User Contributed Dictionary
Noun
bosqueSpanish
Noun
Related terms
Extensive Definition
Bosque is the name for areas of riparian
forest found along the flood plains
of stream and river banks in the southwestern
United States. It derives its name from the Spanish
word for woodlands.
In the predominantly arid or semi-arid
southwestern United States, the bosque is an oasis like ribbon of green
vegetation, often canopied,
that exists near rivers, streams, or other water courses. The most
notable bosque is a 200 mile-long ecosystem along the middle
Rio
Grande in New Mexico
that extends from Santa
Fe past Socorro
including the
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
The trees in the bosque habitat are generally
smaller species such as mesquite which rarely exceed 10
meters. Larger cottonwood trees are also
common in some areas. Because there is only a single canopy layer
and because the tree species found in the bosque are generally
deciduous, a wide
variety of shrubs, grasses, and other understory vegetation is also
supported. Desert hackberry, blue palo verde, graythorn, Mexican
elder, virgin's bower, and Indian root all flourish in the bosque.
The habitat also supports a large variety of lichens. For a semi-arid region,
there is incredible biodiversity at the
interface of the bosque and desert ecosystems.
Hope for the future
Fires and encroachment notwithstanding, recent events have given scientists and local residents alike hope for positive change in the bosque's future. By garnering national attention, funding has been obtained to clear exotic species from large sections of the bosque. Where possible, levees and other flood control devices along the Rio Grande are being removed to allow the river to undergo its natural cycle. Also, a program known as BEMP led by Dr. Cliff Crawford out of Albuquerque, New Mexico has gathered value data over the last decade that monitors the change in ecological factors within the bosque. This data is invaluable to better understand where the future of this ecosystem is heading.Most importantly, heavy precipitation in the
spring and summer of 2005 doubled the flow in the river, scouring
invasive species off sandbars, stirring up sediments, and
overflowing the banks in many places. Much of the Southwest had
experienced upwards of of rain above average by June. Scientists
hope this may be an early sign of the end of the drought that has long plagued
the region. In the bosque, this trend means moist, nutrient rich
soil that the cottonwood seedlings need to take root and more
habitat for the endangered silvery
minnow and
Southwestern willow flycatcher.