Environmental Factors

Environmental variables have a profound influence on the physical, environmental, and cultural resources of the American Southwest and the world. Natural causes such as tectonic activity and weather have affected landscape changes over millennia. However, human-caused causes such as grazing, fire suppression, and the introduction of nonnative species have dramatically altered fire regimes, resulting in catastrophic wildfires and damage. Water development has flooded valleys and canyons, drowning natural regions and cultural sites beneath man-made reservoirs. Climate change is affecting plant and animal habitats in the Southwest. Parks and I&M networks perform research to better understand these variables and mitigate the detrimental consequences of these changes.