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Sonorensis 2013

Sonorensis 2013

InIn gratitudegratitude forfor your your support support of of the the - Arizona-Sonora Desert Desert Museum Museum Sonorensis Celebrating Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum the sky islands Volume 33, Number 1 Winter 2013 Clare Aslan, Ph.D. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Introduction Conservation Research Scientist, Co-founded in 1952 by Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Austin Aslan Arthur N. Pack and William H. Carr Above: View of Tucson basin with Catalina and in the background. Below right: Map based on cartographic GIS research by Joel Viers/Lirica. Craig Ivanyi Executive Director Twelve thousand years ago, prehistoric horses and grizzly the summer with billowing Catalina Mountains, selecting Archipelago

J Debra Colodner Sky Jacobs Mark Dimmitt Rick Brusca bears wandered where the city of Tucson, clouds, is to imagine a muted city. Yet, the that would convey the experience 1 2 60 Director, Conservation Education Arizona, now sits. Sloths roamed in continuous forests importance of the Sky Islands goes deeper to our visitors. In the 1980s and 90s, 3 Santa TTeer resa Mountains Paaysonyyson oon n 4 Show Loww Pinetop-Laketop-Laktop-Lakp L kesideided and Science Department 5 Springerp gerville and from the in Colorado to than aesthetic and recreational delights. Museum researchers (particularly Dr. Tom 6 C o n t e n t s 7 Winchester Mountains Nancy Serensky the in Sonora, . Mighty These mountain ranges capture moisture Van Devender, now with the Sky Island 8 177 Theodoreodoredodorere 9 Peloncillo Mountains r Roooseveltseeveltveltvlt Lake ive 10 Rincon Mountains R glaciers covered much of the North American . from the atmosphere and generate rain that Alliance) analyzed detritus from ancient Production Manager lt 11 Little a 60 Phoenixh S 12 Baboquivari Mountains Average global temperatures were several degrees lower is the desert’s lifeblood. The topographical packrat middens for groundbreaking 13 Sierrita Mountains IFC-1 Celebrating the Sky Islands 1 Clare Aslan and Kim Franklin 14 191 than they are today. complexity and geographical placement of research on the deep biotic history of Globe Clare Aslan, Ph.D. 15 2 Managing Editors 16 Dragoon Mountains San Carlos rlos l Reservoirervoirrvoir About 11,000 years ago, things began to change. the Sky Islands begets the ’s this . Currently, Museum scientists 17 Mountains 2 Sky Island 18 70 ila River G er Linda Brewer 19 G il 1180 v Global temperatures began to rise. Plant communities remarkable . This diversity, in are generating the first species lists of arthro- a i

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d r 26 r Design and Production what is now and northwest Mexico, a other natural processes critical to the health eastern Arizona, identifying pollinators of 6 o 27 Mountains R 9 Lordsbdsburg rg iv 7 5-8 Into the Mexican Sky Islands 28 e vast desert began to assemble as new species moved into and well-being of humans. threatened plant species, and documenting r 10 29 TTucsonucson WWillcox 8 Sonorensis is published as a benefit to the Sky Jacobs 30 10

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86 e v Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum membership as a 32 Sierra El Humo i R 9 9-13 ASAP: The Arizona Sky Island Project 33 Pajarito Mountains Bensonnson 16 In the middle of that emerging desert, high mountain Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona host change. The Museum also prioritizes the z 17 Sells 13 19 u 18 34 r C resource for furthering understanding of the 12 15 Wendy Moore, Ph.D. 35 Sierra San Jose a t 90 ranges punctuated the land in a rumpled north-south swath species that draw from all directions, eleva- conservation of Sky Island habitats and n 9 14 80

36 Sierra La Ceniza a S S 2020 21 Sonoran Desert Region. 2021 N. Kinney Road, Sierra de Embudos 19 80 s 37 191 e Sierraa Vistata t 2525 d 14-17 Mapping Evolutionary Pathways: Sky Islands like an untidy blanket. As temperatures rose, desert vegeta- tions, and latitudes. The Rocky Mountains, serves as refuge for several threatened and 38 82 2244 n

2222 a Tucson, Arizona 85743. ©2013 by the Arizona- 2323 2929 r 39 Sierra San Juan 266 BBisbee 3030 31 G Sasabe 2828 272 s as a Natural Laboratory 40 Sierra AAvispasvispas a

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3333 a Sonora Desert Museum, Inc. All rights reserved. 41 Sierra El Chivato 3333 3232 Nogalesogales 3434 Agua Prieta i 3388 C 42 Sierra Las Minitas 3535 3636 3377 ío Lluvia Flores-Renteria, Ph.D.; Fernanda Baena-Díaz, Ph.D.; mountain peaks, leaving oak woodland and higher, - Desert, and Sierra Madre Occidental con- significant threats to Sky Island ecosystems R No material may be reproduced in whole or in part 43 Sierra Cibuta 4040 4242 2 r 41 44 Sierra El Pinito 3939 ta Jessica Pérez-Alquicira, Ph.D.; Francisco Molina-Freaner, Ph.D.; l 4545 4488 dominated habitats intact but isolated on mountain ranges verge here, leading to an astonishing diver- are accelerating climate change (which may A 433 45 Sierra La Mariquita 4444 without prior written permis sion by the publisher. o 464 í 499 & César A. Domínguez, Ph.D. 46 Sierra Elenita R CCananean nea 4477 Fronterasras 47 Sierra de Los Ajos TTubutamaubutama separated by up to hundreds of miles. These isolated peaks sity of mammal and reptile species. More well drive high-elevation species off the 51 CHIHUHUAAHUHUH A Visit us at www.desertmuseum.org 48 Sierra Las Espuelas 5050 18-20 The Survey Project have come to be known as the “Sky Islands,” or “Madrean than 450 bird species (nearly half of all mountaintops, and contributes to extensive 49 Sierra La Cabellera AAltar 5353 50 Sierra Azul 5252 a 17 Magdalenadalenalenana r 5454 BBaavispevispeispei p 51 Sierra El Manzanal o 5555 NNueue evas Melanie Culver, Ph.D.; Lisa Haynes, Ph.D.; R Santa Ana n Sky Islands,” or “the Madrean Archipelago.” those found in the ) occur outbreaks and high-intensity wildfires) ío o Casasasas Cover: Mt. Lemmon sunrise. Howard Paley 52 Sierra La Madera S Mag 566 Grandesrandeses d o 5577 Nacozariacozaricozario 53 Cerro Bacoachi a í & Kirk Emerson, Ph.D. R Today, our Sky Islands are home to many and here, along with more than 3,000 species of and development in the valleys (which often 54 Sierra Buenos Aires AArizpe i p e Back cover: Wilderness of Rocks, Catalina 55 Sierra El Pinito 600 21-23 Climate Change and the Sky Islands 56 Sierra San Antonio 5959 plants whose ancestors originated in the Rockies or the plants. The Sky Island Region has also been cuts off vital connections between wildlife 15 5588 57 Sierra Purica 118 58 Sierra El Jacaral Mountains. Steve Franks Jonathan Overpeck, Ph.D. 622 Sierra Madre. Essential breeding for species such as identified as the center of bee and ant diver- populations). By studying and understanding 59 Cerro El Bellotal

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izations who contributed photos for this M 65 Sierra Mazatán 200m1 o icus grahamensis), as well as oases for countless migrating appre ciation of the Sonoran Desert Region, In this issue of Sonorensis, we celebrate the í 646 issue of Sonorensis. 26-28 Exploring Biodiversity and Conserv ation Opportunities Ures R in the Sky Island Region birds, they are also welcome retreat and recreation for city the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has Sky Islands as troves of biodiversity, central Presa Plutarco o Elias Calles alalles Photos on this page, above: Dew on leaf; Western Thomas R. Van Devender, Ph.D.; Nick Deyo; & Jenny Neeley dwellers escaping the triple-digit, low-desert days of sum- long showcased and studied Sky Island to our experience of living in and with 655

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R R Eric Magrane seeking refreshment on a woodland trail. To imagine Woodland exhibit, Museum botanists community of scientists, conservationists, and N 15 Tucson without its ring of dramatic mountains, topped in explored the high elevations of the Santa land managers working to protect them. S 40 kms © 2012 WWendyendy Moore R R Sonorensis | winter 2013 1 On the Trail of Bats in the sky Islands of

G e o l o g y Karen Krebbs Courtesy of Karen Krebbs. Southeastern Arizona Conservation Biologist

Debbie Colodner, Ph.D. Director, Conservation Education and Science, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum As we sit quietly beside a stream in the Galiuro streams, trails, meadows, washes, hilltops, and in On the timescale of mere mortals, geology is the stage on which Mountains, a scream shatters the cool evening and caves and mines. My fieldwork has produced data the drama of life unfolds. But speed up time, and geology takes bounces off the walls. My assistant turns to on more than 3,500 bats representing 30 species in center stage as mind-boggling forces shape the Earth like putty. me. “Do we have anything to worry Arizona and Mexico, and information on 2,800 of About 70 million years ago, the Sky Island Region was part of about?” I smile and answer, those bats (22 species) comes from the mountains of a great rising , as the western edge of North “It’s just an angry mountain southeastern Arizona. All of these field data— America crumpled, cracked, and folded under pressure from a Bruce Taubert lion and will probably move on,” as I including measurements for forearms, fingers, collision with a crustal plate to the west. Then, in a huge plot strain my eyes to locate the , thumbs, ears, feet, and weight—are provided to state reversal, the pressure was suddenly off, and the region started which sounds very close. After all, we had and federal partners such as Arizona Game and Fish to stretch, heated by geological processes below. From 25 to 12 set a net over a large pool of water to capture bats, Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the million years ago this land was pulled slowly apart like taffy, and the big cat is probably thirsty. National Park Service, and the data have produced creating much of our topography. The final bit of stretching, I often think about the mountains lions, black valuable information about the migration, move- from 12 to 4 million years ago, cracked the crust, forming the bears, skunks, snakes, Gila monsters, owls, deer, ments, and reproduction of wild bats, as well as their mountains and valleys we see today. These events shaped the and other wildlife that have contributed to the responses to weather extremes, their general health, broad region known as the Basin and Range Geologic Province, excitement of my field research in the Sky Islands and information specific to local populations. these last fifteen years. There was a time in the Years of annual fieldwork in the Chiricahua Chip Hedgcock which stretches from all the way to southern Oregon and Idaho. The Sky Islands were formed in the south- Pinaleño Mountains, when I woke up in the middle Mountains have provided important data on the ern part of the province, between the Rocky Mountains to the of the night to find a skunk had placed its front legs arrival times of migratory bats. We have learned that north and the Sierra Madre Occidental to the south, in a vast on my cot just inches from my face! On another -haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) do not gap between those higher-elevation ranges. occasion, a skunk jumped up on my cot and land- arrive at the same time each year. In fact, we suspect The mountains of the Sky Islands rise thousands of feet ed on my chest as I was sleeping. I slowly put my that some individuals may actually be year-round above the low valley floors, punching into layers of atmos- head back down and went back to sleep; I didn’t re sidents of the mountains in this area, since I have phere that are cooler and wetter. As force air up and want to make any sudden movements. But there is captured this species repeatedly in both summer over these mountains, water vapor condenses, forming clouds, nothing that will get your heart pounding faster and winter in the . But far more silver- and when we are lucky, rain. Thus, the mountains help pull than a that settles under your old, torn haired bats are captured during the summer months water from the air and bring it back to the landscape, where lawn chair. The snake under my chair definitely was- than in the winter, suggesting both resident and Bruce Taubert it nourishes life in the Sky Islands and the valleys below, n’ t there when I set it up! migratory behaviors. Typically, this species is cap- and seeps into aquifers that supply riparian areas as well as a Through the years, I have utilized mist nets, tured between three and four hours after sunset, but Top above: Karen Krebbs using telemetry antennas to detect bats. S acoustic recording equipment, video cameras, and for the past several years I have observed this bat multitude of human needs. Cut out left: Allen’s lappet-browed bat (Idionycteris phyllotis). infrared lights to capture and detect bats along foraging during daylight hours, another exciting Above: Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii). Left: Sierra Bacadéhuachi 2 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 3 I n t o t h e Me xican

Bruce Taubert Sky Islands and unexpected discovery, since bats are more vul- der about the that must also be active in these cold tem- nerable to predators during daylight hours. peratures). One evening I captured a female pallid bat (Antrozous In twilight and dark hours, owls may be the most pallidus) that was active while the temperature was only 24° monsoon storm drenches a brown-backed solitaire on the east slope of a high sierra. A Karen Krebbs A common predator of bats as they forage. Bat bones are com- Fahrenheit! But add and moisture to the weather equation, mountain creek trickles softly over worn rocks. A land snail slides across moist leaf litter on monly found in owl pellets, and I have captured owls and bats and the bats will opt not to come out! a forest floor. Countless moments of nature’s poetry go unsung every minute of every day in the remote parts of the . Above: Mexican simultaneously in my nets—a fair indication that the owl was One cold November evening, I captured two males, a (Strix occidentalis lucida). chasing the bat when they were captured. Some owl species Townsend’s big-eared bat (Coryno rhinus townsendii) and an Within the United States, the Madrean Sky Islands are largely Below: Hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura). roost in the very same caves and mines as many bat species. At Allen’s lappet-browed bat (Idionycteris phyllotis), at the same public lands that expe rience frequent visitation from recreationists and Cut out right: Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans). one of my study sites in the Chiricahuas, a Mexican spotted owl time in the same net pocket. We processed the bats and released biologists. In Sonora, however, they are seldom-visited wildlands. (Strix occidentalis lucida) shows up regularly to watch us capture, both at the same time; they flew off in the same direction. This Because of their remoteness, a tendency for Mexican biologists to process, and release bats, but this owl has never chased any of was only the sixth time I had captured an Allen’s lappet-browed work more often in central and southern Mexico, and an arbitrary the bats we have processed; it just sits quietly and watches. bat in 14 years of fieldwork, and I had never captured this Sky Jacobs political boundary bisecting this amazing and diverse region, few Watershed Management Group Although bats are generally considered prey for this species, this species together with another species, which led me to wonder biologists have ventured into the southern Sky Islands. Few individual appears to be more interested in watching us capture about the possible reasons these bats were flying together that people enter the highlands of the Mexican Sky Islands for any bats than in catching one itself. evening. Although extending fieldwork into the winter months reason; even the vaqueros common in remote parts of low- has revealed exciting new information about the behavior of land Sonora are seen only rarely in these mountains. The Winter bats insectivorous bats, it has also generated many new questions costs of constructing and maintaining infrastructure for Most bat research is carried out during the summer months, but that remain to be answered. winter work is just as rewarding, and has provided important Following the trail of bats in 12 different Sky Islands has cattle in this rugged, remote terrain are generally pro- data on bat behavior in cold temperatures. My winter work in been extremely rewarding. I eagerly look forward to each and hibitive for ranching, as they are for extracting most the Chiricahuas has revealed that not only silver-haired bats, but every field day, and I am still hopeful that during one of my field natural resources. many species of bats remain active throughout the winter, and, research trips, I will spot an elusive jaguar watching me work although some individuals of these species may disappear dur- along some mountain stream! S ing periods of extreme cold temperatures, they reemerge when weather conditions improve. During cold winter evenings, Suggested Reading I have used a bat detector to record feeding buzzes (short, Kunz, Thomas H. 2010. Field Guide to the Bats of North rapid, high-pitched ultrasonic pulses emitted by echolo- America. Oxford University Press, USA. cating bats during the final stages of capturing prey). Elegant Trogon (Trogon elegans). These recordings demonstrate that the bats are active- Sonorensis: Celebrating Bats. 2011. Arizona-Sonora Desert Bill Hornbaker ly hunting during the winter (which me to won- Museum, Tucson, AZ. Sky Jacobs

4 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 5 Through the centuries, and even now, the distribution a nd abundance of birds footsteps, visiting little-known land- Sky Islands in Sonora and 7 areas in the these more remote Sky Islands have large- and other wildlife in the southern Sky scapes of the Sky Islands in Mexico. adjacent Sierra Madre, covering an area ly been left alone, with one significant Islands and nearby Sierra Madre, because Flesch’s main goal since 2008 has been to much broader than that visited by exception. Logging took a serious toll on baseline data from before the mid-twenti- describe the patterns of bird distributions Marshall. Fieldwork for this project wildlife and habitat between the 1930s eth century is sparse. Very few biologists across the region, but he and his field ended in 2012, and research reports are and 1950s, when stands of old-growth had explored the Mexican Sky Islands crews have also collected important data now in preparation. Many of Flesch’s forest were decimated in the larger before logging began. on other animal and plant groups. As a observations have been submitted to the ranges. More than a half-century later In the 1950s, however, one biologist participant in several of his field expedi- publicly accessible MABA database at these forests are still recovering. Most traveled to many places that few had seen. tions, I can attest to the multiplicity of www.madrean.org. pine forests are not yet mature enough to Ornithologist and explorer Joe Marshall, challenges that characterize field work in Flesch has documented several new Sky Jacobs

Sky Jacobs make logging cost-effective, and commer- Jr., worked throughout the Sky Islands on this remote, rugged, and fascinating breeding bird species in the Sonoran Sky cial logging is now rare. In the adjacent both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border region. We traversed untold miles of ter- Islands, including short-tailed hawk, Sierra Madre, where pine forests are studying birds and their oak and pine-oak rible roads, backpacked and mule-packed brown-backed solitaire, crescent-chested extensive and access is easier, large-scale woodland habitats. In 1957 Marshall pub- through remote and steep terrain, warbler, and -throated redstart, as Stephen Minter Stephen Minter logging continues, and little old-growth lished Birds of Pine-Oak Woodland in and braved thunderstorms, lighting, well as other notable likely breeders forest remains. Southern Arizona and Adjacent Mexico, a and other dangers. (Although often such as the white-striped woodcreeper The full impact of commercial logging comprehensive and often poetic account overblown in the media, these dangers do and flame-colored tanager. He has also is unknown, but it likely had broad nega- of bird distribution, abundance, habitat include regular encounters with illicit observed northern species at the tive effects on a diverse range of wildlife. use, and in the Madrean drug growers and smugglers.) Regardless, extreme southern end of their ranges, The , for example, Sky Island Region and neighboring Sierra most people in the region are very friendly, such as the first breeding western tan- once the larg est woodpecker on Earth and Madre Occidental. Marshall’s work pro- helpful, and interested in wildlife, and local agers and hermit thrushes in mainland endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental vided an important baseline on the distri- landowners deserve special recognition Mexico. Beyond these notable records, (and likely the larger southern Sky bution and abundance of birds in the for generously granting access to their extensive distance sampling at over Islands), has been declared extinct. region, including in 9 Sky Islands in land and always lending a hand. 1,500 points has enabled him to esti- Populations of thick-billed parrot, which Sonora. The late Peter Warshall, who Supported by the National Park mate the densities of more than 60 were once abundant, have declined, with authored The Madrean Sky Island Service and Desert Southwest Coopera- species of breeding birds in each Sky flocks now restricted to a limited number Archipelago: A Planetary Overview, an tive Ecosystem Studies Unit, as well as Island he has surveyed. of localities in the higher parts of the insightful presentation on the biogeogra- the Mexican Park Service (CONANP), Due to the limited fieldwork carried Sierra Madre Occidental. However, it is phy of the Madrean Sky Islands said of Flesch and his associates have collected out in the southern Sky Islands, observa- difficult to say what effects logging had on Marshall’s work, “Never surpassed, this data in almost every Madrean Sky Island tions of even common plants and ani- elegant monograph described the stacking south of the U.S.-Mexico border since of biotic communities on each island 2008. He has been very fortunate to mountai n from the to the have the help of young Mexican biolo- Above: Sierra El Tigre. Sierra Madre.” gists, especially Carlos Gonzalez and Above: Sierra Azul. Left: Hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus). Right: Rufous-capped warbler (Basileuterus rufifrons). Since 2000, Aaron Flesch and his Javier Amarillas. Thus far, they have sur- associates have followed in Marshall’s veyed birds and measured habitat in 26

6 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 7 Michele Lanan mals are often noteworthy. Thus, when Flesch’s fieldwork is making a land- possible, Flesch has photographed and mark contribution to our understanding cataloged mammals, herpetofauna, and of the natural history and diversity of the plants, which has resulted in many region. In addition, this and other field observations of species outside their pre- projects are bringing researchers, institu- Wendy Moore, Ph.D. viously known ranges. Flesch has col- tions, land managers, and landowners Assistant Professor and lected the first Sonoran records of closer together. Documenting the biodi- Curator of the University of Arizona Insect Collection, Department of Entomology, species such as Rhamnus californica, R. versity of the Sky Island Region, includ- University of Arizona ilicifolia (coffeeberry and hollyleaf red- ing that of the many ranges south of the berry, respectively—both buckthorns), border, will help us better understand and Dalea tentaculoides (Gentry’s and therefore better protect the species indigobush). Other notable observations that live here for the benefit of future include the northernmost observation generations. S Sky Jacobs and only the second record for the Sky Islands of Pinus yecorensis (Yecora pine), Suggested Reading near Nacozari de Garcia; the northern- Flesch, A. D., and L. A. Hahn. 2005. most and first Sky Island record for “Distribution of Birds and Plants at the Quercus durifolia (roble prieto/dark oak), Sky Jacobs Western and Southern Edges of the in the Sierra el Tigre; and the western- Madrean Sky Islands in Sonora, Mexico.” most observation and first Sky Island In Connecting Mountain Islands and Desert record of Ilex rubra (a holly), in the Seas: Biodiversity and Management of the Sky Islands and by desert seas, they often evolve and adapt Sierra Opusera. Flesch has also docu- Madrean Archipelago II. Proc. RMRS-P-36 Terrestrial independently, eventually becoming distinct mented many formerly unrecorded pop- Fort Collins, CO. U.S. Department of enough to warrant separate species or sub- ulations of species that are common in , Forest Service, Rocky Southeastern Arizona’s Sky Islands have long fasci- species status (a process biologists call “species the northern Sky Islands but rare in the Mountain Research Station. nated naturalists because of the extraordinary biolog- diversification”). And, because arthropods south; examples include Populus tremu- ical diversity and the complex geographical distribu- (insects, isopods, millipedes, mites, spiders, scor- loides (quaking aspen) and Quercus gam- Warshall, P. 1995. “The Madrean Sky tions of species found in these ranges. Because these pions, etc.) reproduce frequently and in larger num- belii (Gambel oak). Island Archipelago: A Planetary mountain “islands” are separated by “oceans” of bers, they can evolve into distinct populations at a Overview. ” In Biodiversity and desert or grassland, over time their montane popula- faster pace than most larger animals. As an entomol- Management of the Madrean Archipelago: tions became more or less isolated from one another. ogist, I knew the Sky Islands would be ideal for Above: Dew on leaves, Sierra Huachinera. The Sky Islands of Southwestern United Take a beetle that lives only in the highest studying the process of species diversification. Below: Sharp-shinned hawk chicks (Accipiter striatus), States and Northwestern Mexico. General (Mixed Conifer Forest) on ; its clos- Ecologically, arthropods are critical. They drive Sierra el Tigre. Technical Report RM-GTR-264. U.S. est relatives live in the Mixed Conifer Forest of other key ecosystem processes, such as , litter Forest Service. Tucson, AZ. Sky Islands, such as the Pinaleños and Chiricahuas. decomposition, nutrient recycling, and aera- Since these montane populations are restricted to dif- tion, and are essential food for reptiles, birds, and Winter Ants (Prenolepis imparis) ferent mountaintops and separated from one another small mammals. However, their life histories, popu- tending aphids.

8 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 9 lation dynamics, survival strategies, value to society, We began our research on the ground in the and conservation status are still relatively poorly Santa Catalinas—one of only three ranges north of known. The enormous potential for researching the the U.S.-Mexico border with the full sequence of Wendy Moore natural history of arthropods in the unique natural biological communities found in the Sky Island laboratories of the Sky Islands led to the founding of Region—from desertscrub to subalpine forest the Arizona Sky Island Arthropod Project (or [see diagram of , page 17]. In early 2011, ASAP), in my lab in the University of Arizona’s ASAP researchers established 66 sampling sites for Department of Entomology. arthropod collection along the elevation gradients of The ASAP project has undertaken the ambitious the range—along the Mt. Lemmon Highway on the job of documenting the arthropod fauna, not just of south side of the Catalinas, and along the Control the nearby Santa Catalina Mountains, but of all the Road on the north side. In 2011 and 2012, the Because these mountain “islands” are separated Sky Islands in southeastern Arizona. The panorama ASAP team deployed pitfall traps at each site for two of isolated vegetation types throughout this region weeks in May (pre-monsoon) and again for two by “oceans” of desert or grassland, provides us with perfect natural replications of habi- weeks in September (post-monsoon), capturing the over time their montane populations became more or less tat for ecological studies. Using these natural labo- ground-dwelling arthropods that were active during ratories, we are investigating how arthropod com- those periods.Preserved specimens were brought to isolated from one another. munities have assembled within the Sky Island bio- the lab to be sorted and identified by members mes and diversified among the isolated ranges. The of the ASAP team. Data on the fundamental questions we are addressing include: number of specimens of each species collected by each trap • Which arthropods inhabit Arizona’s Sky Islands, ar e being carefully recorded, and and how are these species distributed within the the specimens themselves are Alex Wild region? being deposited in the University of As an entomologist, • What are the biogeographic affiliations of the Sky Arizona Insect Collection. I knew the Sky Islands would be ideal Island arthropods? • What are the evolutionary relationships of the Sky for studying the process of species diversification. Island arthropods? Which groups have radiated within the Sky Island Region? Far left: Chiricahuas rising from the desert floor. Wendy Moore • What are the over-arching drivers that structure Upper right: Pitfall trap. Cut out: Bark-gnawing beetle (Temnoschelia chloradia). These brilliant metallic arthropod communities in the Sky Islands (e.g. green can be found on and under the bark of many types of trees,

Michele Lanan moisture, temperature, soil type, plant associa- where they feed on larvae of various bark-boring insects. Lower right: Carabid beetle collection. tions)? • How might montane arthropod communities respond to rapidly changing climate conditions?

10 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 11 Rick Brusca Alex Wild Jeff Eble Michele Lanan Rick Brusca Above left: Beyer’s scarab (Chrysina beyeri), one of three jewel scarab species found in Arizona. Taken in , Santa Ritas. Middle: Purple pleasing fungus beetle (Gibbifer californicus), upper left in Above left: Santa Ritas. Right: Field work in desert grassland habitat on Mt. Lemmon. Cut out right: Snail-eating bettle (Scaphinotus petersi). This attractive ground beetle has evolved specialized elongate mouthparts photo, and larvae. Right: Big-headed ants (Pheidole rhea) found in Molina Basin, Santa Catalinas. for attacking snails in their shells. Whereas adults are specialized for eating snails, the larvae are predatory generalists, feeding on various small insects.

Although all arthropod groups are under play important ecological roles in almost every ter- Catalinas, including the same 20-mile stretch sur- already evident (e.g., increased fire, pest out- informed public policy in environmental conserva- with an Introduction to Alex Wild study, ASAP has concentrated so far on two super- restrial habitat. To date, 197 species of ground- veyed by Whittaker and Neiring. Comparing the breaks, spread of , etc.), and plant tion, as well as deepen our understanding of the the Madrean Sky Islands. diverse groups: beetles (Coleoptera) and ants dwelling beetles have been collected and identified elevations of the 27 most common plant species in communities are under stress. Additional temper- small animals that help make this region so diverse. ASDM Press: Tucson, AZ. (Hymenoptera, family Formicidae). Ants are possi- in ASAP’s surveys in the Catalinas. Initial analyses our survey with their historic data, we found that ature increases of as little as a few degrees could Brusca, R. C., J. F. Wiens, W. M. bly the numerically dominant family of insects on reveal a pattern in which species almost every species has shifted its lower eleva- push Sky Island plant and arthropod species to ASAP Collaborators: Meyer, J. Eble, K. Franklin, J. T. Overpeck, and W. Earth, representing 10–15 percent of the entire with temperate (northern) ancestral distributions are tional boundary significantly upslope; in eight even higher elevations, potentially causing local Sandra Brantley, University of New Mexico; Moore. 2013. “Dramatic Response to Climate animal biomass in terrestrial ecosystems. To date, generally found at higher elevations, while species, lower elevation limits have increased by of endemic species and subspecies and Rick Brusca, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Change in the Southwest: Robert Whittaker’s 1963 nearly 100 ant species have been identified in the Neotropical (southern) species are generally found more than 800 feet, and some as much as 1000 other evolutionarily unique lineages. (ASDM)/ University of Arizona (UA); Arizona Mountain Plant Transect Revisited.” Ecology Santa Catalinas (with more samples remaining at lower elevations on the mountains. Among feet, including alligator (Juniperus deppeana Jeff Eble, UA,; Kim Franklin, ASDM; & Evolution 3:3307-3319. to be worked up). The most common are acrobat the largest and most noticeable are ground beetles var. deppeana), New Mexico groundsel (Packera ASAP Onward Antonio Gomez, UA; Gene Hall, UA; ants (Crematogaster spp.), highway ants (Forelius (family Carabidae), darkling beetles (family neomexicana), and meadow rue (Thalictrum fend- This past summer ASAP began collections in the Jeff Henkel, UA; Garrett Hughes, UA; Moore, W., W. M. Meyer, J. A. Eble, K. Frankliln, spp.), little black ants (Monomorium spp.), and Tenebrionidae), pleasing fungus beetles (family leri). The best hypothesis to explain these upward Pinaleños, Huachucas, and Chiricahuas. In the Paul Marek, UA (now at Virginia Tech); J. F. Wiens, and R. C. Brusca. 2013. big-headed ants (Pheidole spp.), while the most Erotylidae), longhorn beetles (family Cerambycidae), shifts is that an increasingly warmer climate and coming years we will sample many other ranges, Reilly McManus, UA; “Introduction to the Arizona Sky Island scarce, to date, are small, cryptic species whose and scarab beetles (family ). the ongoing persistent in southern and we expect to be collecting data in the Sky Marty Meyer, UA (now at Pomona College); Arthropod Project (ASAP): Systemics, colonies are smaller than those of most other ants Arizona are driving species up the mountain, as Islands for another 30 years. As the ASAP project John Palting, UA; Jason Schaller, UA; Biogeography, Ecology, and Population Genetics (e.g. Hypoponera spp., Stenamma spp.). Beyond Arthropods predicted by climate models for the Southwest (see grows, new patterns in the deep history of the mon- John Wiens, ASDM; Alan Yanahan, UA. S of Arthropods of the Madrean Sky Islands.” Beetles comprise the most diverse group of In 1963, ecologists Robert Whittaker and William Climate Change and the Sky Islands, this issue). tane arthropods of our region will emerge, models In Merging Science and Management in a Rapidly organisms, with approximately 370,000 described Niering systematically surveyed the plants along Here in Tucson, temperatures have increased at a predicting how these animals will respond to Suggested Reading Changing World: Biodiversity and Management of species worldwide. Some beetle species are top the Mt. Lemmon Highway, from desertscrub to mean rate of 0.25°C per decade since 1949. In the changing climates will be developed, and threat- Brusca, Richard C., and New the Madrean Archipelego III. Proceedings arthropod predators, while other species feed on subalpine fir forest.In the ASAP project, we also Catalinas, as in all the Sky Islands, other effects of ened species and populations will be identified. Wendy Moore. 2013. A Natural RMRS-P-67, U.S. Forest Service, plants, decaying organic matter, or fungus, and thus surveyed plants at each of our 66 study sites in the warming climate and prolonged drought are Information from ASAP will contribute to science- History of the Santa C atalina Mountains, Arizona, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

12 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 13 M a p p i n i s l a n g s k y d s a e v o s a n a t l u t i s : u r a l l a b o r a t o r y o n a r y p a t h w a y

For us, the Sky Islands are a constant source of wonder of the same species. To this end, we have been studying another, suggesting that pollinators are not the cause of and amazement; sometimes, we feel like we are walking two species in the Sky Islands: alpine wood sorrel ( the variation in the reproductive system of this species. in the clouds. And the more we know about the wealth of alpina), a small herbaceous angiosperm (or ) Still looking for an answer, we turned to a second biodiversity here, the more we are amazed. Over the last pollinated by insects, and border pinyon pine (Pinus discolor), approach using genetic markers (DNA sequences) to twelve years at the Instituto de Ecología of the Universidad a gymnosperm (or cone-bearing plant) pollinated by wind. reconstruct the history of these populations. We found Nacional Autónoma de México, we have been studying that populations of O. alpina in northern ranges have less The research: alpine wood sorrel two distinct species that live in the Madrean Sky Islands of genetic diversity than southern populations and a lower Frank Rose Maggie Millinovitch the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These Oxalis alpina uses one of the most complex and rare repro- frequency of flowers with mid-length styles. This suggests Above: Alpine wood sorrel flower Above: Border pinyon pollen cones (Oxalis alpina). isolated mountain ranges rising from an arid sea make up a ductive systems in the plant kingdom. Within a single pop- that since the last glaciation, O. alpina has migrated to (Pinus discolor). “stepping stone archipelago” between two long and wide ulation you may find two or three different flower types. northern Sky Island ranges, and that random colonization Two morph populations chains of mountains—the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra In populations with two flower types, some plants have long events may partially explain the reduction in the frequency (Distylous) Lluvia Flores-Rentería, Ph.D., Madre Occidental. In the great low-elevation gap between styles (female parts) that rise above the shorter stamens of flowers with mid-length styles. Postdoctoral Researcher, Biological Sciences, Male parts (stamens) University them, on mountains with woodlands or forests, species from (male parts), while other plants have flowers with short Further investigation revealed that another reason for Female parts Fernanda Baena-Díaz, Ph.D., both the southern and the northern ranges grow together. styles and long stamens. A population consisting of two the shift to distyly relates to the loss of what is known as a “het- style (pistils) Instituto de Ecología, If you explore a Madrean Sky Island, you will notice a different flower types is called distylous. Other populations eromorphic incompatibility system” in O. alpina. This system Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México gradual change in vegetation as elevation increases (see figure, are tristylous, having flowers with long or short styles, as prevents fertilization between individuals of the same floral type Jessica Pérez-Alquicira, Ph.D., pg 17), from desertscrub at the lowest elevations through described above, as well as flowers with styles of intermediate and allows fertilization to occur only when pollen from stamens Postdoctoral Researcher, Ohio Agricultural Research Short Long and Development Center, Ohio State University desert grasslands, oak grasslands, oak woodlands and chapar- length between two sets of stamens. of a certain length reaches styles of the same length. This means ral, and, in the taller ranges, pine-oak woodlands and pine In order to understand why some populations are that crosses are only possible between individuals of different Francisco Molina-Freaner, Ph.D., Three morph populations Ecologia de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, forests dominated by Arizona and ponderosa , and, distylous and others tristylous, we first asked if ecological con- floral types. This system results in populations with roughly (Tristylous) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México eventually, mixed conifer forests with pine, fir, and spruce. ditions differed on the mountains with these populations. One equal proportions of the three flower types. However, we found César A. Domínguez, Ph.D., Although some species show little genetic variation between important driver of change in plants is their relationship with that in northern populations of O. alpina, flowers with long and Ecologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México mountain ranges, other species have evolved and radiated on pollinators, and we suspected that each Sky Island might have a short styles have lost this incompatibility system as a result of a these “islands,” which serve as natural laboratories for the different suite of pollinator species, which could be responsible genetic mutation. Therefore short- and long-styled flowers are study of evolution because conditions differ from island to for the variation in floral types. Surprisingly, we did not find dif- able to cross-pollinate, while flowers with mid-length styles are island (as in the case of Darwin's finches in the Galapagos). ferences in the pollinators among populations of O. alpina. The not. With the loss of the incompatibility system, flowers with

Our team is exploring the tremendous variation in plant Sonoran Desert Region Map common pollinators are two small bees in the Heterosarus, short and long styles could fertilize each other more, thus out- Diagram by Stephen G. Weller. reproduction systems across different mountain populations neither of which displays a preference for one flower type over competing flowers with mid-length styles, which would explain Short Mid Long

14 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 15 Frank Rose Biome “stacking”

the shift of northern populations towards distyly. and from this we can surmise that the species has changed is an important and characteristic feature of the Madrean Sky Islands. On the highest sharply delineated, and transition zones are common. Elevation is an overriding factor, Thus, we propose that natural selection in little since becoming confined to isolated Sky Island habi- Sky Islands in Arizona (such as the Santa Catalinas, Pinaleños, and Chiricahuas), up to but the position at which a biome occurs is also strongly regulated by aspect— combination with the recent northern tats 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. eight biomes can be recognized, as shown in this schematic. Although the figure the direction a mountain slope is facing. Southern and western slopes receive more migrations is responsible for the emergence Wind pollination is one explanation for close genetic of distyly in O. alpina. connections across the Sky Islands, but it is not the only way shows clear boundaries of these biomes for illustrative purposes, in reality they are not sunlight and are warmer and dryer, shifting biomes upslope; whereas northern and genes can be dispersed. also play an important role eastern exposures receive less sunlight and are cooler and moister, shifting biomes The research: border in dispersal; however, as pine nuts are heavy and wingless, pinyon pine they depend on small mammals and birds, particularly jays, downslope. In addition, the elevation of each biome in a mountain range is influenced As we have noted, many species became divid- for dispersal. Pinyon jays may travel over 20 kilometers by the latitude at which the mountains occur. ed into spatially isolated populations as a result of the last (but typically less than 5 kilometers) to cache pinyon nuts,

Frank Rose Although the main determinants of plant community type are elevation, glaciation. Some of these isolated populations, like those of O. and small mammals disperse seeds even shorter distances. aspect and latitude, slope angle, soil type, , exposure, and other fac- alpina, have indeed followed independent evolutionary paths Therefore we do not think that animals often move border because they no longer exchange genes with other popula- pinyon pine seeds between mountain ranges. tors also affect what plants will be found at any given site. , By combining both ecological and genetic approaches, tions due to the limited distance their pollen is able to travel. for example, are highly permeable to water and do not retain In other species, however, this spatial isolation has not led we hav e been able to unravel the evolutionary histories of moisture well, thus creating conditions that favor plants from lower, to genetic isolation. One example is the border pinyon two distinct species with different reproductive systems and pine (Pinus discolor), the seeds of which, known as pine pollination types in the Sky Islands. Each Sky Island species drier biomes (e.g., desert plants often appear on limestone soils at offers us a glimpse into the past and an opportunity to better nuts or pinyon nuts, are savored by animals and people elevations where grasslands would normally occur). Also, because alike. Pinus discolor diverged from P. johannis (Johann’s understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that pine) a couple of million years ago. Today P. johannis is shape the world we live in. Moreover, understanding how the mountains of lower elevation and smaller overall size receive less found in the , and P. discolor in the changing environment of the past has led to the pattern s we annual than do higher mountains, their biomes are see today will guide us in our efforts to manage species in the Sierra Madre Occidental. Since the end of the Pleistocene shifted higher in elevation. Although is an important (approximately 10,000 years ago) P. discolor has retreated face of the rapidly changing environment of the future. S and well-developed plant community in California and Baja Above top: Alpine wood sorrel (Oxalis from lower elevations, where we find Sonoran desertscrub alpina). Above: Border pinyon pine tree today, upslope into the Sky Islands. California, in the Madrean Sky Islands it is relatively low in (Pinus discolor). Suggested Reading Pinus discolor is pollinated by wind. The movement of species diversity and occurs only in patches where the its pollen is facilitated by two air sacs, which make the Rose, Frank S. 2012. Mountain Trees of Southern Arizona: A pollen grains look a little like Mickey Mouse. Wind can Field Guide. ASDM Press, Tucson, AZ. climate is notably dry (e.g., exposed southwestern carry this pollen to mountains more than 100 miles away, slopes, ridge tops, etc.). Rose, Frank S. 2011. Mountain Wildflowers of Southern thus maintaining a genetic connection between physically Arizona: A Field Guide to the Santa Catalina Mountains and separated populations. We have found evidence of this con- Other Nearby Ranges. ASDM Press, Tucson, AZ. nectivity by analyzing genetic markers for Pinus discolor. Even remote populations of P. discolor are genetically similar, Illustration by Linda M. Brewer.

16 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 17 Melanie Culver, Ph.D., School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona The University of Arizona Lisa Haynes, Ph.D., Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona Kirk Emerson, Ph.D., School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona Sky Island Alliance

Above: Jaguar (Panthera onca), photo taken with Sky Island Alliance night cameras. Right: A jaguar in the Bootheel area of Southwestern New Mexico in 2006.

The jaguar, the largest cat in the Western The probable source of these wandering males distribution in the United States, but the historic about in Arizona and New Mexico. With funds Hemisphere, is historically native to the is a breeding population in the wild, rugged, population is now reduced to a few individuals provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, southwestern United States as well as to the and remote Sierra Madre Mountains of that inhabit secluded areas away from intense the project will establish and implement a completely non- more tropical areas of Mexico and Central and Sonora, Mexico, approximately 120 miles human disturbance in Sky Island ranges and invasive survey and monitoring program for jaguars, , . In Arizona, rare sightings south of Douglas, Arizona. This Sierra Madre adjacent landscapes. and other wildlife. Our goals are, first, to identify individual were reported through most of the twentieth jaguar population thrives in an area of rela- Very little is known about what jaguars are jaguars on the landscape by their unique spot configurations in pho- century, but in the later decades breeding tively continuous and unfragmented habitat, doing in this northernmost edge of their distribu- tographs and unique scat/hair DNA profiles, and, second, to obtain populations seemed to have disappeared. including a mix of ranchlands and protected tion—how many are here, how long they stay, information on the ecological relationships of jaguars to their habitat, prey, Jaguars as resident wildlife north of the bor- reserves. It is the northernmost known breed- what they prey upon, and how often they roam in and human impacts on the landscape. In spite of the confined distribution der had been dismissed from the public mind ing population of jaguars. which landscapes. Addressing this lack of knowl- of jaguars currently documented north of the border, this survey and monitor- and the minds of most of the conservation In most species of wild cats worldwide, edge, the University of Arizona has embarked on ing is taking place on 16 different mountain ranges in Arizona and New Mexico. community. Then, in 1996, two adult male young males tend to leave areas where they a multi-year project to detect and monitor jaguars No animals will be captured or radio-collared in this study. The main tools we jaguars were photographed in separate cir- were raised and travel long distances before along the northern side of the U.S.-Mexico border use to detect and monitor jaguars are motion-sensor “trail” cameras, placed in remote Warner Glenn cumstances in Sky Islands in southwestern establishing their own home ranges. This is the south of Interstate 10, from the Baboquivari areas where jaguars are most likely to be found. We also collect large carnivore scat for New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. That most likely scenario for explaining the sporadic Mountains in Arizona, west to the “boot-heel” genetic analyses. At times, we collect scat with the assistance of a scat-detection dog— news made a splash. Since then, several more occurrence of jaguars in Arizona and New region of New Mexico. The project hopes to gen- a Belgian Malinois named “Mayke.” Mayke has had intensive training in searching out of the big spotted cats, all of them males, have Mexico over the last couple of decades. One erate scientific information that can help answer and detecting the scent of jaguar scat with the assistance of her handler, and the use of been sighted in the borderlands of both states. hundred years ago, jaguars had a much broader important conservation and ecological questions the dog in the field increases our probability of finding jaguar scat. DNA analyses of the

18 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 19 Climate Change

a n d t h e Austin Aslan Sky Islands Jacob Chinn Aletris Neils Sky Island Alliance

Above: (Leopardus pardalis). Middle: Jaguar (Panthera onca), photo taken with Sky Island Alliance night cameras. Right: Mayke and his handler, Chris Bugbee.

Jonathan Overpeck, Ph.D. scats not only provide a way to identify the num- Professor, Departments of Geosciences and Jaguar research and conservation is only and currently has projects in India (tigers), Atmospheric Sciences, ber of jaguars on the landscape, they also allow us possible with the active support of the people Namibia (caracal cats), Chile (Andean mountain University of Arizona to determine the amount of genetic variation who live and work on the land. Accordingly, the cats), and Zambia (African lions and cheetahs), as among those individuals. In general, we are hop- survey team is proactive in communicating well as studies focusing on the mountain lion ing to find high levels of genetic variation, know- with the ranching community across the study (Puma concolor) and (Lynx rufus) here in Snow on saguaros in the mountains. ing full well that small isolated groups of individ- area. From the outset, we have been working the Sonoran Desert. What better place for a uals often have reduced levels of genetic varia- closely with local ranchers, public agencies, global Wild Cat Center than the home of the The Sky Islands, and their broader U.S.-Mexico bor- America has already been warming steadily and less frequent cold conditions are all a sure bet. tion—a sign of less than optimal population size. wildlife scientists, and other stakeholders to University of Arizona… Wildcats! S der region, are facing one of the most daunting cli- noticeably. Without exception, climate models indi- Interestingly, the latest climate science indicates Using analytical software, the University of ensure timely coordination and communication mate change challenges in . Climate cate that the region should be warming, and that’s that we should continue to see cold air outbreaks in scientists now have a high level of confidence that exactly what we see. Climate models are in agree- winter, and still have some record low temperatures Arizona team will scrutinize all wildlife photo- to facilitate this ambitious and much-needed Suggested Reading global climate change is occurring and that most of ment with thermometer measurements, and this at times. But the Sky Islands of the future are almost graphs captured by our trail cameras, not just scientific research. this change is driven by humans. But, as with many agreement gives us confidence in the model projec- all about hot and hotter. those of the spotted cats, which will generate The jaguar project is one of many studies Brown, D. E., and C. A. López-Gonzáles. 2001. things, it is the regional manifestation of global trends tions for the future—that is, continued warming. one of the most comprehensive analyses of being conducted around the world by the Borderland Jaguars: Tigres de la Fro ntera. University that matters most to ecosystems, resource managers, Observations also indicate that far more hot tem- Forest impacts and snow wildlife throughout this border region to date. University of Arizona’s Wild Cat Research and of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, UT. and conservationists. The Sky Islands are a case study perature records are being broken than cold, again The impacts of increasing temperatures appear to be Our methods may also detect ocelots (Felis Conservation Center (www.uawildcatresearch.org). Rizzo, W. “Return of the Jaguar?” Smithsonian in how climate change will matter. in line with model projections. Thus, there is good especially challenging for the forests of the pardalis), a species for which there are few sci- The Wild Cat Center is dedicated to studying and Magazine, December 2005. There is already unusual clarity in what lies reason to plan for an ever-increasing severity of hot Southwest. Higher temperatures mean that more ahead for the climate of the Sky Island Region. Like temperature extremes into the future. Longer periods moisture in trees will be lost to the atmosphere; thus, entific data regarding presence in Arizona. conserving the 36 species of wild cats worldwide most of the globe, southwestern North of excessive heat, hotter days and nights, as well as increasingly drought-stressed trees will be less able

20 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 21 Rick Brusca Rick Brusca Austin Aslan Jessica Moreno The climate of the Sky Islands region has warmed in recent decades. For the area encompassing Pima, Santa Cruz, , Graham, and Greenlee counties in Arizona, annual mean temperature anomalies – the difference between the average temperature of a given year and that of all years over a longer time period – lately have been about +1°F to +2°F higher than the average annual temperature calculated from 1895 to 2012. Jeremy Weiss, University of Arizona, made this figure with temperature data from the Western Climate Mapping Initiative (cefa.dri.edu/Westmap/).

Above left: White Water Draw under an overcast sky, rain in the distance. Middle: Santa Ritas. Right: Desert lightning. Above left: Beetle infested pines in the .

to deal with other threats such as fungal pathogens soils moist, streams and rivers flowing, and aquifers fall won’t change much, but that the monsoon season The Sky Islands: climate time to determine how much climate change the Cook, B. I., and R. Seager. 2013. “The Response of the and insect pests. This ripple effect appears to have recharging. These will be challenging trends for the will start and end later in the season. For those who change hotspot natural and human systems of the Sky Islands can to Increased Greenhouse Gas already caused substantial tree death in the forests and other habitats of the Sky Islands, not to know the Southwest, this raises concerns about two The other side of the hydrologic cycle is the dry adapt to. This knowledge can, in turn, make clear Forcing. Journal of Climate, Vol. 118(4). Southwest and beyond, and could become a major mention our human communities. things that we’d rather not see in the future. First, the side. Just as future rains will tend to be more the local consequences of climate change, as well Diffenbaugh, N. S., F. Giorgi, and J. S. Pal. 2008. threat to the forests of the Sky Islands (see ASAP: the hottest, driest time of the summer, the pre-monsoon intense, the increased moisture-holding capacity of as the levels of greenhouse gas pollution that are “Climate Change Hotspots in the United States.” Arizona Sky Island Project, this issue). Rainfall trends “foresummer,” could lengthen just as it is becoming the atmosphere is also apt to bring more time dangerous for the people and nature of the Sky Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35. With high confidence in warming comes high What are the chances that the Sky Islands will receive rapidly hotter. And second, by shifting the monsoon between rainfall events, more dry days, and more Islands. As the concentrations of carbon dioxide Garfin, G., A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. confidence in other key aspects of climate change. more rain and snow in the future to compensate for further into the fall, it could increase the odds that drought. A new analysis indicates that our climate in the atmosphere accelerate past the 400ppmv LeRoy, eds. 2013. Assessment of Climate Change in the Snow is an important natural reservoir of soil mois- the impacts of warming? The short answer is familiar: monsoon moisture will get tied up with remnant trop- models underestimate the risk of future drought— level (parts per million by volume), climate Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National ture and streamflow in the Sky Islands, but this not good. Although observations of precipitation are ical storms and their energy and excess water; this both decade-length drought like the current change impacts on the Sky Islands are very much Climate Assessment. A report by the Southwest Climate hydrological buffer during the late spring and early mixed in terms of whether projected declines in could mean more flooding rains. And we already drought in the Sky Island Region, as well as multi- becoming reality. S Alliance. Island Press, Washington, D.C. summer dry period will become more and more rare precipitation are already starting to occur, climate know that rainfall isn’t as beneficial, or even good, if it decade drought of the type seen in millennia-length Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, et al, eds. 2007. in the future. Hotter temperatures mean that more models indicate that mid-latitude storm tracks will falls too fast and causes big runoff events and floods. tree-ring records. It also appears that there is a sig- Supporting Literature “Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth precipitation will fall as rain, and that snow that does move, on average, more and more poleward in both The summer, and increasingly the late summer nificant risk of both types of drought in the next 50 Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Allen, C. D., A. K. Macalady, H. Chenchouni,et al. fall will melt faster and sublimate more (a process by hemispheres. This will increasingly translate to less and early fall, will likely become more flood prone years, and that the risk would only be made worse Climate Change.” In IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: 2010. A global overview of drought and heat-induced The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge University Press, which frozen snow directly becomes water vapor in and less cool season rain and snow for the Sky Islands. for an additional reason. Climate scientists often by continued warming. tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for Cambridge, United Kingdom, and New York, NY. the air rather than first melting). Warmer tempera- The Sky Islands only get about half of their pre- assert that climate change will strengthen the It is no surprise that the region encompassing forests. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 259(4). tures will also cause any liquid snowmelt to be more cipitation in the cooler months, so it is important to “hydrological cycle” of the atmosphere because the the Sky Islands has been singled out as potential- Weiss, J. L., C. L. Castro, and J. T. Overpeck. 2009. Ault T. R., J. E. Cole, J. T. Overpeck, et al. “The “The Changing Character of Climate, Drought, susceptible to evaporation, or to being soaked up by also consider what will happen in the summer, espe- warmer atmosphere will be able to hold more and ly the most persistent climate change hotspot in Continuum of Drought Variability in Western North and the Seasons in the Southwestern U.S.A.” soils that have dried out prematurely because of cially with our monsoon. Here, the short message is more water vapor. This was predicted long ago, and the United States, an assertion that only seems to America: Insights from Instrumental, Paleoclimate and Journal of Climate, Vol. 22. higher temperatures and evaporation. Lastly, warmer that we don’t really know. There is no clear century- it is now clearly happening. What it means for most grow stronger as we learn more. This is bad news, Global Climate Model Data.” In Press, Journal of Climate. Williams, P. C., Allen, C. Millar, et al. 2010. “Forest temperatures will increase the length of the growing long trend in the average amount of monsoon rainfall. places, including the Sky Islands, is that in the but there is also good news: the climate change Breshears, D. D., N. S. Cobb, P. M. Rich, et al. 2005. Responses to Increasing Aridity and Warmth in season, translating into greater demand for soil mois- That said, there are signs that the monsoon is getting future when conditions are right for rain, it will tend signal in the Sky Island Region is so clear that we “Regional Vegetation Die-off in Response to Global- Southwestern North America.” Proceedings of the ture from vegetation. All of these impacts of more variable from year to year, and the latest gener- to rain harder. This means more rain per minute, can begin well-informed adaptive planning now. change-type Drought.” Proceedings of the National National Academy of Sciences, USA, 107(50). observed warming mean less and less water to keep ation of climate models suggests total monsoon rain- rather than more rain per storm. Moreover, given this early warning, we have more Academy USA, Vol. 102(42).

22 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 23 Don Falk, Ph.D. Associate Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona Kevin Parish/National Park Service Sky Jacobs Aaron Flesch Kasey Anderson

Above left: Fire tower in Sierra La Madera. Above right: Fire in the Rincons. Above left: Surveying Sierra Cananea. Right: Fire in the Santa Catalinas.

Fire plays a keystone role in forest, woodland, and charcoal, the age structure of old forests, and docu- excessive volume of woody fuels to accumulate. Fuels measure of the effect of fire on an ecosystem: killed patches of tens of thousands of acres, leaving few to current and future climate. Fires are likely to grassland ecosystems of the Sky Islands. Whether ini- mentary evidence. What these sources tell us about are stored energy, so when fuel accumulates, we set trees, damage to soils, and loss of wildlife habitat. surviving trees and severely burned soils (which can become more frequent and severe as climate change tiated by lightning or introduced by people, fire has the natural role of fire in the Sky Islands is remark- the stage for big, high-intensity fires. Over most mid-elevation ecosystems in the Sky kill soil organisms and make regeneration dif- progresses in the Sky Island Region, driven by been a constant presence here for thousands of years. ably informative and useful as we attempt to man- Today, we hear about many fires that cover Islands—oak woodlands and pine forests—exten- ficult). Severe fire effects on this scale impede reduced winter rainfall, higher spring and summer As a consequence, many Sky Island species have age these precious ecosystems in a period of rapid enormous areas—tens or even hundreds of thou- sive fires of the past were generally low-severity: ecosystem recovery and may set the stage for “tip- temperatures, and longer fire seasons. Restoring evolved adaptations for surviving, and even thriving, changes in climate and land use. sands of acres. But this is not a new development; fires were carried primarily by fine surface fuels ping points” to novel ecosystems (such as shrub- natural fire regimes will help these ecosystems adapt with periodic exposure to wildland fire. However, Three important properties of fire regimes fires also burned over very large areas historically. such as grasses and needle litter, and relatively few lands and chaparral where forests once occurred). and remain resilient in challenging times. S the kind of fire we see today is in some respects include fire frequency, fire size, and severity. In grass- For example, tree-ring reconstructions from many large, mature trees were killed. (The exception to What can we learn from these changes in fire unlike the fires of the past. Changing climate may lands, woodlands, and open forests dominated by of the Sky Islands indicate multiple years per centu- this generalization is high-elevation forests, which regimes that will hel p us manage Sky Island wood- Suggested Reading make fire an even more pressing issue here. ponderosa and Arizona pine, fires occurred histori- ry when fires were detected at almost every sample burned naturally with areas of high severity). But lands and forests now and in the future? The pri- Hudson, M. 2011. Fire Management in the American Fire regimes—the properties and patterns of cally every three to ten years—frequently enough that point over the entire mountain range. In other today, in the large wildfires we see on the evening mary lesson of landscape fire ecology is that we West: Forest Politics and the Rise of Megafires. multiple fires in space and time—differ today from species in these communities were strongly adapted words, large fires were a natural and regular part of news, a high proportion of the burn is of high sever- need to reintroduce fire as a natural ecosystem University Press of Co lorado, Boulder, CO. the regimes scientists have been able to reconstruct to fire. Today, due to increased efforts to suppress fire, the fire regime. So, what has changed? ity, meaning that the effects on ecosystems are more process. In most of our grasslands, woodlands, and from historic records. The primary sources of deep- these ecosystems burn less frequently. In many cases, The key difference between fire regimes of the damaging and long-lasting. Moreover, these high- mid-elevation forests, fire can help maintain ecosys- Pyne, S. 2001. Fire: A Brief History. University of time historical records include tree rings, sediment fire is kept out of the system for decades, allowing an past and today lies in severity. Fire severity is a severity effects are occurring in large contiguous tems in a condition that facilitates their adaptation Washington Press, Seattle, WA.

24 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 25 Exploring Biodiversity and Conservation Opportunities in Sky Island Region Chip Hedgcock

Thomas R. Van Devender, Ph.D. Madrean Archipelago Biodiversity Assessment Project Manager, Sky Island Alliance Nick Deyo Madrean Archipelago Biodiversity Assessment Project Coordinator, Sky Island Alliance Jenny Neeley Conservation Policy Director and Legal Counsel, Sky Island Alliance

Chip Hedgcock Chip Hedgcock

Above: Cruz del Diablo, Sonora Above left: Canyon tree frog (Hyla arenicolor). Right: Sonoran coral snake (Micruroides euryxanthus).

Language meant to convey images and concepts Plains and Chihuahuan Desert from the east, the communities and across political boundaries in public access to nearly 800,000 species records, all MABA expeditions, this trip was a collaborative were excited to find the Tarahumara barking frog often leads to inspiration and initiative. During a Sonoran Desert from the west, and Sierra Madre order to explore, restore, connect, and protect this including new records gathered during MABA international effort, with 45 participants represent- (Craugastor tarahumarensis), pine toad (Bufo occiden- late nineteenth-century expedition along the U.S.- Occidental as well as Neotropical influences from special place. expeditions, as well as historical records from ing universities, agencies, and non-governmental talis), and Chihuahuan mesquite (Sceloporus Mexico boundary, Lieutenant David Dubose the south. Biologists have been documenting the incredible museum collections, literature, field notes, and organizations from both the United States and lemosespinali), all Madrean species found near Yécora, Gaillard described the Arizona-Sonora borderlands For over twenty years, Sky Island Alliance has biodiversity of this region, if sporadically, since the other databases. It serves as a primary source of Mexico. Participants included botanists, entomolo- 100 miles to the south. as encompassing “bare, jagged mountains rising out worked to establish protected areas, connect late 1800s, beginning with government-sponsored biological information and images for conservation, gists, ornithologists, herpetologists, wildlife trackers, Similarly, bird records for this range had been of the plains like islands from the sea.” Today it is wildlife pathways, restore healthy landscapes, and expeditions to survey the U.S.-Mexico boundary land management, research, and education, and as photographers, and support volunteers, all of whom sparse to nonexistent, and this expedition has calle d the Sky Island Region, an area of stunning promote public appreciation of the beauty, richness after the 1846 Mexican-American War and the 1853 a foundation for our work. worked tirelessly for four days to survey the flora helped fill a data gap in breeding bird distribution landscapes globally recognized for its extraordinary and inherent value of this amazing region. We . Sky Island Alliance continues MABA’s large st expedition to date was to the and fauna of this rugged and remote mountain in Sonora. We observed the exact assemblage of biodiversity. understand the Sky Islands from a biological per- this legacy of discovery with the Madrean Sierra Bacadéhuachi in Sonora, 110 miles south range in eastern Sonora. species defining the breeding bird community of the The biological richness of the Sky Island Region spective, where species and habitats do not recog- Archipelago Biodiversity Assessment (MABA). of the Arizona border. This isolated range rises from The results from these surveys were no less than pine-oak woodlands that make up the bulk of the is almost visceral, immediately obvious to even nize political boundaries, reinforcing the impor- Since 2009 we have led seven major expeditions, the small town of Bacadéhuachi at 2,790 feet, to spectacular, reinforcing how much there is still left to northern Sierra Madre and much of the Sky Islands. casual visitors. The region’s unique biodiversity tance of ecoregional conservation. Connecting most of them south of the border, to document elevations over 6,000 feet, next to the main Sierra learn about this region. In fact, this was the first Expedition birders were especially fortunate to stems from the convergence of five biotic influences: everyday people with hands-on science and conser- plant and animal species throughout the Sky Island Madre Occidental, providing habitat for a diverse herpetological survey in the Sierra Bacadéhuachi, and observe the brown-backed solitaire, crescent-chested the Rocky Mountains from the north, the Great vation action, we are building bridges between Region. The MABA database (madrean.org) provides mixture of both temperate and tropical species. Like all of the observations were new for this range. We warbler, and buff-breasted flycatcher. Perhaps the

26 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 27 Sergio Avila/Sky Island Alliance

SKY ISLANDS mountains sing of stone and ash the desert, then, is the sea Stephen Minter Sky Jacobs lift up metamorphic Above left: Hamadryas atlantis, a moth found in Foothills Thornshrub. Middle: Tom Van Devender pressing plants from the . Right: Ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi). core before most thrilling discoveries were made by the expedi- provided the perfect backdrop to talk about conser- Suggested Reading douglas-fir tion’s elite team of entomologists. After working vation. Rincón de Guadalupe, comprised of three U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1994. Biodiversity before tirelessly day and night to collect specimens, their properties that add up to 5,000 hectares, offers an a painted redstart hard work paid off: seven new species of moths ideal conservation opportunity in the Sky Island and Management of the Madrean Archipelago: were discovered on this trip. Invertebrates such as Region. Mexican participants spoke about forming a The Sky Islands of Southwestern United States and flitting insects and arachnids are the largest animal group nonprofit organization to protect its historic build- Northwestern Mexico. Conference Proceedings, time Tucson, AZ. U.S.D.A. Forest Service, SuDoc A and the least known, and our expeditions are pro- ings, while biologists suggested that protecting when one slides 13.88:RM-GTR-264. viding invaluable invertebrate observations. animals, plants, and vegetation as well would be a into another In addition to scientific research, MABA expedi- vision of conservation that might appeal to a broader U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2013. Biodiversity where ponderosa pine tions also provide important opportunities for group. While much work remains to be done, the and Management of the Madrean Archipelago: where columbine cultural exchange between the United States and conversations continue, and the enthusiasm of the Merging Science and Management in a Rapidly Mexico. On the Sierra Bacadéhuachi trip our group group provides hope for the preservation of the the forest calls

Changing World. Conference Proceedings, Tucson, AZ. Sky Jacobs was accommodated at the Rincón de Guadalupe, a cultural and natural history of this special place. U.S.D.A. Forest Service, RMRS-P-67. dream song historic compound of gray adobe buildings among The work of the Sky Island Alliance is grounded a hermit thrush in the wood tall pines and cypresses terraced into the sides of a in an intimate knowledge of this region’s ecology and [VIDEO] MABA Sky Island Alliance 2013. Available —Eric Magrane deep stream canyon in the Sierra. Originally serving an understanding that successful conservation at URL: http://vimeo.com/70008877. as a hideout for priests during the Guerra Cristera of requires connections—between mountain ranges, ASDM Poet in Residence the early twentieth century, it is still managed by the across the landscape, and among communities, Catholic Church, which gave us permission to use including those separated by political boundaries. the site as a base camp. As a gesture of thanks, Most importantly, conservation requires a connection participants raised over $400 to purchase essential between people and the place where they live. We are tools for the Rincón de Guadalupe. working to foster these connections in order to Stephen Minter On the last evening of the trip, pale light from a restore and protect the unique and awe-inspiring lantern and the sounds of the Madrean forest native biodiversity of this amazing region. S Green Heron (Butoride virescens). Huachinera – sunset.

28 Sonorensis | winter 2013 Sonorensis | winter 2013 29 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ARIZONA-SONORA 2021 N. Kinney Rd. DESERT MUSEUM Tucson, AZ 85743-8918

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