Grasslands ecosystems, endangered species, and sustainable ranching in the Mexico-U.S. borderlands: Conference proceedings

Abstract

The semi-arid grasslands in the Mexico-United States border region are relatively intact and provide one of the best opportunities in North America to preserve and nurture an extensive series of grassland ecosystems. The conference was organized to increase appreciation for the importance of the remaining semi-arid grasslands and to create a platform for expanding the integration of natural and social sciences among individuals and organizations. The conference was attended by ranchers, environmentalists, academics, and agency personnel from both nations. Main topics include grassland ecology and biodiversity, management and conservation, and sustainable borderland ranching. Endangered species management, especially of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), was an important topic. Oral presentations were in English or Spanish, with simultaneous translations, and the papers have been printed in both languages. The conference revealed the ties between ecological processes and environmental conditions in the Borderland grasslands and the cultural and economic priorities of the human communities who depend on them. This recognition should enable interested people and groups to work together to achieve satisfactory solutions to the challenges of the future.

Titles contained within Grasslands ecosystems, endangered species, and sustainable ranching in the Mexico-U.S. borderlands: Conference proceedings

• Towards place-based borderlands grassland conservation (Hacia la conservacion de pastizales en tierras fronterizas)
• Welcome (Bienvenida)
• Grassland ecology and diversity (Ecologia y diversidad de pastizales)
• Status and distribution of Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in the United States and Mexico (Evaluacion del estado y distribucion de los pastizales del Desierto Chihuahuense en los Estados Unidos y Mexico)
• Fire ecology and management in grasslands of the American Southwest (Ecologia a de fuego y manejo de pastizales en el Sudoeste Norteamericano)
• Verterbrate diversity in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico (Diversidad de vertebrados del noroeste de Chihuahua, Mexico)
• Diversity of amphibians and reptiles associated with grasslands of Janos-Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico (La diversidad de anfibios y reptiles asociada a los pastizales de Janos-Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico)
• The importance of maintaining carnivores in wildlands (La Importancia de mantener carnivoros en Areas silvestres)
• Grasslands of Mexico: A perspective on their conservation (Los pastizales del norte de Mexico: Una perspectiva para su conservacion)
• A multi-state approach to black-tailed prairie dog conservation and management in the United States (Enfoque multi-estatal para la Conservacion y manejo del perro llanero de cola negra en los Estados Unidos)
• Initial results of experimental studies of prairie dogs in arid grasslands: Implications for landscape conservation and the importance of scale (Resultados Iniciales de Estudios Experimentales en Perros Llaneros de Pastizales Aridos: Implicaciones Para la Conservacion del Paisaje y la Importancia de Escala)
• Grassland rehabilitation (Rehabilitacion de Pastizales)
• Management challenges for the pronghorn in Chihuahua (Retos al manejo del berrendo en Chihuahua)
• Power-line electrocution of birds (Electrocucion de Aves en Lineas Electricas en Mexico)
• Ecotourism (Ecoturismo)
• Current situation of rangelands in Mexico
• Ranching and prairie dogs (La actividad ganadera y los perros llaneros)
• Coexistence with predators (Coexistencia con depredadores)
• Value-added beef products (Productos Carnicos con Valor Agregado)
• Ranching and conservation in the Santa Cruz River Region, Sonora: Milpillas Case Study (Ganaderia y Conservacion en la Region del Rio Santa Cruz, Sonora: El Caso del Grupo Milpillas)
• Installation of devices in water tanks to prevent drowning of wild animals (Instalacion de Estructuras Dentro de Tanques de Agua Para Evitar El Ahogamiento de Animales Silvestres)
• Photo essay: Trinchera dams for erosion control and streambed restoration (Foto ensayo: Trincheras para controlar la erosion y restaurar el cauce de los arroyos)
• Sustainable ranching: A new paradigm (Ganaderia Sustentable: Un Nuevo Paradigma)
• Voices from the local communities (Voces de las comunidades locales)
• An update on conservation in the Janos-Casas Grandes Area

Citation

Basurto, Xavier; Hadley, Diana. 2006. Grasslands ecosystems, endangered species, and sustainable ranching in the Mexico-U.S. borderlands: Conference proceedings. Proc. RMRS-P-40. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 126 p