From the Rio to the Sierra: An Environmental History of the Middle Rio Grande Basin

Scurlock D. 1998. From the Rio to the Sierra: An Environmental History of the Middle Rio Grande Basin. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-5. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fort Collins, Colorado

Various human groups have greatly affected the processes and evolution of Middle Rio Grande Basin ecosystems, especially riparian zones, from A.D. 1540 to the present. Overgrazing, clear-cutting, irrigation farming, fire suppression, intensive hunting, and introduction of exotic plants have combined with droughts and floods to bring about environmental and associated cultural changes in the Basin. As a result of these changes, public laws were passed and agencies created to rectify or mitigate various environmental problems in the region. Although restoration and remedial programs have improved the overall “health” of Basin ecosystems, most old and new environmental problems persist.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Scurlock, Dan
Date of Issue
1998-05
Publisher
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Units
BAND
Keywords
environmental history, environmental impact, historic climate, historic fauna, historic flora, Rio Grande

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