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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Coronado Forest, Tucson, Arizona, USA

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Coronado Forest, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Meagan



Registered: September 2011
City/Town/Province: Tucson
Posts: 2
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Wildfires burned more than one million acres of Arizona forest and grassland during the summer of 2011. Arizona fires reported to the Southwest Coordination Center on Aug. 31, 2011, totaled 1,008,753 acres.


The problem of wildfires was not unique to Southern Arizona in the summer of 2011. Neighboring New Mexico faced a fire that neared its nuclear plant in Los Alamos while a total of 1,098,186 acres burned. Two California blazes forced evacuations and corralled wildlife in the San Bernardino National Forest. In Texas, more than 3.5 million acres burned as fourteen large fires were fought, according to the Texas Forest Service. The National Interagency Fire Center said significant fires were in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia. The need to study the short and long term effects of wildfires is clear.


In Southern Arizona, on May 29th, 2011, wildfires ignited in the Tumacacori Mountains in the Coronado National Forest. The fire was called the “Murphy Complex”. The fire was finally contained after destroying 68,078 acres of natural forest and species. It was apparent that the fire had a significant impact on the biodiversity of the area, however, although great concern was shown for the artist town of Tubac, AZ, four miles away, little was mentioned about the native wildlife that was in imminent danger.


I decided I had to so something to investigate and help species affected by the wildfires. Why did I think this was necessary? The Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona is rich with animal life, and some species are unique to this part of the world. Wildfires are especially concerning here. This desert is home to some species that are as yet undocumented until recently, such as the ocelot and the jaguar. Knowledge of native species of the southwestern United States is vital to its protection and survival.


Recently jaguars and ocelots were found near the range where the fire occurred. And yet the area is not yet considered protected. If fires reduced the already small numbers of these endangered species, it would be devastating for the gene pool and survival rates. If I could make a case for the devastating effects of wildfires on all species, and in particular these endangered species, perhaps we can ensure they are better protected year-round, and they will still be here for generations to come.


Since I had already been studying the biodiversity of several areas in Southern Arizona, I had placed remote sensing cameras in several locations. One location was where I happened to be monitoring wild cats species that was near the fire area at the time. I used that as my Control Site. I also had access to data from remote cameras right in the midst of the fire to compare it to. I considered this a golden opportunity to monitor the fire’s effect on all species by comparing data from the 168 days before and 168 days after the fire, as well as the 17 days during the fire, and comparing it to a my control site.


But the process was not easy. Accessing the cameras’ data, required a 90-minute drive into the surrounding area, a 45-minute drive over rough terrain into the base of the canyon area followed by an 80-minute hike into the area in order to collect the photo data from the four cameras. The cameras were in the middle of the high desert that changed from visit to visit, therefore topographical maps were of assistance. When keeping a sense of direction became difficult, a GPS was used. It had to learn how to distinguish the difference between the types of trees (mesquite, ironwood, etc.) in area to find the tree cameras and to learn tracking and scat signs of identification to confirm sightings.


Upon reaching the remote locations for each camera, battery life was monitored, the memory card was removed and replaced, the time and date stamp was confirmed as accurate, and general adjustments were made to each cameras situation and how it was secured to each tree.

Conditions for each visit varied. Wolf spiders and other insects were found residing inside camera more than once when removing a memory card. There was evidence of hunters, as well as Border Patrol on the trail of some humans. Dehydration was a continuous problem since temperatures were in the low 30’s in winter but ranged to 115 degrees in summer. Tires were continually worn and replaced.


Upon returning, data from each camera’s memory card was downloaded. Photos were analyzed and categorized by what species was in each photo and how many were there. Approximately 6,000 images were downloaded from the memory card.


Since I have just completed the final collection and analysis of data in the past week, I am particularly excited. The results have been amazing –and some very unexpected! I had originally thought that all species would be devastated by the fires, but interestingly, there are several that were either very resilient or bounced back in far greater number than before the fire, such as the white tailed deer (going from 38 to 514), that may have flourished on the new vegetation and shoots, and the Mountain Lion that followed growing from 15 to 49. Sadly however, the converse was also true. Some species just did not recover, such as the bobcat, the gray fox and the wild turkey (which is already rare in Arizona). When the balance of nature is disturbed in such a manner, there are long-term effects that must continue to be studied.


This project is not over yet! If I can get more cameras placed in the mountain range, I would be more likely to document the presence of the ocelots and jaguars, which were recently spotted there. Since they are rarely seen in Southern Arizona, this is huge news ice we need to act to protect them. But before we can protect them, we have to prove they exist and in what numbers. I plan to continue to monitor this area for three more years so I can use my longitudinal data in an effort to increase the survival rates of our wildlife.
Date: May 26, 2012 Views: 5624 File size: 28.8kb, 676.0kb : 1984 x 1488
Hours Volunteered: 785
Volunteers: 1
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 15
Area Restored for Native Wildlife (hectares): 100
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