Natural Resource Condition Assessments for Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is one of America’s “best kept secrets” located in Texas, just south of the New Mexico border. The Guadalupe Mountains rise sharply from the surrounding desert floor to form an island of outstanding diversity. Several different ecosystems, or life zones, are found within the park. These include the harsh Chihuahuan desert community, lush streamside woodlands of oaks and maples, rocky canyons, and mountaintop forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Together, these ecosystems provide habitat for 60 species of mammals, 289 species of birds, and 55 species of reptiles.

Traditional NRCA Report: 2013

In an effort to better understand the natural resources and processes within this park, a Natural Resource Condition Assessment was conducted and published in 2013. National Park Service representatives and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota collaborated to determine park needs and available data. This team chose 16 resource topics to evaluate:

Four resource topics were considered to be in good condition: semidesert grasslands, birds, viewscape, and geological and paleontological resources. Two resource topics were given a conditions status of moderate concern: air quality and sky islands (montane forest). Fire regime is the only resource topic given a condition status of high concern. The remaining nine resource topics were not assigned a condition status due to lack of historic or current data. Current condition could not be determined for many components due to existing data gaps; however, several of these data gaps are being addressed through monitoring programs.

Understanding the condition of these resources can help managers prioritize management objectives and better focus conservation strategies to maintain the health and integrity of these ecosystems.