Conservation reports and data

Integrating science and policy for water management (April 2009)

This chapter, from Ecology and Conservation of the San Pedro River (edited by J. Stromberg and B. Tellman), provides an in-depth treatment of the collaborative effort of scientists, agency representatives, non-governmental organizations, elected officials, and other stakeholders and the role of adaptive management in addressing water policy and management issues in the Sierra Vista subwatershed of the upper San Pedro River.

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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 GIS Dataset (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.

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Ecological Implications of Verde River Flows (February 2008)

Presents a literature review and results of a May 2007 workshop where 35 subject experts from 16 agencies and institutions synthesized the state of knowledge for central Arizona’s Verde River. Report describes the river’s ecosystem, including its hydrology, geomorphology, riparian, and aquatic habitats, and fish and wildlife species – and how components would respond to changes in surface- and groundwater flows.

• Executive Summary (2.7 MB)
• Verde River Ecological Flows Report (4.1 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)

Ecoregional Assessment Geodatabase for Western North America (January 2008)

GIS data set that aggregates the information from 19 ecoregional assessments across western North America packaged as a personal geodatabase for use with ArcGIS 9.x and Microsoft Access software products. Note: this data set replaces the six-ecoregion geodatabase formerly posted on this site.

Download file (24 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).

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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)