provide conservation to the ben- tant progress and activities related to the For more information, contact the occur based on the best available re- efit of the species targeted under the SDCP and other Coalition for Sonoran Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protec- gional science. There will also be $112 SDCP, and we expect that there will Desert Protection efforts, including in- tion at (520) 388-9925. million provided from the passage of be a significant public comment formation about the final draft.

Strengthening Our Partnerships

Thank you to those members, both old and new, who contributed to the “Protecting Our Mountain Islands and Desert Seas” fundraising cam- paign in August and September. We are immeasurably grateful to those that contributed and helped us to meet a $25,000 anonymous challenge grant in just six weeks! This is the first time that Sky Island Alliance has Critical Connections for Wildlife undertaken such a challenge. Not only did we reach our goal, the many As many of you are aware, I am a connections, the RTA Citizens’ Advisory affirmations of our work to protect and restore the region have been a member of the Regional Transportation Committee included $45 million in its huge boost as we face our conservation challenges. Authority (RTA) Citizens’ Advisory recommendations for this category. It A core understanding of our work has always been to ensure long-term Committee, which has put together a has since been approved by the RTA conservation of the Sky Islands, we must bring together those who care list of transportation projects that vot- board, which is made up of represen- deeply about the future of the wild places and wild creatures that define ers will be asked to vote on sometime tatives from the jurisdictions involved our region. Our strong membership and volunteer base empower us with in 2006, along with a half-cent sales tax in the RTA plan. The plan is now be- the ability to succeed—whether it is working with the Arizona Depart- increase to fund these projects. ing considered for approval by the in- ment of Transportation to provide safe passage for wildlife or asking our Pima County Administrator Chuck dividual jurisdictions, including Pima Senators and Representatives to support and advocate for Wilderness Huckelberry is also involved in this ef- County. Once the individual jurisdic- designation to protect the Tumacacori Highlands for future generations. fort as the chair of the Technical Man- tions approve the plan, it will go back In the six weeks of our fundraising campaign, we met many donors, agement Committee. Mr. Huckelberry to the RTA board for final approval including some we had previously only known by mail. It has been in- and I have been successful thus far in and the Pima County Board of Super- spiring to learn about what has drawn folks to Sky Island Alliance, and it including funding for a “Critical Wild- visors will then set up a special elec- gives us great hope for where we can go from here. We weren’t able to life Connections” category that will fund tion for 2006. contact everyone in this brief campaign (so don’t feel left out!). We look wildlife-crossing structures in transpor- There are many additional elements forward to strengthening our partnerships, connections and friendships tation projects (sites not identified). This in the plan that you may also want to with all of you soon. funding is critical in accomplishing the learn about. The details of road and We would like to thank several volunteers for their help during the vision of the Sonoran Desert Conserva- intersection improvements, transit, campaign. We appreciate the dedicated time that Diana Hadley, Peter tion Plan and in complementing possible safety, bicycle and pedestrian facilities Warshall, Paul Condon, Kate Fournier, Tim Van Devender, Rod Mondt, land acquisitions as a result of the 2004 can be found at www.rtamobility.com. Nancy Zierenberg and Paul Hirt un- Open Space Bond. Please contact me if you would like selfishly donated to make our efforts With the help of many members of any further information at (520) 388- such a success! Thank you. the community who showed support for 9925 or [email protected]. additional funding for critical wildlife —Carolyn Campbell 14 Fall 2005 Fall 2005 Field Schedule Winter and Spring 2006

Defend Your Mother! Get your hands dirty, your boots muddy and your soul back! Join Sky Island Alliance in the Field – 50 Years of Conservation Since 1992 Please contact Sky Island Alliance at (520) 624-7080 or [email protected] if you are interested in any of the following events. January 13 – 15. Santa Rita Mountains Road Inventory. Come out and help us in a new project to assess and rehabilitate wildlands in the eastern Santa Ritas. 1.5 hours from Tucson. February 03 – 05. Huachuca Mountains Riparian Inventory. Join us in the beautiful Huachuca Mountains! Home of the mountain tree frog! Ramsey Canyon leopard frog! Trogons! Turkeys! Bears and lions! 2.0 hours from Tucson. February 17 – 19. Peloncillo Mountains Riparian Inventory. Visit the beau- tiful and remote Peloncillos in a project to assess restoration potential of historic cienegas and degraded streams. 4 hours from Tucson. March 03 – 05. Santa Rita Mountains Road Inventory. Come out and help us in a new project to assess and rehabilitate wildlands in the eastern Santa Ritas. 1.5 hours from Tucson. April 07 – 09. Joint Sky Island Alliance and New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA). We will meet the great NMWA folks somewhere along the Arizona/New Mexico Border for a service project to benefit wildlife and wildlands! April 21 – 23. Huachuca Mountains Riparian Monitoring. Join us in the beautiful Huachuca Mountains! Home of the mountain tree frog! Ramsey Canyon leopard frog! Trogons! Turkeys! Bears and lions! 2.0 hours from Tucson. Join Us! Join or renew here or through our website: www.skyislandalliance.org

f you received this newsletter and it’s time to renew your Imembership, please send in your check! If you are read- ing a friend’s newsletter, consider joining us! We rely on members for our basic operations. Contributions are tax- deductible; we are a 501(c)3 organization. Basic membership is only $35, but if you add a little to that, here’s a sampling of what your dollars can do: • $50 will help us survey 30 miles of roads. • $75 will sponsor volunteer training workshops. • $100 will close one mile of road. Your Name Address Become an SIA Program Fund Donor City State Zip Phone E-Mail tories in recent newsletter issues have featured projects in our Rewilding Program: road inventory and restoration, wilder-




$35
$50
$100
Other $____ (any amount helps and is appreciated!) ness work, wildlife monitoring and ecosystem defense.
S My check is enclosed. All the necessary road closures, •Jaguar Conservation, and I’d like to pay by:



Master Card
Visa
American Express tracking workshops and wilderness •Wilderness . Fill this out, or donate online. It’s quick, easy, and safe! . advocacy gets done only with extra Please make your check out to Sky funding, so please consider a special Island Alliance, with a note in the Amount $ Card # Exp. Date donation to one of the following funds: memo line about which fund you’d like Security Code (usually the last 3-4 digits on the back of the card, in the signature panel) •Wildlife Monitoring (Tracking), to support. We’ll make sure your money •Restoration, goes to the programs that mean the most Card billing zip code (if different) •Wildland Inventory, to you! Sky Island Alliance, PO Box 41165, Tucson, AZ 85717 Fall 2005 Sky Island Alliance 15 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Tucson AZ Permit # 1156

ontroversy about what we humans should do about fires Cin the Sky Islands––start them, prepare for them, guide them, try to stomp out every spark or walk some precarious balance between these––rages as hot these days as our recent fires themselves. By now many of us (certainly most of you read- ers) know that fires are a natural and vital part of Sky Island ecology. This knowledge steers us away from the “stomp out every spark” camp, but it doesn’t solve the dilemma of what to do next. Even as our region’s fire ecologists, land managers and community safety teams try to chart a new course, every charred home or ashen, muddy flood intensifies the rhetoric around us. What we should do after a fire has gotten less attention among the general public, but is debated almost as fiercely. Do we let Nature take care of herself, figuring that any inter- vention will likely just make things worse? There’s certainly history to back that position. Or have we gotten these sys- tems so out of balance that leaving them alone would be a breach of our responsibility, like leaving the scene of an acci- dent we helped cause? Even if we decide we must intervene, what can we do that would actually help? Amidst all this haze, one thing is clear: In the face of such uncertainty, we must take every opportunity to learn from each of our fires. Fires featured in our aspen centerfold, for example, teach us that stand-replacement burns turn out to have a long history in the region, though seldom on the scale of some recent burns. Tried-and-true post-fire restoration methods like reseed- ing with ryegrass turn out to have unexpected side effects (page 11). Out-of-season prescribed burns may reduce risks of stand replacement burning, but they can also catch wildlife off guard (page six). Many Summerhaven homes lost to the 2003 Aspen Fire could have been saved by acts as simple as raking duff (page five). Grass fires may not reduce mesquite densities as quickly as we had all hoped and sometimes boost Lehmann’s lovegrass, but they still bring many benefits (page 10). And there’s more: The 2004 Nuttall Fire on Mt. Graham showed that dire predictions of whole mountains going up in flames don’t always come true; only 11 percent of the 30,000- acre fire qualified as a high-intensity burn. Because much of this hot 11 percent were swaths intentionally charred to steer wildfire flames away from the Mt. Graham telescopes, Nuttall also showed how the back burns that firefighting teams light to help corral wildfires can be as intensive and ecologically damaging as the wildfires themselves––or more so. The 2005 Florida Fire in the Santa Ritas, however, demon- strated how involvement of local land managers who under-

stand the ecological values of an area (in this case, staff of the Coronado National Forest) can reduce impacts of the single- photo by Bob VanDeven minded incident command teams that are brought in to put out large fires at all costs. The Florida Fire also showed the Coronado National Forest trying new approaches like spread- ing locally collected native grass seed on low-elevation slopes in the hopes of giving natives an advantage over potential colonizers from nearby patches of exotic lovegrass. We’re ea- gerly awaiting the results of this grand experiment! —Gita Bodner, Editor 16 Fall 2005 FallMemory 2005 of fire