Middle Rio Grande Basin Research Report 2008 A progress report from the Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem Management Research Unit, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station The Middle Rio Grande. Photo: David M. Merritt U.S. Forest Service Research: Understanding, Conserving, and Inside Restoring Southwestern Ecosystems Restoring the An ecosystem is rarely static. A natural system composed of plants, animals, and Rio Grande…4 microorganisms interacting with an area’s physical factors, an ecosystem is always Drought in the fl uctuating and evolving. But sometimes, often at the hands of humans, ecosystems Southwest…7 change too much. Such is the case with many of the ecosystems of the Middle Rio Grazing and Grande Basin of New Mexico. Fire at Valles Caldera National Preserve…10 For thousands of years, the ecosystems in the river itself, in the riverside bosque Climate of the Middle Rio Grande Basin (which (cottonwood) ecosystems, and in the Change…13 includes the river environment and the nearby upland ecosystems of grasslands, Profi le: Hira Walker, associated upland watersheds) evolved shrublands, and forests. For example: Ph.D….15 under the infl uence of natural factors such • Many fi sh and wildlife habitats have as shifting landforms, fl oods, drought, been signifi cantly altered in structure Rio Grande Silvery wildfi re, and climate fl uctuations. More and composition and reduced in size Minnow Diet…17 recently — since 1540, when the fi rst and quality. More Than a Spanish settlers arrived — human activities • Two species, the Rio Grande silvery Scenic Mountain have had an enormous impact on the area’s minnow (Hybognathus amarus) and Landscape…18 environment. Factors such as urbanization, the southwestern willow fl ycatcher drought, grazing, timber harvesting, water (Empidonax traillii extimus), have been demands, fl ood control measures, fi re placed on the federal endangered suppression, hunting, and the introduction species list; others, such as the gray wolf and spread of exotic (non-native) species (Canis lupus), have not been seen in the have all contributed to many ecosystems area for decades. that are altered at best and severely • At least half of the fi sh species once degraded at worst. found in the middle Rio Grande Clearly, the Middle Rio Grande Basin no drainage are no longer found there. longer looks like it did back in the 1500s. • Exotic tree species such as Russian olive Evidence of environmental degradation (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and saltcedar can be found throughout the area today: (Tamarix ramosissima) have invaded CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MIDDLE RIO GRANDE BASIN — RESEARCH REPORT 2008 www.fs.fed.us/rmrs 1 “ To restore and maintain the health of the ecosystem in the area, we fi rst need a better understanding of what is here.” - DEBORAH FINCH, PH.D. A bobcat (Lynx rufus) at Valles Caldera National Preserve. river habitats, taking over where native species such as cottonwoods (Rio Grande Photo: Marc Chipault cottonwood [Populus deltoides subsp. wislizeni] and Freemont cottonwood [Populus Middle Rio Grande Basin fremontii]) used to fl ourish, reducing water supplies, increasing fuel loads and fi re risk, Research Report 2008 and impeding wildlife and human travel. is published by: USDA Forest Service • The native riverside ecosystems — the marshes, willows, and cottonwoods found Rocky Mountain Research adjacent to the river — have been greatly reduced in size, distribution, and health. Station • Shrubs and small tree species have moved into areas that were once grasslands. 2150 Centre Avenue • Upland forests and woodlands have become increasingly subject to wildfi res and bark Fort Collins, CO 80526 www.fs.fed.us/rmrs beetle infestations. • The Rio Grande itself has changed from a braided river that moved across the Deborah Finch, Ph.D. Managing Editor fl oodplain and regularly fl ooded its banks, and was associated with abundant wildlife Team Leader populations, to one that is now largely constrained and not meandering, and has Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem reduced fl ows. Management Research Unit USDA Forest Service Conservation Efforts Rocky Mountain Research Station Efforts to conserve and protect the natural resources of the Southwest date back to the 333 Broadway SE, Suite 115 1800s, when the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Bureau of Forestry were Albuquerque, NM 87102 created, and some local forest reserves were set aside. Those early efforts were followed dfi [email protected] voice: 505-724-3671 by more federal laws in the 1960s and 1970s, such as the Clean Water Act and the cell: 505-401-0580 Endangered Species Act. Science Writer/Editor More recently, local conservation efforts have focused on restoring and maintaining the Catherine Dold health and diversity of Middle Rio Grande Basin ecosystems — the forests, grasslands, Boulder, CO and shrublands, and the species that inhabit them. Report Design Linda Parks Many organizations, including federal, state, municipal, tribal, and private entities, have Boulder, CO contributed to these efforts, with some success. For example, the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program and the Middle Rio Grande Bosque Initiative have been very successful in generating public interest and support for river and bosque restoration and recovering endangered species. Too often, however, proposed solutions for restoring Basin ecosystems are based on The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs incomplete knowledge of the conditions that led to the problems. Solutions are put and activities on the basis of race, color, together without a thorough understanding of how factors such as drought, grazing, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, and fi re interact with each other and can affect restoration efforts. political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with The Forest Service’s Research Program disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information To support and contribute to the ongoing conservation efforts, and to build a sound (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should scientifi c basis for future efforts, the Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem Management Research contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720- Unit, a local unit of the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station, embarked 2600 (voice and TDD). To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, on an ambitious long-term research program in 1994. Offi ce of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, “To restore and maintain the health of the ecosystems in the area, we fi rst need a better Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202- understanding of what is here,” explains Deborah Finch, Ph.D., the program’s Team 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 MIDDLE RIO GRANDE BASIN — RESEARCH REPORT 2008 www.fs.fed.us/rmrs 2 Leader. “We need to understand chain reactions of disturbances, ecosystems forms the scientifi c basis the structural components of the such as insect outbreaks, extinction for adaptively managing habitats, ecosystems and how they function and of native species, fl ourishing exotic conserving species, and providing interact, particularly in response to species, catastrophic wildfi res, and ecosystem services to humans. factors such as population growth and changes in human social, cultural, and “This knowledge will help us to extreme climate variability. economic stability. develop the best restoration methods, “We also need to know more about In addition to water supply, other avoiding quick fi x solutions that might the effectiveness of various restoration important perturbations are over- not work long term.” methods, as well as how to best grazing, fi re exclusion, climate change, Research in this area includes studies balance restoration plans with human and plant and insect invasions. on: 1) the relationship between needs and priorities.” “For land managers to be good drought, bark beetle outbreaks, and The research program is built around stewards, they need to understand pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) mortality; three broad areas: 1) understanding how the Middle Rio Grande 2) the interactive effects of drought, how perturbations such as drought Basin ecosystems react to these tree thinning, grazing, fuel removal, and fi re affect ecosystems; 2) disturbances, both currently and and prescribed fi re in various understanding how management historically, as well as how all of these ecosystems; 3) decision-support tools practices affect ecosystems; and 3) factors interact with each other and for managing the consequences ensuring that scientifi c information with humans,” says Finch. “Knowing of biological invasions; and 4) about the area is available to the how this all infl uences the dynamics, understanding how humans respond people — from many backgrounds — stability, productivity, biological socially, culturally, and economically who will be making decisions about diversity, and sustainability of local to these and other issues. how the Middle Rio Grande Basin is managed in the future. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 The individual research studies Valles Caldera affi liated with the program are not National Preserve Bandelier all done by Forest Service research National scientists. An annual funding program Monument sponsors studies conducted by many outside researchers, such as university faculty and graduate students, and each research proposal is closely