Assessing the Conservation Value of the Gray Ranch: Rarity, Diversity and Representativeness

摘要

This study was funded primarily by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the New Mexico Natural Heritage Program. Additional funding was provided by the MacArthur Foundation. We thank the following individuals: Dr. Rich Aguilar for his advice on the soils; Guy Bonnivier for his support as the Gray Ranch Project Director; Steve Ripple for his botanical assistance during the entire field survey; Brooke Wallace for data handling and GIS support and products. This report presents the results of astudy conducted for The Nature Conservancy. The purpose of the study was to assess the conservation value of the Gray Ranch. The Gray Ranch is a 130,000 ha working cattle ranch located in the boot heel of southwestern New Mexico. Conservation assessmentincludes the entire range of biological scales, from populations of rare species to communities to entire landscapes. Working across a multitude of spatial and temporal scales means that these scales have to be clearly defined, so that a local conservation action is locally meaningful, yet retains its broad significance at the regional/continental level.