As wildlife becomes more isolated in human-dominated and rapidly changing environments, species conservation requires investment in landscape connectivity. Identifying stepping stones (discrete areas of suitable habitat that facilitate the movement of dispersing individuals) can help meet connectivity goals. We report the occurrence of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia, over 250 km from the nearest known population, one of the easternmost records for the species. Ikh Nart Nature Reserve lies within a region considered highly resistant to movement but harbours high densities of argali sheep Ovis ammon and Siberian ibexes Capra sibirica, both important prey items for snow leopards. This occurrence reveals a new distribution record for the species, the capacity of the species to move across low-quality environments, the value of investment in community conservation and collaborative park management, and the role of remote protected areas such as Ikh Nart Nature Reserve as stepping stones for facilitating population expansion and broader connectivity to other potentially suitable but unoccupied areas.
The purpose of this multidisciplinary study is to evaluate changes in land use practices pertaining to cultural development since early 1970s in the Upper Pecos Valley in Northern New Mexico, USA. The investigations will consider historic patterns in the progression of land management practices, political events, and agricultural development using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing techniques. A comparative investigation from a series of satellite imagery will be used to examine changes in the land use and conditions of the study sites over time. Landsat satellite images from the 1970s to present will provide multispectral measurements of vegetation coverage and vegetation health in both growing and non-growing sessions. Changes to the local environmental conditions in the area will also be evaluated using records of climate, precipitation, stream gage data, oral history, and historical records. The need to develop a further understanding of the Pecos River Valley in North Central New Mexico and its land use practices will aid in conservation efforts and development of this physical and cultural landscape. Study results will also be used to demonstrate the local community the value of modern science investigations in addressing local concerns. In addition, the results from this study will be integrated in to the Ribera Community Cultural Center and Pecos Historic Park.The purpose of this multidisciplinary study is to evaluate changes in land use practices pertaining to cultural development since early 1970s in the Upper Pecos Valley in Northern New Mexico, USA. The investigations will consider historic patterns in the progression of land management practices, political events and agricultural development using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing techniques. Landsat satellite images will provide multispectral measurements to interpret vegetation coverage and health in both growing and non-growing sessions. Conditions of change in the area will also be evaluated using records of climate, participation, stream gauges, oral history and historical records. Further understanding of land use practices will aid in conservation efforts and development of this physical and cultural landscape. Study results will also be used to demonstrate the local community the value of modern science investigations in addressing local concerns.
Beginning in the spring of 2015, a team of New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) faculty and students began developing a series of curriculum modules to teach various practices for delineating watersheds, collecting field data, and exploring watershed features using desktop and online geographic information systems. This work was funded as part of New Mexico EPSCoR's Western Consortium, Watershed Analysis, Visualization, and Exploration (WC-WAVE), Undergraduate Visualization and Modeling Network (UVMN). In the first phase of the project, curriculum for delineating watersheds from 30-meter, 10-meter, and lidar-derived 0.3-meter resolution digital elevation models was developed. The Environmental Protection Agency's BASINS software is used. A users' guide for field data collection with Avenza's PDF Maps applications was also developed. A suite of camera equipment and accessories was obtained to help enhance field data collection using "gigapan" photography. In the continuation phase of the project, NMHU is developing an Introduction to Geographic Information Systems module. This module is being supported with exercises in using ESRI's ArcGIS Online platform to explore and create web maps, create Story Maps, and collect field data using ESRI's Collector for ArcGIS app. A unique aspect of this project was the establishment of a "co-learning" environment among students and faculty. Students were assigned to develop specific modules and were then expected to teach their faculty mentors what they had learned. Modules from the first phase of the project are already being used in various NMHU courses. Modules from the continuation phase are being piloted at NMHU this spring and will be incorporated in a course being conducted this summer at nearby Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge by the Community College of Denver. The Denver Zoo at Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge is also adopting the curriculum for use in various courses and workshops they will offer. All curriculum will be made available on the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Health Clearinghouse, allaboutwatersheds.org.
Climate change is expected to increase wildfire severity in the Southwest. Following large fires, surface water runoff and soils contributes high concentrations of nutrients to water bodies and has the potential to impair surface water quality and terrestrial systems. Although there is a considerable amount of research on the effects of nutrients in surface water runoff and soils following a fire, the need to directly investigate nutrient levels transported from various severity classes is required. The purpose of this study is to investigate the contributions of nitrite-nitrogen (NO 2-), nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3-) orthophosphate (OP) levels from surface water runoff originating from various wildfire severity classes from the Las Conchas fire in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. To complete this task NO 2-, NO 3-, and (OP) concentrations will be determined from surface water runoff and soils originating from predetermined high, moderate, low, mixed, and control (unburned site) fire severity types. Fire severity site qualification was determined in a previous study. We hypothesize that our results from the high severity burn area will have the least contribution of NO 2-, NO 3-, and (OP) and control will have the highest. pp. 30,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.