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Above: The Franklin Mountains from Trans
Mountain Road in El Paso.
The
Chihuahuan Desert - Hot Spot for Conservation
in North America
Preventing the further degradation and disappearance of the Chihuahuan Desert is among the most pressing challenges of our age
in the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. Urban sprawl is
causing a large-scale loss of biodiversity and threatening important
environmental services. You can get involved with efforts to
increase awareness of the desert by joining the
Chihuahuan Desert
Education Coalition and other organizations listed on our
Desert Links
page.
Make 2010 the year when you get involved for the first time or increase your
past efforts to help conserve this important part of our natural heritage.
Facts about the Chihuahuan Desert
•
Covers 1.5% of the North American
•
Largest desert in North America
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394,446 square miles
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32% in the southwest US found in the
states of New Mexico and Texas
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68% in Mexico
•
Chihuahuan Desert makes up 22% of Mexico
territory.
•
Largest portions in Chihuahua, Durango,
Coahuila, Zacatecas, and Nuevo Leon.
•
Bordered to the west by the Sierra Madre
Occidental and the east by the Sierra Madre Oriental.
•
The Chihuahuan Desert is a ‘rain shadow
desert” meaning that the surrounding mountains prevent most of the moisture
coming from the Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The
climate of the Chihuahuan Desert is relatively mild compared with other deserts,
partially due to an elevation that averages 4,500 feet (1,372 m) above sea
level. Summers are hot, while winters can be cold. The wet season (July
through September) brings more than 50% of the average annual precipitation. In
this region of the Chihuahuan Desert, the average annual precipitation is 8.9
inches (255 cm).
•
90% of the Chihuahuan Desert lies at an
altitudes between 3,600 and 4,900 feet.
•
High species diversity is influenced by
basin and range topography with isolated mountain ranges usually over 5,900 feet
high separated by valleys.
•
The first scientific assessment of the
Chihuahuan Desert was made between 1892 and 1894 when Mexico and the United
States created the US Mexico Water Boundary Commission.
•
Plant diversity is estimated to be over
3,500 species with as many as 1000 endemics.
•
The Chihuahuan Desert is considered the
epicenter of cacti diversity with 318 species of 1500 species worldwide.
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Mammals - 176 species with 11 endemics
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Reptiles and Amphibians - An estimated
156 reptile species with 24 species endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert.
As for amphibians there are 46 species, none of them endemic.
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Birds – over 500 species
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Fish - The major rivers and relict
springs provide habitat for 120 species of fish, many of them endemic.
•
Invertebrates - Thousands of species are
estimated to live in the Chihuahuan Desert.
•
The Chihuahuan Desert is one of the most
biologically diverse deserts on the planet. It ranks #1 among deserts for the
number of aquatic species and the number of mammal species.
Facts about El Paso’s Franklin Mountains State Park
·
•
Franklin Mountains State Park is considered an urban
wilderness state park.
The largest park of its kind in the continental United States.
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150 recorded species of birds.
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700+ species of plants.
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Over 90 species of lichen.
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32 species of mammals.
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40 species of amphibians and reptiles.
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Chihuahuan Desert Education
Coalition
Established 2004
The goals of the organization include:
serving as a resource on information about the Chihuahuan Desert, encouraging
life long learning about the Chihuahuan Desert and collaborating efforts among
public educators, the public and CDEC to enhance conservation and education of
the Chihuahuan Desert.
CDEC Publishes New Brochure
CDEC now has a new membership brochure.
Download
the PDF file now and please email it on to
your friends.
CDEC Strategic Plan offers leadership opportunities
for members
Earlier this year the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition
reviewed and updated a strategic plan first drafted in 2008 to guide the
organization in accomplishing it's mission. The top three current goals of
the plan include:
1. Publish
A Guide to the Chihuahuan Desert.
2. Sponsor the 5th
Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta
3. Sponsor the first Annual
Chihuahuan Desert Conference in 2010.
The current plan has many proposed goals in need of people who can take the lead
on. To review the plan
click here.
Education Network
The
following organizations are represented in the membership of CDEC.
Join the Chihuahuan Desert
Education Coalition Today!
CDEC Membership Application
Organizations
Audubon Society
http://www.trans-pecos-audubon.org
Birds, birding, wildlife, the environment, and our community are the
concerns of El Paso Audubon. Officially known as the El Paso/Trans Pecos
Audubon Society, this is one of the largest and
most active
environmental groups in the American Southwest.
Centennial Museum
(915) 747-5565
http://museum.utep.edu/
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park
Stephanie Bestelmeyer, Ph.D.
(575)524-3334
http://www.asombro.org
Overview: The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is dedicated to increasing
scientific literacy by fostering an understanding of the Chihuahuan
Desert. To achieve this goal, the Nature Park serves students, teachers
and adults with hands-on, inquiry based educational programs. Chihuahuan
Desert Nature Park staff members are trained as both scientist and
educators, allowing them to provide quality programs focused on science
inquiry in an age-appropriate manner.
El Paso Electric Co.
Dorothy Baca
(915) 543-4122
http://www.epelctric.com
Overview: El Paso Electric provides information about electricity
through a variety of safety programs and presentations. Learn how to use
electricity safely with Ernie G. Watts, an animated creation suited to
teach youngsters basic electrical safety. Call to schedule a safety
presentation to learn the potential hazards of electricity or tour at
the Rio Grande Power Plant powering El Paso since 1929.
El Paso Water Utilities
Water Conservation Department
Diane Ecklund Perez
(915)594-5615
http://www.epwu.org
Overview: The Water Conservation Department participates in community
outreach programs of all ages. Willie the Water Drop mascot serves as an
ambassador to help teach young children about our regional water
resources and how to conserve. Other education programs include hands-on
activities, model demonstrations, and water related games and
information booths. There is no charge for education outreach programs.
El Paso Zoo
Rick LoBello
(915)521-1881
http://www.elpasozoo.org
Overview: The El Paso Zoo is a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium
Association (AZA). AZA envisions a world where all people respect, value
and conserve animals and nature. With its more than 200 accredited
members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and our link
to helping animals in their native habitats.
New Mexico State Parks
(575) 523-4398 or (575)
523-6015.
www.nmparks.com
Master Gardeners
Joe Falkner
(915) 581-1456
Master Naturalists
Sal Quintanilla
(915) 778-0274
Native Plant Society of New
Mexico
Rio Bosque Wetlands
Park
John Sproul
(915)747-8663
http://www.riobosque.org
Overview: Located along the Rio Grande in the Mission Valley, this 372
acre City of El Paso Park is the site of a long-term project to restore
approximate examples of native river valley ecosystems. The University
of Texas at El Paso manages the site under license agreement with the
city. We offer educational tours of the site, classroom presentations,
and presentations to community groups.
Sierra Club
Mariana Chew, Ph.D. Candidate
(915)532-0521 or (915)203-7920
http://www.sierraclub.org/beyondtheborders
/mexico/
The Sierra Club believes, that the environment can never be truly
protected unless local communities are involved in the process of
building public support and holding governments accountable for
environmental protection. We can achieve this goal by defending,
supporting, engaging and inspiring communities to take action. Toward
this end, the Sierra Club has initiated a program to build grassroots
support for environmental protection, “Beyond the Borders” of the United
States.
Texas Parks
and Wildlife
Urban Wildlife Program
(915)774-9603
Overview: presentations on individual wildlife species, classes,
ecology, conservation and endangered species. Workshop on Texas
wildscapes. Technical Guidance for wildlife restoration, enhancing
property for landowners, and native plant identification. Wildlife
trunks available for checkout.
Texas Parks and
Wildlife
Franklin Mountains State Park
(915)566-6441
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us
Overview: Park is the largest urban wilderness park in the nation,
almost 25,900 acres of Chihuahuan Desert. Numerous birds, reptiles and
small mammals exist, along with larger wildlife such as mule deer and an
occasional mountain lion.
UTEP Environmental Sciences
Joel Gilbert
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