Chihuahuan Desert Conference

“A Desert Without Borders”            November 13-14, 2010

 
At the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH₂O Water Resource Learning Center,

10751 Montana and the El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, El Paso, Texas 

Sponsored by the Chihuahuan Desert Educational Coalition, El Paso Water Utilities,
El Paso Zoo, New Mexico State Parks and Inter National Bank.

Schedule and Abstracts

Saturday, November 13

8:00 - 9:00 - Registration at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH₂O Water Resource Learning Center.

(click here for map)

Rio Grande Auditorium - Opening of the Conference and Keynote Speaker

9:00 - 9:45 - Welcome by Conference Committee and Keynote Speaker - Carter Smith, Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

A native of Austin, Smith developed his passion for wildlife and the out of doors at a young age while roaming his family’s farm and ranch land interests in Gonzales, Williamson, and Edwards Counties.  He has a wildlife management degree from Texas Tech and a master’s degree in conservation biology from Yale University.  He began his professional career in 1992 as a management intern at TPWD, assisting in the Private Lands and Public Hunting programs.   As a biologist, he has worked on a variety of research projects ranging from studying moose in the boreal forests of Saskatchewan to pronghorn antelope in far west Texas.

He serves on a number of conservation-related boards of directors and advisory councils and was recently named an outstanding alumnus by Texas Tech and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

Prior to his selection as TPWD executive director, Smith was with The Nature Conservancy of Texas, serving as state director, where he led a team that protected nearly 250,000 acres while he was director.

At Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, he is responsible for overseeing an agency of 3,100 professionals in 11 different divisions, including Wildlife, Law Enforcement, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, and Inland Fisheries.

9:45-10:00 - Coffee and Refreshments Available in the Lobby

10:00 - 11:10 - Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room

Rio Grande Auditorium
10:00 - 10:30 - Creating Habitat for Wildlife in Urban Areas by Lois Balin.
10:40 - 11:10 - Chihuahuan Desert Waters: Zooplankton community structure and genetic diversity by Elizabeth Walsh.


Lois Balin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, El Paso, Texas

Creating Habitat for Wildlife in Urban Desert Regions

Natural habitat is quickly disappearing from development of urban and suburban areas.  Loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation is the number one cause of wildlife population losses and decimation. Humans can help provide habitat for wildlife while creating their own and or public wildlife viewing areas.  There are ecologically sensitive methods for providing the essential habitat requirements for wildlife, even in the desert. Learn the best methods to provide food, water, cover and space for wildlife in the Chihuahuan Desert.  The presentation covers creating habitat for bats, burrowing owls, game-birds, song-birds and butterflies.


E.J. Walsh (Presenter), Department of Biology, University of Texas at El Paso, T. Schroeder, E. Suarez Morales, M. Silva-Briano and R.L. Wallace

Chihuahuan Desert Waters:  Zooplankton community structure and genetic diversity

The Chihuahuan Desert has been designated as a globally important area of endemism, particularly in its aquatic habitats. In a 10-year study of zooplankton in >1(80 aquatic sites in this desert, both US and Mexico, we found relatively high levels of biodiversity in rotifers (S=250), copepods (S=32), and cladocerans (S=39), with many endemic and/or new species. For rotifers, &#8776;69% of the taxa we found have been reported to exhibit a cosmopolitan distribution; 14.8% are described as Nearctic, but only 1.5% as Neotropical. Overall taxonomic distinctness of rotifers in the CD showed sites with higher than average values include some water sources at Big Bend National Park (BBNP) (Cattail Spring upper pools, Rio Grande Village Beaver Pond, Burro Spring Pour-off), Tamosposa Falls upper pools in San Luis Potosí (MX), Bottomless Lakes (NM), & Diamond Y spring outflow (TX). We used three different indices of community similarity (Species Turnover Indices, Index of Faunal Originality, and Analysis of Similarity) to compare rotifers among sites. Species composition was significantly related to geographic region (Global R = 0.125, significance level = 0.2%). Likewise, STI and IFO values for sites within BBNP and Méxican sites were quite high. In addition, nestedness analyses showed that our surveyed sites are significantly nested as supported by four null models (p<0.001). Ten of the 237 species from our CD dataset possessed unusual dispersions (i.e., their idiosyncratic matrix T° was &#8805;2SD of the mean matrix T°). RDA analysis indicates habitat types (tinajas-rock pools, spring ponds, etc.) are significant variables that determine species composition and they differ in predictability, habitat permanence, and complexity. Thus, within the CD rotifer species are not randomly distributed, but occur as spatially ordered subsets. Moreover, we completed a simple analysis of the phylogenetic relatedness of rotifers, their degree of co-occurrence, and their similarity in trophi (jaw) structure within three pond communities located within 50 km of one another. These ponds are similar size and edaphic conditions, but differ in their frequency of drying (i.e., frequently, rarely, never). Rotifers in these ponds exhibit phylogenetic overdispersion: negative NRI & NTI scores, indicating fewer species per genus than expected by chance. Additionally, diversity may be greatly underestimated as we have found evidence of potential cryptic speciation in several taxa. However, these may be underestimates of the true zooplankton biodiversity. Using partial cox1 and ITS sequences, we studied genetic variation in 4 rotifer species (Monogononta: Euchlanis dilatata, Lecane bulla, L. luna; Bdelloidea: Philodina megalotrocha) and a cladoceran (Chydorus brevilabris) to detect phylogeographic patterns. These results suggest that geographically isolated aquatic habitats of the Chihuahuan Desert may favor cryptic speciation.


Mesilla Room

10:00 - 10:30 - Low Genetic Differentiation among Populations of the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in Southern New Mexico by Wiebke Boeing.
10:40 - 11:10 - Local and Migratory Movements, Habitat Use and Threats of the Long-billed Curlex (Numenius americanus) in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico by Alina Olalla Kerstupp.

Wiebke J. Boeing (Presenter), Jeremy M. Jungels and Kerry L. Griffis-Kyle, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003

Low Genetic Differentiation among Populations of the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in Southern New Mexico

We examined the genetic population structure for the Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus) in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico in order to discern at what spatial scale genetic differentiation is apparent. In addition, we tested whether habitats in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico differed in their resistance to gene flow in B. cognatus. We used microsatellites to estimate genetic differentiation in populations that varied in distance from 1- 60 km. Of 120 pairwise tests of genetic differentiation, 44 were significant. However, differentiation was low between all sites (FST = 0.0 - 0.087), almost all of the genetic variation being within populations (96.3%). Compared to published studies of other anuran species, populations of B. cognatus in southern New Mexico are among the most genetically homogenous anuran species. Significant isolation by distance did occur over all populations, despite the genetic similarity, suggesting that differentiation does occur at a broader scale. In addition, several landscape-based models of gene flow were produced and tested against the allelic data. A community model assigned each plant community a different level of resistance to gene flow. This model was not found to describe the estimated genetic variation between populations better than simple Euclidean distance. However, the river model, which assigned low resistance to the aquatic habitats including the Rio Grande, described the estimated genetic variation better than Euclidean distance, suggesting that the Rio Grande and potentially other rivers throughout the toad's range may act as a route of dispersal for B. cognatus reducing genetic differentiation among distant populations.

Olalla-Kerstupp, Alina; Ruiz-Aymá, Gabriel & González-Rojas, J. Ignacio.

Laboratorio de Biología de la Conservación FCB / UANL Cd. Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León.

Local and Migratory Movements, Habitat Use and Threats of the Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico

The goal of this study was to understand the winter movements of the LBCU in the eastern end of the Chihuahuan desert and their migration patterns to establish international conservation measures. This study is part of a trinational research initiative on the LBCU. Long-billed curlews are known to arrive at “El Llano La Soledad” in mid October and leave toward mid March. Flocks of more than 2000 individuals have been recorded in this State protected area. Five LBCUs were collected out of which four (3 M/1 F) were equipped with transmitters between October 13th and 17th, 2009 (Solar and battery transmitters were used).  The solar PTT´s were programmed with on/off cycles every three days for a period of two years, the battery PTT (with a life span of 500 hrs.) was programmed to emit a signal for seven months. The signal from one bird (M) was lost in November 6th. Until March 24th, local movements (in Mexico) were recorded, and 2,056 readings were obtained; 33.7% within the 3 and 2 classes considered trustworthy (i.e., less than 150 and between 150 and 350 meters), all others were discarded. The readings were divided into foraging and roosting sites, being the agricultural fields and fallow land the most used as foraging sites (48.2%), (primarily potato plantations), in 2nd place are prairie dog colonies (21.4%), followed by natural/secondary vegetation (13.3%). The areas least visited were cattle ponds, grazed areas and open areas with ongoing pipe construction activities (8.7%). Six habitat types were used as overnight sites. The most important areas used were dominated by tumbleweed (Salsola kali) (54%), followed by the rocket or arugula (Eruca sativa) (21.5%), both of euroasiatic origin. We identified 2 threats to the species in the area, birds are not tolerant to cattle and they have to wait hours to have access to the water of the livestock, on the other hand, there are crops in the area where organochlorine pesticides are still used and they maybe cause loss of nests by eggshell thinning as indicated in recent studies. Two of the tracked birds started their northward migration on March 19th and 24th of 2010, having a stop-over within the limits of Texas and New Mexico, one of the birds arrived to breeding areas in Canada in mid April, the signal of the second bird was lost on April 13th. The third marked bird still remains in the Mexican wintering grounds. The Canadian bird started its southward migration 2 months ahead schedule, having two stop-over sites (Kansas and Texas) and arrived into Mexican territory 3 months before the expected time, possibly due to heavy rain and late snow storms in the breeding grounds.

11:20 - 12:30 - Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room

Rio Grande Auditorium
11:20 - 11:50 - Survival of Prickly-Pears Under Extreme Atmospheric Conditions by Gertrud Konnings.
12:00 - 12:30 - Introduction of the Tamarisk Leaf Beetle (Diorhabda spp) as a Salt Cedar (Tamrix) Biocontrol Agent Along the Rio Grande River in Presidio and Brewster Counties Texas by Christopher Ritzi

Dr. Gertrud Konings (Presenter) Department of Biology, El Paso Community College, Texas, Dr. Dan Hawk, Dr. Cindi Schmitt, and Sammy Nur Hawk, Dr. Cindi Schmitt, and Sammy Nur

Survival of prickly pears under extreme atmospheric conditions

Establishing a colony on the moon or mars requires, among other important first steps, bringing in plants that can establish an atmosphere that would be viable for humans with low or no maintenance and that can provide nutrition. Regarding the extreme to toxic conditions prevalent on these celestial bodies, plants with very little demand concerning soil, water, and an earthlike atmosphere, are the ones most likely to do the job. At the El Paso Community College we are studying prickly pears, in particular Opuntia ficus-indica, for certain aspects of their extremophilic nature. I will present some amazing and perplexing results we obtained so far.

Acknowledgements: The studies are performed in cooperation with Dr. Dan Hawk - Lawrence University, Wisconsin, Principal Investigator of the NASA funded research project, under which these studies run - and Dr. Cindi Schmitt - Research Director High Altitude Sustainability, Kalagesi AniNoquisi Gatusi Ranch, Divide, Colorado - and is partially funded through the NASA project of Dr. Hawk and the RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) program at the El Paso Community College, of which Sammy Nur is a student member.

Christopher M. Ritzi, Andrew  Berezin, Anne Marie Hilscher Department of Biology, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, TX. and Jack Deloach, James Tracy, USDA/ARS, Temple, TX.

Introduction of the Tamarisk Leaf Beetle (Diorhabda spp) as a Salt Cedar (Tamrix) Biocontrol Agent Along the Rio Grande River in Presidio and Brewster Counties Texas

Salt cedar (Tamarix spp.) is a deciduous shrub or small tree that was introduced into the United States from Eurasia in the early 1800’s to stabilize riverbank erosion and to serve as a windbreak and ornamental. However, due to a high reproductive potential and the absence of natural predators, salt cedar has become invasive on many river systems in the Western United States such and the Colorado and Rio Grande. In 2006, attempts to establish the Tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.) at three locations along the Rio Grande was conducted in an attempt to control the spread of salt cedar and restore the riparian corridor which has become populated by a monoculture of salt cedar. Currently, eight release sites along the Rio Grande have achieved varying levels of establishment.  A comparison on the establishment and efficiency of two species of Tamarisk leaf beetle, the Subtropical Tamarisk Beetle (Diorhabda sublineata) and the Mediterrian leaf beetle (Diorhabda elongate), has been conducted.  Current results favor D. sublineata, as it has defoliated over twenty hectares of Tamarisk within the study area.   

Mesilla Room
11:20 - 11:50 - White Islands in a Sea of Desert  (The sister park relationship of White Sands National Monument and Cuatrocienegas Protected Area) by David Bustos
12:00 - 12:30 - Environmental Justice along the US/Mexico Border by Mariana Chew and Nat Stone.


David Bustos, National Park Service, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.

White Islands in a Sea of Desert (The sister park relationship of White Sands National Monument and Cuatrocienegas Protected Area)

In 2006, the Department of the Interior and the National Commission for Natural Protected Areas of Mexico (CONAP) established White Sands National Monument (WHSA) and Cuatrocienegas Area de Proteccion de Flora y Fauna as sister parks. Both areas contain significant gypsum dune formations and unique endemic species. The beauty of these amazing pure white gypsum islands are incomparable and spectacular, but perhaps even more incredible is the unique and amazing endemic species they support. These two highly gypsum areas function essentially as islands in a sea of desert. These areas provide a refuge for many unique plants and animals that have been able to rapidly adapt by taking advantage of these unique and often harsh environments.

Mariana Chew and Nat Stone, Sierra Club, El Paso, Texas

Environmental Justice along the US/Mexico Border

“The Chihuahuan Desert will be truly protected by informed and educated communities in both sides of the US/Mexico border.”

Within the Chihuahuan Desert, the El Paso/Juarez/Sunland Park area is called the El Paso del Norte Region and comprises the largest contiguous metropolitan area on the border between the United States and Mexico. The region is environmentally regulated by two different federal laws (Mexico and USA) and by three different state laws (Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua). There are major polluters in El Paso del Norte region but we will analyze two major controversial environmental permit issues regarding hazardous waste, one involved the air permit renewal of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) smelter by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and renewal of the Camino Real Landfill permit by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). ASARCO is located within a few hundred yards of the border, and the Camino Real landfill’s southern-boundary is on the buffer of the US border with Mexico.  ASARCO burned hazardous waste without a permit and sought approval for the dispersion of seven thousand (7,000) tons of hazardous particulate matter over El Paso, Cd. Juarez and Sunland Park. The Camino Real Landfill permit allowed it to accept and bury low level nuclear waste less than a mile from the only surface water in El Paso del Norte Region.

The denial of the low level nuclear waste disposal permit in Sierra Blanca will be used as a baseline comparison for contrasting the permitting of both the ASARCO El Paso plant and the Camino Real Landfill. The town of Sierra Blanca is located in the Texas border in Hudspeth County. All three of the areas were used to dispose of unwanted waste and are subject to the terms of the La Paz Agreement.

The cases in this paper involved disproportionate environmental impacts on the US/Mexico border and within an area under the geographical influence of La Paz Agreement. However, the La Paz Agreement (that was used for the denial of the Sierra Blanca Nuclear Dump permit) has not been invoked in other instances to create environmental equity in the border lands. The La Paz Agreement was signed in 1983 to resolve environmental issues within 100 kilometers (approximately 62.5 miles) of the US/Mexico border. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mexico’s Secretaria del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) are charged with the enforcement of the La Paz Agreement in the United States and Mexico, respectively.  Through the La Paz Agreement, there are bi-national taskforces and committees representing government, academic and private sectors and their goal is to produce policy recommendations and guidelines.  The members establish the standards to be used in research and select the projects used to set the thresholds to address environmental issues.  The aim is to enforce La Paz Agreement’s principles in a fair, equitable, and just way within the different cultural context of the two countries. The principles in the La Paz Agreement range from conservation and restoration of the natural environment to fostering partnerships, transparency/disclosure, capacity, and cultural respect with the principle of addressing disproportionate environmental impacts in border communities.

Lunch Break

12:30 -   1:30  - Lunch provided at TechH2O.

Lunch Speaker in the Rio Grande Auditorium - Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch into the Auditorium

  1:00 -   1:30  - Guest Speaker - Dave Simon, Director of New Mexico Parks

David J. Simon, age 47, was appointed in 2003 to the position of Director, New Mexico State Parks by Governor Bill Richardson.  Dave brings a strong background in park management, conservation, and environmental education to this position, including experience in both government and the private sector.

As Assistant Commissioner for Education and Special Projects with the New Mexico State Land Office in 2002, he ran a program that linked state trust lands and schools throughout the state. He also coordinated start-up activities at La Semilla, a 3,000-acre environmental education center on state trust land in Albuquerque.

Prior to the stint at the State Land Office, Simon spent 16 years working with the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), including time in Washington, D.C., and as the organization’s Southwest Regional Director. While at NPCA, Simon focused on the protection and enhancement of the U.S. National Park System and related issues such as biodiversity and wildlife, air pollution, wilderness, water resources, cultural site protection, research and ecotourism.

Simon also focused on environmental and education issues when serving on boards and committees with the New Mexico Conservation Education Fund, the Albuquerque Open Space Advisory Board, the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency’s NAFTA National Advisory Committee. He currently serves on the Board of the National Association of State Park Directors and the Friends of Chaco.

Dave set a goal for New Mexico State Parks to be the nation’s best state park system and has focused efforts on some priority areas, such as: addressing budget shortfalls, revenue generation, land and habitat protection, trails, education/interpretation, boating safety, training, marketing, and partnerships with government agencies, citizen "friends" groups, and the private business sector.

Some achievements during his tenure so far include:

Increased state park visitation from 3.8 million in FY04 to 4.6 million in FY09 (13 percent increase), reversing eight straight years of visitation declines (FY97-FY04) with visitation increases/stability for five straight years from FY05-FY09, despite the challenges posed by drought and rising gas prices; increased self-generated revenues five straight years FY05-FY09, which also reversed revenue declines in the five fiscal years prior to FY05; four new state parks established, seven others expanded, and several more new parks others under consideration; landmark changes to state boating safety laws; dramatic progress in completing the Continental Divide Trail and launch of an visionary effort to build a 500-mile Rio Grande Trail; establishment of the Outdoor Classroom Program, which has made New Mexico a leader in nationwide efforts to expand outdoor education programs, especially those aimed at school children; strengthening of the night sky protection law and creation of an award-winning "Reach for the Stars" initiative focused on astronomy education and combating light pollution; over $40 million invested in park capital improvements; completion of several large wetland/habitat restoration projects; leadership on "green" initiatives—including sustainable building design, renewable energy generation and green energy purchasing, and the start-up of a recycling program; significant growth in the number of state park "friends" groups; revamped park planning process; expansion of employee professional development, including establishment of the first State Park Leadership and Operations Academy for managers; celebration of State Parks’ 75th Anniversary during 2008. New Mexico will also host the annual conference of the National Association of State Park Directors in September 2010.

A hiker, mountain biker, fisherman and skier, Simon has a Master of Business Administration (2004) from the University of New Mexico and Bachelor of Arts (1985) in American Studies and Environmental Studies from Yale University. Born in Clayton, Mo. (a suburb of St. Louis), Simon lives in Albuquerque with his wife Ann H. Simon, and his children, Katie (10) and Jenna (8).

  1:45 -   2:55 -  Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room

Rio Grande Auditorium

  1:45 -   2:15 -  Mexican Spotted Owls in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas: Known and Predicted Distribution by James P. Ward Jr.
  2:25 -   2:55 -  Population and Movement Dynamics of Cave Swallows in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert by Steve West.

James P. Ward, Jr. (Presenter), Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM,Timothy C. Mullet¹, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, TX and Fred Armstrong, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat, TX.

Mexican Spotted Owls in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas: Known and Predicted Distribution

The Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) is a denizen of mountains and canyons throughout the American Southwest and portions of Mexico.  This subspecies is currently listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.  In this presentation we describe the currently known distribution of this subspecies at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert Biome and describe the results of recent models that predict the owl’s occurrence in three focal areas of this region, the Guadalupe Mountains, Davis Mountains, and Chisos Mountains.  Three predictive models for the Guadalupe Mountains were evaluated in 2007 with data primarily from Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Guadalupe Ranger District, Lincoln National Forest.  The models were evaluated again in 2010 with data from Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  We evaluated the models by conducting nighttime calling surveys.  We then used the survey results within an Information Theoretical modeling paradigm to estimate the probability that these owls occupied sites according to the amount of habitat predicted at that site.  Predictions of habitat were based on three competing models and this procedure allowed us to assess the predictive power of each model while concurrently correcting for individual owls that may have been present but not detected.  One of the three models was originally developed to predict occurrence of Mexican spotted owls in New Mexico.  The majority of data for calibrating this model was from sightings of spotted owls in montane conifer forests.  A second model was developed from characteristics associated with canyons used by Mexican spotted owls in southern Utah.  The third model was generated from the overlap of the first two models, where the overlapping area represented the areas with a high-probability (>70%) of owl occupancy from both models.  We found that though all models gave similar predictions, the high-probability overlap model gave the most efficient results in predicting site occupancy of Mexican spotted owls because the total area of predicted habitat was much reduced but provided the same accuracy and precision.

¹ Current Address: Biology and Wildlife Department, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
   Fairbanks, AK

Steve West, Carlsbad, New Mexico

Population and Movement Dynamics of Cave Swallows in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert.  

In the 1950's, Cave Swallows were one of the most restricted bird species in the United States.  Until recently it was one of the few species which breed in the United States for which we did not know the wintering range.  For that reason, in 1978 banding studies of the species began, first in west Texas and then at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  Banding at Carlsbad Caverns National Park began in 1980 and have banded in excess of 20,000 birds with another 15,000 handled as retraps.  Over 35 sites are now used to band Cave Swallows across west Texas and southern New Mexico and a banded bird from Carlsbad Cavern gave us the first clue as to where the species winter.  The wintering area is now well known and defined.

In 1980 the species was fairly restricted to caves but since that time they have moved into old houses, bridges and similar structures. Many caves are still being used but in the past 10 years they have expanded from caves in the park and now occur north to Chaves and Dona Ana Counties in southern New Mexico in addition to many sites in adjacent west Texas. It is anticipated that this expansion will not just continue but accelerate.

Banding has helped to illustrate the movements and colonization that has occurred with this species. While the main banding site has been Carlsbad Cavern, birds banded else have showed up at this site giving us clues as to the movements before and after breeding season.

Additionally, we now have a great deal of data on other aspects of life history such as age demographics, longevity, sex ratios and others. Information has also been gathered on feeing preferences and feeding strategies.

Interactions between Cave Swallows and others have been noted and several predators have been seen taking the species in flight. 

The project would not have been successful without the assistance of over 4,000 volunteers in 31 years from 41 states and 20 counties.  The project continues with emphasis on banding birds at sites away from the caverns and attempting to interpret calls of the species.

Mesilla Room
  1:45 -   2:15 -  Wintering Bird Inventory in Priority Conservation Areas in Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in Mexico by Alberto Macias Duarte.
  2:25 -   2:55 -  Moth Studies in the northern Chihuahuan Desert with description of four new species by Eric Metzler.

Arvind Panjabi, Greg Levandoski, Alberto Macias-Duarte (Presenter). Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150, Fort Collins, CO 80521.

Wintering Bird Inventory in Priority Conservation Areas in Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in Mexico

Numerous grassland bird species of western North America are of high conservation concern because of persistent population declines. More than 80% of the species in this guild heavily rely on Chihuahuan Desert grasslands in winter. Nevertheless, these grasslands are increasingly being lost to agriculture, desertification, shrub encroachment, and devaluation by the invasion of exotics. There is little information on wintering grassland bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, and seasonal movements to guide conservation in this region. To fill this information gap, we have conducted a region-wide survey to inventory, research, and monitor wintering birds in Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Priority Conservation Areas (GPCAs) in Mexico since 2007. We used GIS to identify grasslands and design a survey protocol in the region. Our surveys generated information on 34 grassland associated species, including 30 priority species of high regional or continental conservation interest. We estimated density for 33 species or species groupings, including 19 priority species, across GPCAs, and post-stratified estimates separately by GPCA and year. We assessed key vegetation and habitat parameters at each site to use in bird-habitat relationship analyses. Densities and richness of wintering grassland birds varied across GPCAs. Some species showed a strong latitudinal gradient of abundance across the region. There was also evidence of changes in regional distribution between all years, suggesting plasticity in wintering range among some species. Remarkably, habitat features preferred by many grassland birds were rare or uncommon in many of the GPCAs. Forty-one percent of our transects had greater than 3% shrub cover, a threshold above which habitat use appears to decline for some grassland species. Given both the rapidly increasing conversion of grasslands to croplands in the region, and the strong preference of many species for relatively rare grassland conditions, the immediate protection and restoration of grasslands in the Chihuahuan Desert may be the best strategy for maintaining the region’s carrying capacity for wintering grassland species.

Eric H. Metzler (Presenter), Adjunct Curator of Lepidoptera at Michigan State University,  Gregory Forbes, New Mexico State University, David Bustos, Resource Protection Manager at White Sands National Monument, and Renee West, Supervisory Biologist at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Moth Studies in the northern Chihuahuan Desert with description of four new species.

In 2006 three long term studies of moths were initiated at three public areas in the northern Chihuahua Desert; Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Monument, and Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, all in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico.  One goal of the research is to associate moth species with disparate habitat types.  Four habitats were selected in each Park.  Moth samples are collected in bucket-type black-light traps and at black-light and sheet.  Moths are sorted to species.  All other insects collected as part of the study  are retained for deposition in the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico or the New Mexico State University.  The studies indicate there are several thousand species of moths at Carlsbad Caverns, where the bats rely on moths and other insects for forage, and there are approximately 1,000 species of moths at White Sands National Monument.  In the first three years of the study, the list of animals from White Sands National Monument has been more than tripled.  The studies, still in their infancies, also discovered several species of moths new to science, never before seen by other scientists.  Several of the new species from White Sands are white where they join a growing registry of blanched species that inhabit the pure white dunes.  The new species are being described.  The studies are designed to last approximately 10 years.

  3:05 -   4:15 -  Concurrent Sessions in Rio Grande Auditorium and Mesilla Room

Rio Grande Auditorium
  3:05 -   3:35 - Issues, Challenges, and Successes in Protecting the Northern Chihuahuan Desert by Rick LoBello.

Rick LoBello, El Paso Zoo, Texas

Issues, Challenges, and Successes in Protecting the Northern Chihuahuan Desert

For nearly a 100 years conservationists living and working in the Chihuahuan Desert region of Mexico and the United States have dedicated their lives to protecting large areas of habitat in West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico.  To help ensure that large areas of habitat remain both protected and connected, it is important that stakeholders in the region come together to develop and implement strategic plans focused on protecting the desert’s biodiversity including fragile wetlands and wildlife corridors.  In this report I will address current issues, challenges and recent successes in protecting the Northern Chihuahuan Desert Region.

Mesilla Room
  3:05 -   3:35 -  How Roads Affect Lizards in our Region by Kevin Floyd.

  3:35 -   3:50 Coffee and Refreshments Available in the Lobby

Kevin Floyd, Department of Biology, University of Texas at El Paso

How Roads Affect Lizards in our Region

Roads can potentially impact wildlife populations in several negative ways, such as decreasing individual survival rates.  Here we report initial findings from year 1 of a 2-year study on how roads effect populations of side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) and western whiptails (Aspidoscelis marmorata) in southern New Mexico.  Study sites are located along both Interstate 10 (a large road with >16,000 vehicles per day) and New Mexico State Highway 9 (a small road with about 500 vehicles per day).  Arrays of pitfall traps are located near the road, with additional traps at 50 m and 125 m from the road.  Trapping occurred from July through October 2009.  Side-blotched lizards and western whiptails were the most common species encountered, with 62.6% and 30.7% of the 1334 total captures, respectively.  Estimated monthly survival rates for side-blotched lizards along I-10 showed no trend with distance.  However, for side-blotched lizards along NM-9 the survival rates were approximately 20% lower at the locations near the road than those away from the road.  For western whiptails, survival rates did not change with distance from the road for either road, but overall survival rates were higher along NM-9.  There is little evidence from the 2009 data that the roads are having consistent effects on either species.  However, for both roads there is a large amount of inter-site variation, which makes the detection of potential road effects difficult.  Results from the 2010 field season will help to clarify the initial conclusions presented here.

Rio Grande Auditorium

   4:00 -   4:30 - Citizen Science in the Chihuahuan Desert by Daniel Shaw.

Daniel Shaw, Bosque School, Albuquerque and Felicia Aragon, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Citizen Science in the Chihuahuan Desert Traditional Presentation

To protect one must know. Citizen science programs directly engage people in studying their local landscapes in ways that connect them to larger scientific research efforts and support their stewardship of their own local ecosystems. Participants will learn of existing citizen science wildlife, habitat climate, and similar programs. They will learn how they can participate in existing and/or design and implement new citizen science programs within the Chihuahuan Desert. Practical issues such as quality control, funding, participant training, and program evaluation will be addressed. Participants will see how citizen science programs can last a day or indefinitely based upon monitoring or other research needs. This presentation emerges from our experiences of having developed a 12 year long citizen science monitoring effort in New Mexico. Within that program over 5,000 K-12 students and others participate each year in a citizen science effort where their data and findings are used to inform multi-million dollar natural resource management decisions. We will also address our own findings related to why teachers and other youth leaders participate in citizen science programs and the impediments they identify for continued participation.

As context a brief overview of the existing research on citizen science programs will be provided, but the primary emphasis will be on practical considerations of citizen science program adoption and implementation.

Mesilla Room
   4:00 -   4:30 -  Featherlake - Green Infrastructure by Carlos Rubio.

Carlos Rubio, Utility Engineer Associate El Paso Water Utilities Stormwater Engineering, El Paso, Texas

Featherlake - Green Infrastructure

The presentation will explain the stormwater project  that is a stimulus funded project rated as the number one green project within Texas. The wetland basin is located in southern El Paso to protect flooding by slowly releasing water collected from storms and seeps into the ground and the Rio Grande.   The project is expanding the basin which will increase the habitat for native wildlife and plants.

Poster Sessions

Hueco Room

   4:30 -   5:00 -  Posters Session - Conference Participants are encouraged to meet Poster Presenters and learn more about ongoing research projects.


Susan Reese, Texas Department of State Heath Services, El Paso, Texas

Bats of El Paso

Bats (order Chiroptera) are an incredibly diverse order and at over 1,100 different species, they make up about one fifth of all mammal species. There is limited knowledge of the bat species that are found in El Paso and it has been assumed by many that the majority of bats in El Paso are Brazilian free-tails. The Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Branch, in collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife and El Paso Animal Services, is working to document bat species found in the El Paso area. This is being done by identification of bats submitted for rabies testing, as well as live trapping and identification of bats. Although it is still early in the year, as of June, Brazilian Free-tails only accounted for half of the bats testing positive for rabies in El Paso. In addition, through the identification of bats testing positive for rabies we were able to identify two Western Yellow bats (Lasiurus xanthinus), a species not previously documented in El Paso.  Bat species differ widely in their ecology and for this reason it is important to increase our knowledge of the species present in our community and the distributions of these species to effectively target public health, conservation, and education programs.

Antonia Alvarado, El Paso Zoo, Texas

Productive Contributions of the Chihuahuan Desert

This presentation will provide an overview of the importance of Chihuahuan Desert animals and plants by addressing the need to know and understand the deserts resources and ecological services.

Stories about our ancestors who survived from natural resources found in the Chihuahuan Desert will help conference participants use their senses through a magical experience of our Desert.

Topics to be highlighted will include

1)    Overview of Chihuahuan Desert animals and plants

2)    Medicinal plants from the Chihuahuan Desert

3)    Nutritional products: prickly pears, mesquites, mead, bisnaga, fermented drinks

4)    Crafts that result in economic contribution

Breanne Cordier, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Assessing the Effectiveness of Zoo-Based Education Regarding the Mexican Gray Wolf

Outside their recreational purposes, zoos can be employed as an outlet for educating the public about the animal and plant species of the world. This is of particular value to the conservation efforts for threatened and endangered species. A well-informed public can positively affect the policies and legislation surrounding conservation, potentially resulting in more successful management and protection. This study examines the effectiveness of zoo-based education regarding the Mexican gray wolf, an endangered species endemic to the Southwestern region of the United States. Questionnaires designed to evaluate the general knowledge of zoo visitors regarding this species were distributed at six different Southwestern zoos. A mean correct score for questionnaire participants was calculated, and analyses were performed on the effect of viewing the Mexican wolf habitat and its respective signage; as well as the effect of viewing a presentation on the Mexican wolf. Results indicate that the current zoo-based signage at these sites is generally ineffective in transmitting Mexican wolf education to the public, and that presentations may be a stronger educational method to achieve this.

1Toutcha Lebgue K.(Presenter), 1Ricardo Soto C., 1Gustavo Quintana M., 1Oscar Viramontes O., 1Salvador Balderrama C., 2Miroslava Quiñónez M.    1-Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, 2-Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez

The Cacti of the State of Chihuahua: State Treasure at Risk of Extinction (Analysis of the species)

The cacti, a plant family native to the Americas, are made up of 110-122 genera and 1500-1600 species. Of this amount, 48 genera and 567 species are found in Mexico, which puts it as the country with greater variety and richness of cacti in the world. Unfortunately, more than half of Mexican cacti are at risk of extinction because of several serious environmental problems and many are the risks of losing these types of plants that it was necessary to create laws for their protection at the national and internationally level, resulting in the inclusion of all taxa of cacti in the Appendix II of CITES. For lacking information about them, a study was conducted in Chihuahua with the objective to document and describe the species as well as to publish a book which will serve as a reference and guide for the generation, development and implementation of various programs aiming to conserve, preserve and to obtain a sustainable use from some of the species. Over a period of almost 28 months (November, 2007 to February 2010), almost the entire state territory was sampled, covering nearly 20,000 km in distance. More than 450 observation sites were established. Each site consists of a pair of UTM coordinates obtained by GPS and these coordinates represent a spatial attribute to determine the presence and distribution of species in the field as well as having information about the plant association. Over 2200 plant records were obtained from four major ecosystems (shrubland, grassland, temperate forest and tropical deciduous forest). After the analysis of the records, the study yielded a list of 145 Taxa (123 species and 22 varieties). The highlight, besides the above, is the obtention of 20 species considered in the Mexican standard for species protection (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2001), 20 endemic species in the state, and eight species that have not been taken into account in the standard 059. Considering the total area of the state, more than 63% of taxa occur in the shrub and grassland ecosystems, 22% in deciduous tropical forest and the remaining 15 % in the temperate forest of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Of the 256 taxa reported for the Chihuahuan Desert, Chihuahua has 145 (57%), Texas 135 (52%), New Mexico 88 (34%) and 221 species are reported for the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas and the state Sonora has 98 taxa. In conclusion, extending its area over the two desert regions of northern Mexico, Chihuahua has a very substantial richness in species of cacti, and shares 22 of them with the Sonoran Desert.

Note: The book: "Cacti of Chihuahua, State Treasure at Risk of Extinction" is already published and available to the public.

Alfred Lowe, University of Texas at El Paso, Texas

Behavioral Studies of Lizards (Uta stansburiana, and Aspidioscelis tigris) Road populations vs. Desert populations

“Few forces have been more influential in modifying the earth than transportation,” (Ullman, 1956). Roads and highways sprawl their way throughout the southwest, cutting into the natural desert landscape.  These pathways create an unbalance in the ecosystems they run through. Roads impact 15-20% of the environment in which they occupy (Forman, 1998). Lizards in the New Mexico desert are used to an environment consisting of small shrubs, plants, sand, and sun.  Roadways have been shown to create unbalance in hydrology, and show an increase in erosion (Coffin, 2006).  Roads alter the immediate landscape around them dramatically, and that alteration is projected onto the animals living with-in it. Roadways have a direct impact on lizards, by way of road-kill. Although their direct mortality increases close to a roadway it does not have a direct effect on the population in the area (Forman, 1998). Still the existence of roads has other impacts on lizard populations. Some of the other impacts of highways and roads include road avoidance due to noise, and other behavioral effects. Through an observational study, behavioral differences will be determined between lizard populations. The populations of lizards to be examined will be defined as a community near the road and away from the road. The study will be in the southwest desert of New Mexico, approximately 1-1.5 km north of the U.S., Mexico border. Behavior will be monitored and analyzed for differences between the populations, in order to determine differences roads may cause to lizards.

Nomenclature: Side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana; Western Whiptail lizard, Aspidioscelis tigris

Rink Somerday, Asombro Institute for Science Education, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Asombro Institute for Science Education

Asombro Institute for Science Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to increasing scientific literacy by fostering an understanding of the Chihuahuan Desert.  We reach more than 14,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students and 5,000 other adults through our education programs both in the classroom and at our 935-acre Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park located in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Matt VanLandeghem(1) (Presenter), Mukhtar Farooqi(2), Bobby Farquhar(3), Greg Southard(4), Reynaldo Patiño(5).  1. Department of Natural Resources Management and Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Texas Tech University, Agricultural Sciences, Lubbock, TX  2. Inland Fisheries District 1C, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,  San Angelo, TX  3. Inland Fisheries Region 1, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, San Angelo, TX  4. Inland Fisheries Analytical Services, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, San Marcos, TX  5. USGS Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Texas Tech University, Agricultural Sciences, Lubbock, TX  

Relationships between water quality and toxic golden alga blooms in reservoirs of West Texas

Outbreaks of golden alga (GA, Prymnesium parvum) in reservoirs of the Upper Colorado River in West Texas have severely impacted fisheries resources. Since 2001, annual toxic blooms have damaged and also prevented the restoration of viable fisheries in these systems. While GA blooms in most reservoirs elsewhere typically occur in the winter and may last for a few days or weeks, in the Upper Colorado River they can last for several months and extend into the summer. Due to the severity of these blooms compared to other systems in Texas, water quality conditions of Upper Colorado River reservoirs appear to be relatively ideal for GA growth and toxicity. Because the effectiveness of current GA control methods is limited to smaller systems (e.g. hatchery and private ponds), identification of water quality factors that regulate toxic blooms may provide managers with alternative control strategies tailored for larger systems. Beginning in January 2010, GA cell counts, ichthyotoxicity, and standard water quality parameters have been quantified monthly in three severely impacted Upper Colorado River reservoirs (E.V. Spence, Moss Creek, Colorado City), two reference reservoirs in the Concho River basin that have not experienced GA blooms (Twin Buttes, Nasworthy), and three sites in O.H. Ivie Reservoir, which is fed by both the Colorado and Concho rivers but also has not experienced major toxic blooms. The study is still ongoing, but preliminary analysis has shown that salinity, total hardness, and fluoride are greater in Colorado River reservoirs than Concho River reservoirs, with intermediate levels recorded at the O.H. Ivie sites. Other standard parameters of water quality are similar between the Colorado River and Concho River systems. Thus, at the landscape level, reservoir salinity, total hardness and fluoride seem to be associated with the occurrence of toxic GA blooms. The effects of salinity and hardness on ichthyotoxicity of lake water collected during toxic GA blooms were further examined in laboratory experiments. Toxicity was low when salinity was experimentally reduced (&#8804; 1.2 ppt) regardless of hardness level, but at higher salinity (&#8805;2.3 ppt) a positive relationship between hardness and toxicity was observed. These findings suggest that controlling lake water hardness and/or salinity could be management options for reducing toxicity. Continued monitoring of these systems and additional laboratory experiments will provide further insight into the water quality parameters that contribute to GA toxicity. 

Vicente Mata Silva (Presenter), Arturo Rocha, and Jerry D. Johnson, Department of Biological Services, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 

Activity Range of the Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) in Far West Texas

The main objective of this ongoing project is to determine the activity range and movement rate of Crotalus lepidus. Between July 2007 and January 2010, four adult C. lepidus (two females and two males) were monitored with radiotelemetry for periods varying from a minimum of 12 mo to a maximum of 24 mo in a Chihuahuan Desert landscape at Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS), located in Hudspeth Co. Texas. Mean daily movement for the four snakes during the active season (March-November) was 5.7±0.710 m/d. Males showed a higher mean movement rate than females (6.4 and 5.0 m/d, respectively). Mean minimum convex polygon (MCP) of the activity range size for the four snakes was 12.58±4.27 ha. However, males showed a larger mean MCP than females (18.0 and 7.0 ha, respectively). The data suggested that male and female C. lepidus in the study area have a similar movement rate; however, males showed a larger activity range size than females. The information provided herein contributes to the knowledge of ecological aspects of a widely distributed but poorly known rattlesnake. 

Sunday, November 14  - Optional Tours
Register online at http://www.chihuahuandesert.org/conferencetours.html

Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition Conference Committee
www.chihuahuandesert.org

Diane Perez, President
Alex Mares, Vice President

Rick LoBello, Secretary Treasurer

Judy Ackerman, Board Member
Mariana Chew, Board Member

Veronica Myers, Board Member

Rink Somerday, Board Member

Cesar Mendez, Advisory Board Member

Special Thanks

University of Texas at El Paso

Robert Huston and McRae Car Care

David Crider - Southwest Expeditions

Government Employees Credit Union
Kelly Serio, Past Board Member

Toni McConaghie, Conference Poster Design