DEVELOPMENT OF A SEEPS AND SPRINGS MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR BACKCOUNTRY SPRINGS

In a desert climate, springs possess an ecological importance disproportionate to their spatial extent. Studies have shown that desert springs can harbor up to 100-500 times the number of species normally found in the surrounding landscape. The Chihuahuan desert, in particular, harbors the greatest biodiversity of any desert in the Western Hemisphere. Arid-land springs are known to be sensitive to potential impacts from climate change, hydrological variances, invasive species, and anthropogenic disturbances. Basic information regarding the conservation and biological status of arid-land springs is limited. In order to recognize alterations to biodiversity and other ecological parameters, data collection through a qualitative and quantitative monitoring regime is considered necessary. Some data exist in the form of general discharge rates, locations, perennial flow, and basic vegetation communities, yet few springs have been adequately studied to provide a detailed baseline inventory of biological resources, and even less possess quantitative data regarding water quality and quantity.

This research was funded through the National Park Service (NPS) to conduct a pilot study and development of a monitoring protocol for seeps and springs in NPS units located within the U.S. portion of the Chihuahuan Desert. Research in the field was conducted at 32 springs in Big Bend National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park from fall 2009 to fall 2010. Objectives for this study included the collection of water samples for a standard suite of water quality parameters, analysis of stable isotopes, noble gas analysis, calculating discharge rates, establishing photopoints, surveying morphological characteristics, conducting habitat assessments, collecting macroinvertebrates, and assessing the geology at these seeps and springs. The pilot study was successful and research from this project has been included in the Chihuahuan Desert Inventory & Monitoring Network’s (NPS) Seeps and Springs Monitoring Protocol and Standard Operating Procedures. Protocols developed during this research may provide a standardized approach for studying these biologically diverse sites located within the Big Bend region.