An international borderland of concern: Conservation of biodiversity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Abstract

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oklahoma State UniversityFront cover. Photographs of Amazilia yucatanensis (buff-bellied hummingbird), Falco femoralis septentrionalis (northern aplomado falcon), and Leopardus pardalis albescens (northern ocelot). Used with permission and modified from ©Larry Ditto Nature Photography. For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS. Back cover. Photograph of Aythya americana (redheads).For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. AbstractThe Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of southern Texas is located on the United States-Mexico borderland and represents a 240-kilometer (150-mile) linear stretch that ends at the Gulf of Mexico. The LRGV represents a unique transition between temperate and tropical conditions and,

Co‐occurrence of bobcats, coyotes, and ocelots in Texas

“…The southern boundary of El Sauz was adjacent to a high‐speed roadway identified as Texas Farm‐to‐Market 186. El Sauz Ranch was composed of northwesterly parabolic inland dunes (>15 m height; Forman, Nodt, Gomez, & Pierson, 2009), lagunas and anthropogenic waterways, coastal prairie, palustrine emergent wetlands, honey mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa )–live oak ( Quercus virginiana ) forests, and thornscrub (e.g., lime prickly ash [ Zanthoxylum fagara ], huisache [ Acacia farnesiana ], and spiny hackberry [ Celtis pallida ]) (Shindle & Tewes, 1998; Leslie, 2016).…”

El Muro Fronterizo - Impactos Negativos en la Biodiversidad4

“…Fragmentos pequeños existen en el sur de Texas en sitios elevados cerca del Río Bravo. Este ecosistema, de gran diversidad biológica, fue una vez común pero ahora es raro; este ecosistema ha sido reemplazado por granjas y ciudades (Leslie 2016). Muchas especies de plantas y animales que dependen de este ecosistema perderán algunos de sus hábitat restantes en los Estados Unidos (USDHS 2008;Leslie 2016;Greenwald et al 2017).…”

“…Este ecosistema, de gran diversidad biológica, fue una vez común pero ahora es raro; este ecosistema ha sido reemplazado por granjas y ciudades (Leslie 2016). Muchas especies de plantas y animales que dependen de este ecosistema perderán algunos de sus hábitat restantes en los Estados Unidos (USDHS 2008;Leslie 2016;Greenwald et al 2017). Por ejemplo, la hierba Physaria thamnophila, que está en peligro de extinción, vive solamente en unos pocos sitios en el sur de Texas, y estos sitios son exactamente donde la barrera va a ser construida (Fowler et al 2011).…”

Border wall: bad for biodiversity

“…Substantial amounts of habitat would be degraded or destroyed by construction of barriers and the One of the impacted ecosystems of most concern is Tamaulipan thornscrub, remnants of which occur in South Texas on higher ground along the river. This diverse and formerly widespread ecosystem is now rare, having been replaced by agricultural and urban land uses (Leslie 2016). Many plant and animal species dependent on this ecosystem would lose some of their last remaining US habitat (USDHS 2008;Leslie 2016;Greenwald et al 2017).…”

“…This diverse and formerly widespread ecosystem is now rare, having been replaced by agricultural and urban land uses (Leslie 2016). Many plant and animal species dependent on this ecosystem would lose some of their last remaining US habitat (USDHS 2008;Leslie 2016;Greenwald et al 2017). For example, the endangered wildflower Physaria thamnophila grows only in a few sites in South Texas; these sites are exactly where barriers would be built (Fowler et al 2011).…”