Natural Resources Monitoring at Coronado National Memorial

The National Park Service is implementing the restoration of native amphibians in over 20 sensitive wetlands across eight southwestern national parks. However, there's a particular threat (that croaks) that requires the NPS and partners to collaborate and innovate to find solutions.

To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation.

The American bullfrog is a great threat to aquatic ecosystems in the Southwest. They are voracious predators of aquatic animals and carry diseases that kill native species. We will implement three main actions in this project funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, Invasive Species Grant: bullfrog control, native species recovery and reintroduction, and development of early detection/rapid response protocols for bullfrogs.

At nine southwestern parks, Sonoran Desert Network staff are performing environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. By analyzing the genomes present in a water sample, eDNA sampling allows us to learn which species use a given area without the use of capture, hair snares, or cameras. The results of this inventory will help NPS staff to prioritize springs for monitoring and conservation.

At Coronado National Memorial, desert plants, wildlife, and visitors all depend on reliable water sources. The Sonoran Desert Network monitors climate, groundwater, and springs at the memorial. Understanding changes in these closely linked factors helps managers make informed decisions affecting natural resources. Learn about our recent findings.

When the climate changes enough, the vegetation communities growing in any given place will also change. Under an expanded bimodal climate zone, some plant communities in western national parks are more likely to change than others. National Park Service ecologists and partners investigated the future conditions that may force some of this change. Having this information can help park managers decide whether to resist, direct, or accept the change.

In the US Southwest, climate change is making it harder to preserve historic adobe structures for future generations. Using adobe test walls and rainshower simulators, staff at the Desert Research Learning Center are evaluating the potential for increased erosion, and testing the effectiveness of different treatments methods to protect against it. The results will help park managers tailor their preservation methods to better protect culturally valuable resources.

Across the Intermountain Region, Inventory & Monitoring Division ecologists are helping to track the effects of climate change, provide baseline information for resource management, evaluate new technologies, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. This article highlights accomplishments achieved during fiscal year 2021.

The Heliograph is the newsletter of the Sonoran Desert Network and Desert Research Learning Center. In this issue, find out how eDNA inventories may change what we thought we knew about SODN springs. Learn about the new technology that will improve our streams monitoring, and the lasting contributions of our IVIPs to projects across multiple networks. Get caught up on our latest reports and the status of ongoing projects, and find out what’s happening at the DRLC.

The Heliograph is the newsletter of the Sonoran Desert Network and Desert Research Learning Center. This issue features stories on how we adapted our operations to minimize field work lost to the covid-19 pandemic, vegetation mapping at Saguaro NP, and communication improvements and opportunities for network parks. We also probe the minds of our interns and celebrate a high honor for our program manager.