Mapping Riparian Vegetation Response to Climate Change on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and Upper Gila River Watershed to Inform Restoration Priorities: 1935 to Present (Phase 2)

Recently intensifying drought conditions have caused increased stress to non-native tamarisk vegetation across riparian areas of the San Carlos Apache Tribe (hereafter Tribe) and the Upper Gila River watershed in Arizona and New Mexico. This also increases wildfire risk in the area, making the removal of tamarisk vegetation a primary restoration and climate adaptation objective for the Tribe. 

The research from this project can improve the Tribe’s capacity to map tamarisk and other riparian vegetation, in addition to monitoring the relative condition and water stress of the vegetation in a timely manner. Specifically, the project will help identify where tamarisk is on the reservation and inform restoration actions considered by the Tribe, which include removing stressed tamarisk, protecting endangered species habitat, and increasing native vegetation to reduce wildfire risk. Furthermore, the project will assess the relationship between climate variability and tamarisk vegetation response to help inform management response to changing climate conditions in the future.  

Understanding how tamarisk will respond to climate stimuli can help the Tribe plan for future climate impacts and better manage their riparian forests.