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Arizona data
Assessment of Biodiversity Values for the Expanded Kofa Complex in Southwestern Arizona (February 2004)
Documents biodiversity values for a large Sonoran Desert landscape, the Expanded Kofa Complex, including land managed by the BLM, the U.S. Army at Yuma Proving Ground, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. This report describes and maps natural communities that merit conservation focus, and provides data on species of particular concern.
Download file (7.7 MB)
San Pedro River Watershed Maps (October 2008)
Series of 4 map exhibits illustrating conservation-related data on the status of this internationally-recognized desert river and riparian corridor. Maps include both the U.S. and Mexico portions of the San Pedro watershed depicting the following themes: Conservation Investments; Riparian Ecological Condition; Current and Formerly Perennial Stream Reaches; and a Water Budget.
Download file (21 MB)
Arizona Natural Infrastructure Composite (May 2008)
GIS data set that integrates 10 local, state, and regional datasets which identify open space lands and sensitive biological lands. This data set is a composite or simplification of the source data sets – the boundaries of all individual data layers have been dissolved into one composite data layer. Note: We did not integrate wildlife linkages data from 2 of the studies in this composite layer because we are awaiting to obtain permission from the source agencies.
Download file (1 MB)
State of the Las Ciénegas NCA, Part III: Condition of Riparian Habitats and Channel Geomorphology (February 2008)
Presents information on the condition of riparian habitats and compares these with objectives established in BLM’s Resource Management Plan. Includes 1) an analysis of data collected between 1990 and 2006 on the condition of the NCA’s riparian forests and stream channel geomorphology, 2) an ecological state-and-transition model that describes relationships between habitat types and disturbance forces, and 3) a review of monitoring protocols with options for making monitoring more informative and efficient.
Download file (7.4 MB)
Habitat Mapping and Conservation Analysis to Identify Critical Streams for Arizona’s Native Fish (November 2007)
Describes the methods used to develop a GIS dataset for 33 native fish species in Arizona, presents results of some analyses using the data, and describes the data’s utility for the conservation of native fish. This is a preprint of an article published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Vol. 17: 737-748 (2007).www.interscience.wiley.com
Download file (< 1 MB)
State of the Las Ciénegas NCA, Part II: Gila Topminnow Population Status and Trends (July 2007)
This study analyzed 15 years of data on the endangered Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis occidentalis) to determine the population status and trend at Las Cienegas. We also tested alternative monitoring protocol to provide managers with more timely and reliable information on topminnow populations.
Download file (1.5 MB)
Rivers and Water Management in the Southwest (June 2007)
Describes challenges for managing water resources in the Southwest, and recommends actions to improve ecologically sustainable water management. Published in May/June 2007 issue of Southwest Hydrology.
Download file (1.3 MB)
Arizona Statewide Freshwater Assessment GIS Data Package (June 2006)
Includes 3 spatial datasets mapped to 1:100,000 scale hydrography for Arizona, including 1) the habitat for 33 native fish species, 2) former and current perennial surface flow for Arizona’s rivers, and 3) the distribution of threatened and endangered species that require aquatic or riparian habitats.
Download file (10 MB)
Report on the Biological Planning Process for Livestock Management at Las Ciénegas (May 2006)
Jointly authored by BLM and TNC, this report summarizes the monitoring information used and decision-making process for the 2005-2006 grazing plan at Las Ciénegas National Conservation Area. The report details how BLM, with input from partners, advisory teams, and the grazing permittee, are using upland monitoring data and pasture reconnaissance to make grazing management decisions.
Download file (5 MB)
Huachuca Area Fire Partners Fire Management Plan (November 2005)
The Huachuca Area Fire Partners, an alliance of public and private groups in southeastern Arizona, came together to restore and manage fire activities over a 500,000-acre area that includes the Huachuca Mountains and surrounding grasslands. The Fire Management Plan provides a framework for landscape-level fire management — its goals include collectively implementing fire management projects that participants are unable to accomplish on their own and managing fire across jurisdictional boundaries.
Download file (12 MB)
Lessons Learned: Sonoran Desert Ecosystem Initiative (October 2005)
The document summarizes the lessons learned from The Nature Conservancy and Sonoran Institute's multi-year collaborative project with the Bureau of Land Management and Department of Defense at the Sonoran Desert National Monument and Goldwater Training Range.
Download file (<1 MB)
State of the Las Ciénegas National Conservation Area, Part I (July 2005)
Summarizes work completed to assist the Bureau of Land Management in the development and implementation of a science-based adaptive management and monitoring program to evaluate progress toward objectives established in BLM’s Resource Management Plan. Includes 1) an analysis of data collected between 1995 and 2004 on the condition and trend of the NCA’s grasslands, 2) a review of monitoring protocols, and 3) an outline of the adaptive management process implemented by BLM in 2004/2005.
Download file (1 MB)
Conservation Elements of and a Biodiversity Management Framework for the Sonoran Desert NM (June 2005)
Developed for the BLM and Dept. of Defense, this report summarizes the results of The Nature Conservancy’s characterization of important biodiversity elements and the Sonoran Institute’s analysis of socioeconomic information for the Monument and surrounding environs. The data and analyses demonstrate the importance of coordinated management among the various public, private, and tribal land managers surrounding the Monument as a mechanism for protecting the objects for which the Monument was designated.
Download file (9 MB)
The Impacts of Livestock Grazing in the Sonoran Desert: a Literature Review and Synthesis (February 2005)
Prepared for the BLM, this review includes a synthesis of the scientific literature on the impacts of livestock grazing and grazing management strategies for the Sonoran Desert. Also included are reviews of plant community dynamics, biological soil crust ecology, and grazing-vegetation interaction theory as they relate to an understanding of grazing impacts and strategies.
Download file (3 MB)
Watershed Improvement Using Prescribed Burns as a Way to Restore Aquatic Habitat for Native Fish (May 2004)
Documents efforts by TNC and BLM to test a model that prescribed burns can be used to improve watershed conditions and aquatic habitat conditions. Study documents pre- and post-treatment results for the response of grasslands and for populations of the threatened Gila chub (Gila intermedia). Paper presented at USFS conference, May 11-15, 2004.
Download file (<1 MB)
Grasslands Assessment GIS Data (December 2004)
A GIS data set depicting the results of a two-year study to delineate grasslands and evaluate their ecological condition in Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Mexico. This study was completed with the assistance of resource professionals from U.S. and Mexico universities and public agencies.
Download file (1 MB)
An Ecological Assessment of the Bureau of Land Management’s Current Fire Management Practices (March 2004)
This study reviews BLM’s fire management plans for Arizona, assessing the accuracy, standardization, and ecological relevance of current Phase I fire management areas. This second report documenting the results of TNC’s Arizona Grassland Assessment also makes recommendations for revisions to BLM’s fire management areas based on fire ecology and other considerations.
Download file (3.5 MB)
An Assessment of the Spatial Extent and Condition of Grasslands in AZ, NM, and Northern Mexico (January 2003)
This report is the first of two studies completed by TNC and partners to delineate the spatial extent and ecological condition of grasslands in central and southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Mexico. This report covers the 30-million acre Apache Highlands Ecoregion.
Download file (1 MB)
Conservation Elements of and a Biodiversity Management Framework for the Barry M. Goldwater Range (October 2001)
Developed for Luke Air Force Base and Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, this report provides the results from TNC’s site conservation planning process for the Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR) in southwestern Arizona. The identification of conservation elements, and their subsequent use in the development of management goals, land management categories, and management standards, serves as a biodiversity management framework that can be incorporated into the BMGR's Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan.
Download file (10 MB)
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