Natural Resource Condition Assessments for Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

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The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program provides framework, funding, and publishing support to parks to aid in the synthesis and documentation of natural resource conditions. Condition assessment reports are a tool to describe selected park resources, and record a snapshot of their current condition, identify trends, and identify potential or current threats and stressors. Understanding the condition and trend of natural resources is key for parks and NPS planners to appropriately prioritize and allocate stewardship resources.


 

Winter Solstice Morning, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument 2015.

NPS Photo

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument was established in 1907 because of the “exceptional scientific and educational interest, and being the best representative of the Cliff Dwellers’ remains of that region.” Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is situated at the intersection of three major ecological provinces – the Rocky Mountains, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Sierra Madre Mountains in southwestern New Mexico. Characterized by plateaus and mountain ranges amid desert plains, it is an extremely diverse physiographic region with elevations ranging from approximately 1,371.6 to 3,048 m (4,500 to 10,000 ft) above sea level.

In addition to the cultural resources, the monument’s natural resources, including a portion of the Gila River, and diverse assemblages of vegetation, mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, offer outstanding opportunities for scientific inquiry and interpreting the relationship between the long history of human habitation and the area’s environment. Like many national parks throughout the United States, the resource conditions at Gila Cliff Dwellings are vulnerable to stressors far beyond its borders, such as warming temperatures and variable and intense precipitation events. But overall, the monument’s natural resources are well protected due to its isolation and buffering by the U.S. Forest Service’s Gila National Forest. The forest surrounds the monument and offers outstanding partnership opportunities for managing resources in ways that can help achieve shared conservation goals.

NRCA reports completed for this park:

Traditional NRCA: 2019

Traditional NRCA Report: 2019

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument’s Natural Resource Condition Assessment was written as a collaborative effort between the national monument staff and NPS representatives. The NRCA for the monument was completed in 2019, and evaluated the condition of nine resource topics:

		- Air quality
		- Hydrology
		- Water quality
		- Upland vegetation and soils
		- Riparian and aquatic vegetation
		- Fish
		- Birds
		- Mammals
		- Herpetofauna

The majority of resources were found to be in good condition except for air quality, herpetofauna, and fish, which were evaluated as of moderate concern. Like many national parks throughout the United States, the resource conditions at Gila Cliff Dwellings are vulnerable to stressors far beyond its borders, such as warming temperatures and variable and intense precipitation events. But overall, the monument’s natural resources are well protected due to its isolation and proximity to the U.S. Forest Service’s Gila National Forest. The forest surrounds the monument and offers outstanding partnership opportunities for managing resources in ways that can help achieve shared conservation goals.

Links to NRCA Products
Materials produced by the park and the NRCA Program.

For other reports and natural resource datasets visit the NPS Data Store.

Source: Data Store Collection 7765 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.