August 30, 2013

Las Cruces, NM

In my last two blog posts I commented on some of the differences between the Midwest/Northeast, where I grew up, and the Southwest.  One of the most obvious differences between these regions is people’s attitude towards rain.  Unlike the water-logged Midwest, where disastrous floods are commonplace, people in New Mexico actually hope for rain.  In addition to providing a marvelous spectacle (lightning) and offering a welcome break from June’s scorching heat, rain also supports all forms of life in the desert.  The welfares of farmers, wildlife, and local flora alike are all linked to the regions annual precipitation patterns. New Mexico’s positive attitude towards rainy weather is readily apparent in the office; small talk conversations centered around the break room coffee maker almost always revolve around the most recent bout of rain.

In Las Cruces, monsoon rains, which occur during the months of July and August, account for the vast majority of annual rainfall.  So far this year, New Mexico has experienced above average rainfall, and this influx of water has had phenomenal effects on the landscape. Formerly dry, dusty arroyos now trickle with streams and the once crispy stands of vegetation are now flush with color.  These changes to the landscape have enabled Mike, Kate, and I to have an extremely productive month in terms of seed collections.  We spent nearly all our time out in the field this month, and we have completed 10 collections.

Dripping Springs- the namesake of our home in the Organ Mountains- is usually little more than a trickle of water, but July’s generous rainfall has turned this tiny spring into a respectable waterfall.

Patches of wildflowers are sprouting up all over New Mexico in response to the monsoon rains. This is one of our potential seed collection sites located outside Magdalena, NM.

Arizona cottontop (Digitaria californica), one of the ten species that we collected this past month.

However, climatologists around the state warn New Mexicans about becoming too complacent due to this year’s stormy weather.  In the arid West where over 87% of the region is abnormally dry, New Mexico is the poster child for drought.  The state has been under drought conditions for so long that it has built up a water deficit, meaning it will take many years of above average rainfall to replenish New Mexico’s shrinking reservoirs.  This prolonged drought has drastically altered the plant species composition of southern New Mexico.  Formerly, grasslands covered the majority of the northern Chihuahuan Desert, but a combination of drought and grazing pressure has caused shrubs, such as creosote bush and mesquite, to outcompete many grass species.

For more information about New Mexico’s drought see this article: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-parched-20130806-dto,0,5922502.htmlstory

As usual, I will end this post with a couple vocab words:

Hoodoo: A tall spire of rock, often composed of sedimentary rock, that arises out of a canyon or other drainage

Hoodoo (located on the right)

Boot heel: The boot heel of New Mexico is the southwestern-most chunk of the state that shares two borders with Mexico and one with Arizona.  This area is extremely remote and sparsely populated (with the exception of the many Border Patrol vehicles continually monitoring the area).

The Boot Heel

-Elisabeth Ward