A historical account including extensive stay in southern Arizona (Tucson, Tubac, Santa Rita Mountains, Sonoita, and other areas) from the early 1860s. This is one of the most depopulated and dangerous times generally in southern Arizona. Apaches fought back against intruders extensively in this period, to such a point many people of European ancestry left entirely; many settlements were abandoned by Mexicans and Americans both. Even the fort at Tucson was close to abandonment at this time,…

An introduction is provided for the modern and fossil vascular plant flora of the contiguous protected areas of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and the Tinajas Altas Region in southwestern Arizona—the heart of the Sonoran Desert. These three entities encompass 514,242 hectares (1,270,700 acres), approximately 5141 km (1985 mi ). Elevation and ecological diversity generally decreases from east (Organ Pipe) to west (Tinajas Altas) while aridity…

Bi-National Conference September 19-23, 1994 Tucson, Arizona

This conference brought together scientists and managers from government, universities, and private organizations to examine the biological diversity and management challenges of the unique "sky island" ecosystems of the mountains of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Session topics included: floristic resources, plant ecology, vertebrates, invertebrates, hydrology and riparian systems, aquatic resources…

People know about mistletoe berries, but Condalia globosa appear to also be a favorite food source for the Phainopepla.

In the Shadow of the Wall, a two-part Defenders of Wildlife report, explores these and other conservation consequences of extending the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in detail. Part I: Wildlife, Habitat and Collaborative Conservation at Risk provides an overview of how the wall affects wildlife, habitat, human communities, conservation and binational collaboration. Part II: Conservation Hotspots on the Line profiles five hotspots along the border—areas with high biological diversity…

The Apachian-Madrean region is a zone of confluence and geographic termini of species and floras from the north and the south. Lower and intermediate elevations support many taxa of tropical plants and animals that are at their northernmost limits. It is a region of tremendous habitat diversity and species richness. Much of the region remains little known, and quantified data are scarce. This report offers brief synopses on the insect fauna, ichthyofauna, herpetofauna, avifauna, mammals, and…