DOCSLIB.ORG

Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network Status Report 2008

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network Status Report 2008 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network Status Report 2008 Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SODN/NRTR–2009/0XX ON THE COVER Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus). Photo ©Greg Lavaty. Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network Status Report 2008 Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SODN/NRTR–2009/0XX Author Aaron Flesch School of Natural Resources 325 Biological Sciences East Tucson, Arizona 85721 Editing and Design Alice Wondrak Biel Sonoran Desert Network 7660 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 303 Tucson, Arizona 85710 Month 2009 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the management of natural resources, including the scientifi c community, the public, and the NPS conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed to ensure that the information is scientifi cally credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner. The Natural Resource Technical Report series is used to disseminate the peer-reviewed results of scientifi c studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service’s mission. The reports provide contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. Current examples of such reports include the results of research that addresses natural resource management issues; natural resource inventory and monitoring activities; resource assessment reports; scientifi c literature reviews; and peer-reviewed proceedings of technical workshops, conferences, or symposia. Views, statements, fi ndings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily refl ect views and policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Printed copies of reports in this series may be produced in limited quantity, and are only available as long as the supply lasts. You may send a request to: Sonoran Desert Network 7660 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 303 Tucson, Arizona 85710 This report is also available electronically from the Learning Center of the American Southwest, http://southwestlearning.org, or at http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM/index.cfm. Please cite this publication as: Flesch, A. 2009. Landbird monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network: Status report 2008. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/XXXN/NRTR–2009/0XX. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS D-XXX, Month 2009 http://southwestlearning.org SONORAN DESERT NETWORK Landbird Monitoring PROJECT REPORT U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE/KARNEY U.S. FISH Status Report 2008 Aaron Flesch, University of Arizona Introduction Background The primary mission of the National Park Service (NPS) is to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources for future generations. Responding to criticism that it lacked basic infor- mation on the condition of natural resources within national parks, the NPS initiated a servicewide Inventory and Monitor- ing (I&M) Program to determine status and trends in ecologi- cal resources (NPS 1992). Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii). Established in 2001, the Sonoran Desert Network (SODN) In- parks.1 These parameters focus on trend information. Detailed ventory and Monitoring Program includes 11 parks in south- data exploration (including external data sources) and trend ern Arizona and New Mexico that range in size from 356 analysis of landbird data and will be explored in detail in the (Tumacácori National Historical Park) to 133,882 hectares network’s comprehensive Synthesis and Trends reports, to be (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument). Collectively, these released at fi ve-year intervals (Powell et al. 2007). parks are representative of most of the ecological communi- ties present within the Sonoran Desert and Apache Highlands In the meantime, parameters to be reported in annual status Ecoregions (NPS 2005). reports, such as this one, include (1) total detections by spe- cies, park, and habitat type; (2) community composition, (3) observations of breeding behaviors; and (4) notable observa- Birds as a focus for monitoring tions and species additions. This annual status report provides In 2005, SODN staff completed a monitoring plan that identi- a brief summary of SODN landbird monitoring efforts and fi ed “vital signs,” or parameters, representing a diverse range results during the 2008 fi eld season. This report also outlines of natural resources including air, water, climate, soils, plants, changes made to the network’s landbird monitoring protocol invertebrates, and vertebrates (NPS 2005). During this pro- and provides additional background and recommendations to cess, population parameters of landbirds were considered aid future implementation. among the most feasible vertebrate parameters for long-term monitoring, in part because birds are highly detectable, easy to survey, and because they are good indicators of the environ- Methods mental conditions upon which they depend. Sampling design In 2008, we surveyed landbirds within all seven parks that Goal and parameters were sampled in 2007 (CAGR, FOBO, ORPI, MOCC/ The overall goal of the SODN landbird monitoring program is MOWE, SAGE/SAGW, TUMA, and TUZI), and one addi- to detect biologically signifi cant changes in bird populations tional park (TONT), where we surveyed three transects (Table over time. To achieve this goal, we are monitoring for density 1; all tables appear after main text. See box, next page, for park of the most-common species in SODN parks, and estimat- acronyms). We also added a riparian transect (Rip-2) at ORPI ing the proportion of sites occupied for most species in most in 2008. We surveyed a total of 34 transects, with the number 1The advantages and limitations of monitoring for density and proportion of sites occupied are discussed in detail in the SODN Landbird Monitoring Protocol (Powell et al. 2007). 1.23.09 Prepared by Andy Hubbard, Sonoran Desert Network 2 Landbird Monitoring: Status Report 2008 We maintained four visits in riparian areas because higher en- Park acronyms used in this document counter rates in these vegetation communities made monitor- CAGR Casa Grande Ruins National Monument ing more effi cient. Seasonal timing of surveys varied among CHIR Chiricahua National Monument parks. Timing of initial surveys was earlier in low-elevation CORO Coronado National Memorial parks (CAGR, ORPI, and SAGW) and later in mid-elevation FOBO Fort Bowie National Historic Site parks (SAGE, FOBO, TUMA) and those in the Verde Valley GICL Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (MOCC/MOWE and TUZI). Variation in timing was intended to account for differences in the onset of breeding for most spe- MOCC Montezuma Castle National Monument (Castle Unit) cies in each park. We spaced surveys a minimum of 1.5 weeks MOWE Montezuma Castle National Monument apart and completed all surveys by July 3 (see Table 1). (Well Unit) We used the point-transect survey method (Nelson and Fancy ORPI Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument 1999, Buckland et al. 2001), which is the most widespread and SAGE Saguaro National Park (Rincon Mountain Unit) accepted method for estimating landbird density (Rosenstock SAGW Saguaro National Park et al. 2002). Details on how to conduct point-transect surveys (Tucson Mountain District) are provided in Powell and others (2007) and briefl y outlined TONT Tonto National Monument here. TUMA Tumacácori National Historical Park We spent eight minutes at each station and used a rangefi nd- TUZI Tuzigoot National Monument er to estimate the linear distance to each bird detected. We recorded all birds, regardless of detection distance from the of transects per park ranging from 1 at CAGR to 6 at SAGE. surveyor, including birds fl ying over observers. After counts Sites in each park were classifi ed as either riparian or upland; were completed, observers located successive survey points we classifi ed these sites separately because of variation in bird with use of a handheld GPS. While walking between points, communities and because we wanted to focus some survey ef- observers searched for species not recorded during the count fort in riparian communities (see Powell et al. 2007). period. Although monitoring staff deviated from the published protocol at ORPI in 2007, by working in groups of two, we surveyed transects independently in 2008. Site establishment In most parks, we used sites selected with methodology out- Changes to the protocol lined in Powell et al. (2007) (see Appendix A). Exceptions oc- curred at Organ Pipe Cactus NM and Saguaro NP. In 2007, We made a few small changes to the SODN landbird monitor- safety concerns related to undocumented immigration and ing protocol in 2008. First, we differentiated auditory detec- smuggling at ORPI led park managers to institute travel re- tions with use of three classifi cations: singing (S), calling (C), strictions that created signifi cant obstacles for monitoring staff and sounds made by birds’ wings
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Nest-Site Selection by Western Screech-Owls in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona
    Western North American Naturalist Volume 63 Number 4 Article 16 12-3-2003 Nest-site selection by Western Screech-Owls in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona Paul C. Hardy University of Arizona, Tucson Michael L. Morrison University of California, Bishop Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan Recommended Citation Hardy, Paul C. and Morrison, Michael L. (2003) "Nest-site selection by Western Screech-Owls in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 63 : No. 4 , Article 16. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol63/iss4/16 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Western North American Naturalist 63(4), ©2003, pp. 533-537 NEST~SITE SELECTION BY WESTERN SCREECH~OWLS IN THE SONORAN DESERT, ARIZONA Paul C. Hardyl,2 and Michael L. Morrison3 Key words: Gila Woodpecker, Gilded Flicker, nest-site selection, Otus kennicottii, saguaro cacti, Sonoran Desert, West­ ern Screech~Owl. The Western ScreecbOwl (Otus kennicottii) valley includes the creosote (Larrea triden­ is a small, nocturnal, secondary caVity-nesting tata)~white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) series, bird that is a year-round resident throughout and in runnels and washes, the mixed-scrub much of western North America and Mexico series (Turner and Brown 1994). Temperatures (Marshall 1957, Phillips et al. 1964, AOU 1983, for the Arizona Upland and Lower Colorado Johnsgard 1988, Cannings and Angell 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • ON 1196 NEW.Fm
    SHORT COMMUNICATIONS ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL 25: 237–243, 2014 © The Neotropical Ornithological Society NON-RANDOM ORIENTATION IN WOODPECKER CAVITY ENTRANCES IN A TROPICAL RAIN FOREST Daniel Rico1 & Luis Sandoval2,3 1The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska. 2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada, N9B3P4. 3Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica, CP 2090. E-mail: [email protected] Orientación no al azar de las entradas de las cavidades de carpinteros en un bosque tropical. Key words: Pale-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus guatemalensis, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Celeus castaneus, Lineated Woodpecker, Dryocopus lineatus, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Melanerpes pucherani, Costa Rica, Picidae. INTRODUCTION tics such as vegetation coverage of the nesting substrate, surrounding vegetation, and forest Nest site selection play’s one of the main roles age (Aitken et al. 2002, Adkins Giese & Cuth- in the breeding success of birds, because this bert 2003, Sandoval & Barrantes 2006). Nest selection influences the survival of eggs, orientation also plays an important role in the chicks, and adults by inducing variables such breeding success of woodpeckers, because the as the microclimatic conditions of the nest orientation positively influences the microcli- and probability of being detected by preda- mate conditions inside the nest cavity (Hooge tors (Viñuela & Sunyer 1992). Although et al. 1999, Wiebe 2001), by reducing the woodpecker nest site selections are well estab- exposure to direct wind currents, rainfalls, lished, the majority of this information is and/or extreme temperatures (Ardia et al. based on temperate forest species and com- 2006). Cavity entrance orientation showed munities (Newton 1998, Cornelius et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network 2012 Annual Report
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network 2012 Annual Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SODN/NRTR—2013/744 ON THE COVER Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus). Photo by Moez Ali. Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network 2012 Annual Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SODN/NRTR—2013/744 Authors Moez Ali Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150 Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Kristen Beaupré National Park Service Sonoran Desert Network 7660 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 303 Tucson, Arizona 85710 Patricia Valentine-Darby University of West Florida Department of Biology 11000 University Parkway Pensacola, Florida 32514 Chris White Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150 Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Project Contact Robert E. Bennetts National Park Service Southern Plains Network Capulin Volcano National Monument PO Box 40 Des Moines, New Mexico 88418 May 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colora- do, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource manage- ment, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Technical Report Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service mission.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Trends in Woodpecker Cavity Entrance Orientation: Latitudinal and Continental Effects Suggest Regional Climate Influence Author(S): Lukas Landler, Michelle A
    Global Trends in Woodpecker Cavity Entrance Orientation: Latitudinal and Continental Effects Suggest Regional Climate Influence Author(s): Lukas Landler, Michelle A. Jusino, James Skelton & Jeffrey R. Walters Source: Acta Ornithologica, 49(2):257-266. Published By: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3161/173484714X687145 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3161/173484714X687145 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. ACTA ORNITHOLOGICA Vol. 49 (2014) No. 2 Global trends in woodpecker cavity entrance orientation: latitudinal and continental effects suggest regional climate influence Lukas LANDLER1*, Michelle A. JUSINO1,2, James SKELTON1 & Jeffrey R. WALTERS1 1Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA 2Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA *Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] Landler L., Jusino M.
    [Show full text]
  • Life History Account for Gila Woodpecker
    California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System California Department of Fish and Wildlife California Interagency Wildlife Task Group GILA WOODPECKER Melanerpes uropygialis Family: PICIDAE Order: PICIFORMES Class: AVES B297 Written by: M. Green Reviewed by: L. Mewaldt Edited by: R. Duke,D. Winkler DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND SEASONALITY An uncommon to fairly common resident in southern California along the Colorado River, and locally near Brawley, Imperial Co. Occurs mostly in desert riparian and desert wash habitats, but also found in orchard-vineyard and urban habitats, particularly in shade trees and date palm groves. Formerly found in farm and ranchyards throughout the Imperial Valley, but most regularly now near Brawley. Numbers have declined greatly in southern California in recent decades (Remsen 1978, Garrett and Dunn 1981). SPECIFIC HABITAT REQUIREMENTS Feeding: Eats insects, mistletoe berries, cactus fruits, corn (Gilman 1915, Ehrlich et al. 1988), and occasionally contents of galls on cottonwood leaves, bird eggs, acorns, cactus pulp (Speich and Radke 1975). Gleans from trunks and branches of trees and shrubs. Cover: Cottonwoods and other desert riparian trees, shade trees, and date palms supply cover in California. Saguaros are important habitat elements outside of California, but are scarce within the state and are not so important. Reproduction: Nests in cavity in riparian tree or saguaro. Water: No data found. Characteristically forages and nests in riparian areas in California. Pattern: Groves of riparian trees, planted shade trees, and date palm orchards provide cover. SPECIES LIFE HISTORY Activity Patterns: Yearlong, diurnal activity. Seasonal Movements/Migration: Resident within California. May wander in nonbreeding seasons. There are 2 old records in southern, coastal California.
    [Show full text]
  • Bird List of San Bernardino Ranch in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico
    Bird List of San Bernardino Ranch in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico Melinda Cárdenas-García and Mónica C. Olguín-Villa Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico Abstract—Interest and investigation of birds has been increasing over the last decades due to the loss of their habitats, and declination and fragmentation of their populations. San Bernardino Ranch is located in the desert grassland region of northeastern Sonora, México. Over the last decade, restoration efforts have tried to address the effects of long deteriorating economic activities, like agriculture and livestock, that used to take place there. The generation of annual lists of the wildlife (flora and fauna) will be important information as we monitor the progress of restoration of this area. As part of our professional training, during the summer and winter (2011-2012) a taxonomic list of bird species of the ranch was made. During this season, a total of 85 species and 65 genera, distributed over 30 families were found. We found that five species are on a risk category in NOM-059-ECOL-2010 and 76 species are included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It will be important to continue this type of study in places that are at- tempting restoration and conservation techniques. We have observed a huge change, because of restoration activities, in the lands in the San Bernardino Ranch. Introduction migratory (Villaseñor-Gómez et al., 2010). Twenty-eight of those species are considered at risk on a global scale, and are included in Birds represent one of the most remarkable elements of our en- the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature vironment, because they’re easy to observe and it’s possible to find (IUCN).
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of the Ironwood Forest Sharp-Shinned Hawk
    Birds of the Ironwood Forest Sharp-shinned Hawk • Long tailed hawks with rounded wings • Females are substan5ally larger than males • Generally found in dense forest areas • During migraon they are usually seen in open habitats along ridgelines. • Known to have dis5nc5ve flap and gluide flight paerns White-throated Swi • One of the fastest birds in North America • Commonly found in canyons, foothills, and mountains in the SW • Highly social birds, known to roost in groups of hundreds • Nest in large cavi5es in cliffs and large rocks Rufous-winged Sparrow • Only found in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico • It depends on the summer monsoons to begin nes5ng • They typically nest in shrubs • They stay bonded for life and remain in the same area year-round Back-throated Sparrow • Commonly found in open, shrubby deserts • The males hold a large territory when nes5ng first begins • Males are known to sin from high perches while the females build the nests • During the winter the birds primarily eat seeds while in the summer switching mostly to insects Verdin • Known to be very vocal and conspicuous • A small yellow and grey songbird • The Verdin builds two separate nests, one for breeding and another for roos5ng • They consistently build nests year round • The roos5ng nests are much thicker intended for insulaon during the winter • Commonly found in thorny shrub Great Horned Owl • Most commonly found in forests but can also be spo@ed in a variety of habitats • Fierce predators that will eat large mammals to small rodents and amphibians • Their
    [Show full text]
  • 1/9/2015 1 G Phylum Chordata Characteristics – May Be With
    1/9/2015 Vertebrate Evolution Z Phylum Chordata characteristics – may be with organism its entire life or only during a certain developmental stage 1. Dorsal, hollow nerve cord 2. Flexible supportive rod (notochord) running along dorsum just ventral to nerve cord 3. Pharyngeal slits or pouches 4. A tail at some point in development Z Phylum Chordata has 3 subphyla W Urochordata – tunicates Z Adults are sessile marine animals with gill slits Z Larvae are free-swimming and possess notochord and nerve cord in muscular tail Z Tail is reabsorbed when larvae transforms into an adult 1 1 1/9/2015 W Cephalochordata –lancelets Z Small marine animals that live in sand in shallow water Z Retains gill slits, notochord, and nerve cord thru life W Vertebrata – chordates with a “backbone” Z Persistent notochord, or vertebral column of bone or cartilage Z All possess a cranium Z All embryos pass thru a stage when pharyngeal pouches are present Lamprey ammocoete 2 2 1/9/2015 Jawless Fish Hagfish Lamprey Vertebrate Evolution 1. Tunicate larvae 2. Lancelet 3. Larval lamprey (ammocoete) and jawless fishes 4. Jaw development from anterior pharyngeal arches – capture and ingestion of more food sources 5. Paired fin evolution A. Eventually leads to tetrapod limbs B. Fin spine theory – spiny sharks (acanthodians) had up to 7 pairs of spines along trunk and these may have led to front and rear paired fins 3 3 1/9/2015 Z Emergence onto land W Extinct lobe-finned fishes called rhipidistians seem to be the most likely tetrapod ancestor Z Similar to modern lungfish
    [Show full text]
  • Gila Woodpecker Nesting in Northern Baja California
    NOTES GILA WOODPECKER NESTING IN NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA JAMES W. CORNETT, Natural ScienceDepartment, Palm SpringsDesert Museum, P.O. Box 2288, Palm Springs,California 92263 The range of the Gila Woodpecker(Melanerpes uropygialis) coincides closely with the distributionof the Saguaro (Camegiea gigantea) and Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei)cacti of the Sonoran Desert (Robbinset al. 1983). The woodpeckers'nest cavitiesare usuallyexcavated in the trunksand branchesof thesegiant succulents and to a lesserextent in cottonwoods(Populus), mesquite (Prosopis), and willow ($alix) (Bent 1939). The range of the Cardon extends to within 130 km of the U.S. border (Wiggins1980) and presumablyGila Woodpeckersnest in this region.There is one record of a Gila Woodpeckerfrom "Las PalmasCanyon" in extreme northernBaja, beyondthe range of the Cardon (Grinnell 1928). Unfortunately,the preciselocation of "LasPalmas Canyon" is unknownand couldbe any of severalcanyons draining the easternslopes of the Sierra Juarez that harbor palms. On 15 May 1984 Jim Toenjesand I observedtwo pairsof Gila Woodpeckers44 km southof the U.S. border, in Tajo Canyon (32 ø 15 • 41 •' N, 115 ø 51 • 25 •' W), Baja CaliforniaNorte. Both pairswere callingvigorously. No Cardon cactiwere in the can- yon or on the surroundinghillsides. The only likely nestingsites were in dead standing Desert Fan Palms (Washingtoniafili•fera) and Blue Fan Palms (Erythea armata), of which there were 14 and 6, respectively,in the eastern5 km of the canyon. We did not, however,observe any activenests. Nearly 400 livingpalms with trunksexceeding 2 m in heightexisted in this portion of the canyon. The followingday I visitedBlue Palm Canyon (32 ø 22 • 31 • N, 115 ø 50 • 19 • W), also in Baja CaliforniaNorte, approximately24 km south of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • LCR MSCP Species Accounts, 2008
    Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Steering Committee Members Federal Participant Group California Participant Group Bureau of Reclamation California Department of Fish and Game U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service City of Needles National Park Service Coachella Valley Water District Bureau of Land Management Colorado River Board of California Bureau of Indian Affairs Bard Water District Western Area Power Administration Imperial Irrigation District Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Palo Verde Irrigation District Arizona Participant Group San Diego County Water Authority Southern California Edison Company Arizona Department of Water Resources Southern California Public Power Authority Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern Arizona Game and Fish Department California Arizona Power Authority Central Arizona Water Conservation District Cibola Valley Irrigation and Drainage District Nevada Participant Group City of Bullhead City City of Lake Havasu City Colorado River Commission of Nevada City of Mesa Nevada Department of Wildlife City of Somerton Southern Nevada Water Authority City of Yuma Colorado River Commission Power Users Electrical District No. 3, Pinal County, Arizona Basic Water Company Golden Shores Water Conservation District Mohave County Water Authority Mohave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District Native American Participant Group Mohave Water Conservation District North Gila Valley Irrigation and Drainage District Hualapai Tribe Town of Fredonia Colorado River Indian Tribes Town of Thatcher The Cocopah Indian Tribe Town of Wickenburg Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District Unit “B” Irrigation and Drainage District Conservation Participant Group Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District Yuma County Water Users’ Association Ducks Unlimited Yuma Irrigation District Lower Colorado River RC&D Area, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Endangered: X Threatened: a PETITION to the STATE OF
    A PETITION TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION for action pursuant to to section 670.1, Title 14, California Administrative Code, and sections 2072 and 2072.3 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to listing and delisting endangered and threatened species of plants and animals. I. SPECIES BEING PETITIONED: Common Name: Gila Woodpecker Scientific Name: Melanerps uropygialis II. RECOMMENDED ACTION: (Check the appropriate categories.) Endangered: X List: X Threatened: Delist: III. SUMMARY OF REASONS FOR RECOMMENDED ACTION: (Provide a brief statement on why the action is being recommended. This should include an account of the status of the species involved and any factors listed in Section 670.1, Title 14, California Administrative Code, that threaten its survival. If the species is recommended for delisting, tell why any one or a combination of the aforementioned factors no longer threaten its existence.) In California, the Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a permanent resident of mature cottonwood-willow, and to a lesser extent, mesquite riparian forests of the of the Sonoran desert area (the low desert area of south- eastern California). The lower Colorado River historically has provided almost all of this habitat type in California. There, the Gila Woodpecker was regarded as common, and early in this century it expanded its range into the cottonwood groves of the Imperial Valley. Since that time the species has undergone drastic population decline attributable to the massive loss of mature riparian habitat in the Colorado River valley, and compounded by competition for nesting cavities by exotic European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the Imperial Valley.
    [Show full text]
  • ​Saguaro Story
    Saguaro Story *L​ ocation of activity provided by staff* Grades: (suggested) K-3 ​ ​ Subject: Saguaro Exploration ​ ​ ​ Activity Objective: ​ To have students learn about the life history and the importance of the saguaro cactus to our desert environment through a variety of activities: observations of the cactus at the site, specimens of saguaro parts and velcro-board stories the students help tell. Materials & Preparation: ​ PROVIDED: ● Velcro board ● Saguaro skeletons (at center site) ● Cross section of saguaro stem ● Bird nest “boot” ● Saguaro seeds ● Saguaro harvest collecting pole (small sample) ● Tags along with “saguaro search” trail ● Illustrations for the velcro board story ● Puppets ● Plastic specimens ● Books: Cactus Cafe, Cactus Hotel, Desert Giant ​ ​ ​ PREP: Check the contents of the Saguaro story box, if time (before the first group arrives) take a walk to familiarize yourself and find some interesting features. Saguaro Story Cooper CEL-TUSD page 1 Key Vocabulary Terms: saguaro boot, harvest pole, seeds, skeletons ​ ​ Introduction: (about 3 mins) ​ ​ ​ After the group is seated, ask the students to look around the area and notice all the saguaros. Ask: "What do you already know about the saguaro cactus?" (Take a few ​ ​ minutes for responses). This will be an introduction to the lesson, plus it will help you in assessing how much the students already know about the saguaro. Activities: (20 mins) ​ ​ Saguaro Search Nature Walk: (About 5-10 minutes) ​ A short trail has been marked with tags attached to plants. Each tag poses a question that may be answered by examining the area. Students may be sent individually or in small groups to read the questions and think about the answers, however they must stay on designated trails.
    [Show full text]