Protecting Chihuahuan Grasslands

Grassland birds that migrate between the Great Plains and Chihuahuan Desert are currently in crisis. These species have lost more than 70% of their combined population since 1970 – more than twice as much as other grassland birds. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that habitat loss and degradation on the wintering grounds are major drivers of their population decline. Grasslands in the Chihuahuan Desert comprise only one-fifth the area of grasslands in the Great Plains, yet they can support very high species richness and density of grassland birds in winter - as high as 3,000 individuals/km22 in some years. Grasslands occupy less than 15% of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape, but much of what remains is highly degraded and increasingly being converted to cropland agriculture or lost to brush encroachment. At the same time, grasslands are important to local economies and cultures, providing forage for cattle, sequestering carbon, controlling erosion, and supporting healthy soil and water resources. 

With knowledge and expertise, our Working Lands Team provides technical guidance to producers operating in the Chihuahuan Grasslands to help them achieve their land stewardship goals and to complete projects that improve habitat. Actions like clearing woody shrubs that have encroached on grasslands, replacing exotic invasive species with native vegetation, and improving fencing to better manage grazing are all steps that not only help birds but also help the rancher’s herd. 

Additionally, at the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch, located in the northern portion of the Chihuahuan Grasslands, serves as a venue for research into the ecology and management of grasslands. Our staff and researchers not only collect data and study changing conditions on the landscape but also apply that to the management we conduct on the ranch serving as a demonstration and educational venue for neighboring producers. 

Through stewardship and science, Audubon Southwest is committed to preventing further loss of one of North America’s most important and threatened ecosystems.