Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge ( , ; "Woodland of the Apache") is a National Wildlife Refuge located in southern New Mexico. It was founded in 1939 and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is a favorite spot to observe sandhill cranes, which spend the fall and winter in the area. The reserve is open year-round and provides safe harbor for its varied wildlife. Visitors to the refuge also enjoy partaking in activities such as hiking, cycling, driving tours on the 12-mile scenic auto route, and participating in educational programs offered on site.

Location

The name of the refuge means "woodland of the Apache" [] in Spanish, named for the Apache tribes that once camped in the forests along the Rio Grande. Previously, the Piro people had lived in the lands around what is now the refuge until the 1600s, when they were forced to abandon their pueblos due to European diseases and attacks from the Apache tribes.

The heart of the refuge comprises approximately of Rio Grande floodplain and of seasonal wetlands and other managed habitats. In addition to this, the refuge contains of arid grasslands and foothills of the Chupadera and San Pascual Mountains. About of this is designated as wilderness. The refuge sits within the Little San Pascual Mountain fault zone, rendering it an ideal site for conducting research on stratigraphy and sedimentology.

A fourteen-mile-long (22.5 km) loop road divided by a cutoff into a north loop and south loop allows automobile drivers excellent views of wetland wildlife and raptors, and there are several short (0.5 to 2 miles) walking trails. The road affords good views of the seasonal wetlands where numerous birds may be seen. Adjacent to the Visitor Center, a desert plant garden is maintained.

Terrain

The center of the refuge is made up of seasonal wetlands watered by irrigation systems connected to the Rio Grande. These managed wetlands provide an essential habitat for cottonwood trees as well as Goodding's willow and coyote willow. The wetlands are irrigated periodically to give these plants the best growing conditions.

The managed wetlands also grow plants that provide food for wintering waterbirds. These plants include smartweed, millet, bulrush, chufa, and various sedges. These wetlands are periodically irrigated through the summer to encourage plant growth and may be disturbed by fire or machinery to further enhance plant diversity. In the fall and winter, the wetlands are flooded to provide habitat for the arriving waterbirds.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is also made up of thousands of acres of dry land. One unit contains 5,440 acres (23 km2) of scrubland and desert terrain that is connected to the Chihuahuan desert. This area is called the Chupadera Peak Wilderness Unit. In addition to desert terrain, the Chupadera Peak Wilderness Unit is characterized by tall, reddish cliffs.

Birds

There have been 408 different bird species observed in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge since 1964 according to eBird, making it one of the most diverse areas for bird species in the United States . Seasonal wetlands attract the huge flocks of wintering sandhill cranes and geese that are popular with visitors. Many other species—notably waterfowl, shorebirds, and birds of prey—also winter in the refuge. Striking vagrants such as a sungrebe and rufous-necked wood rail have been found there. The dry upland areas of the refuge are host to a unique suite of desert birds such as pyrrhuloxia and black-throated sparrows.

The diversity of birds is also high in spring, particularly the last week of April and first week of May, and in fall. In summer the area is hot but many riparian birds can be found, including such New Mexico rarities as the least bittern and common gallinule. Late November to mid February is the best time for large numbers of birds, including thousands of sandhill cranes and over 10,000 Ross's and snow geese. An annual 'festival of the cranes' is held in early December as large numbers of cranes begin arriving in the refuge. Winter visitors often plan to be in the refuge at sunrise or sunset, when the flocks of cranes and geese that roost in the refuge "commute" to or from local fields where they feed. Although winter sunsets and especially sunrises are chilly, the daily low temperature is seldom far below freezing. Visitors typically stay in the nearby RV park or in Socorro or San Antonio.

Rare birds which nest on the refuge include the southwestern subspecies of the willow flycatcher and the western distinct population segment of the yellow-billed cuckoo, both of which are federally listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Biology In addition to hosting rare bird species, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is also home to the last known population of the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse along the Rio Grande river. This mouse is a distinctive, genetically unique subspecies found in certain regions of New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado. Due to its rarity, the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse has also been listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

An overabundance of the invasive shrubby trees tamarisk (also known as salt-cedar) and Russian olive on the refuge have posed a threat to habitats utilized by native wildlife species. To combat this issue, Bosque del Apache NWR has utilized various control methods over time, such as mechanical removal, herbicide application, and prescribed burning. The tamarisk removal efforts undertaken on the refuge have served as a case study for similar removal initiatives in other protected areas.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge was on June 25, 1902, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 11, 1962.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Bron en licentie