The Pifion-Juniper Invasion:
An Inevitable Disaster
Sid ~ o o d l o e '
An adequate water supply has become a major concern to
our nation, especially in the western states. Watershed
management is of vital importance to all of us, and all other
singular resource uses must give way to holistic planning and
action that affect those watersheds.
Most of the 23 million acres classified as piiion-juniper
ecosystems in New Mexico influence our watersheds
dramatically. Their deteriorated condition is beginning to
contribute to si@icant conflicts. For example, water tables are
declining, surface flow in the Pecos River is down 30% and the
city of El Paso has taken legal action to obtain New Mexico
water. In the future more conflicts will occur between states,
cities, rural and urban areas, and the intermmgled land ownership
pattern throughout New Mexico and the west.
To reinforce what I said last year, I hope to make you aware
of what I consider to be the most serious natural resource
problem in the southwest. The invasion of our grasslands,
savannas and woodlands by piiion, juniper, ponderosa, mesquite
and sagebrush has reached a flash point. This condition is due
to late 18th and early 19th century abuse by livestock, followed
by 80 years of fire suppression. We must accept the
responsibility for the deterioration of our water supply, soil
stability, wildlife habitat, aesthetic values and wildfire control.
We should consider Immedrate, drastic action to correct an
impending disaster.
I am speakmg to you now as a professional land manager
and non-public land mnch owner. I live in the heart of the P-J
ecosystem and have spent more than 35 years learning about
and manipulating that ecosystem. I have been involved in land
management in a d o z n countries from the Australian outback
to the great savannas of East Africa and all of the Southwestern
states. I feel that I have had sufficient education and experience
to understand what drives our P-J ecosystem and apply that
knowledge in a holistic approach to land management. I am very
fortunate in that I have been able to take action, and observe
the results on my ranch over a long period of time. There have
been mistakes as well as correct actions.
Rancher, Campu'tan, New Mexico.
Before I share with you what I have learned, perhaps we
should talk about the history of our watersheds and how we
arrived at where we are today.
Watersheds in the Western states are generally harsh
ecosystems. Typical &all
averages between 8 and 20 inches,
precipitation patterns are emtic and mapomtion losses high,
temperatures are often extreme, the topography rough, and the
soils can be shallow and rocky. The New Mexico Environment
Department reports that 95% of the states' surface water is
impacted by nonpoint source pollution and that twbidity is one
of the major causes of use impairment in these waters. Reports
by early surveyors, naturalists and trappers detail the abundance
of grass and clear, clean water found on these same watersheds,
a sharp contrast to the conditions seen today.
The cause of Western watershed demise was put in
pe~pectiveby E. 0.Wooton in 1908 when he said, "The
stockman could not protect the range from himself, because any
improvement of his range was only an inducement for someone
else to bring stock in upon it: so he put the extra stock on
himself. As a result, native grasses were replaced by sagebrush,
mesquite, juniper, piiion and other invading brush species that
were less suited for h o l m soil in place and which were more
efficient at water extraction Topsoil washed away; @es
formed from unchecked, concentrated runoff, streambanks
eroded and downcut; water tables lowered; and perennial
streams became intermittent or
The harshness of the environment, low precipitation, wind,
high evaporation, etc. contributes to the difficulty in
reestablislung the climax or the highest ecological condition of
the watersheds. As a result, simple manipulation of a single
factor such as reducing livestock numbers is not sufficient to
result in significant environmental improvement. These systems
will take hundreds of years to recover by themselves. Direct
actions aimed at total watershed rehabilitation applied in a
holistic manner are necessary to ensure the restoration of
Western watersheds and associated natural resources.
I would like to share with you the positives and negatives
that affect the actual implementation of actions taken to reverse
the downward trend and head it back toward climax.
e.
POSITIVES
Some people are beginning to look beyond the
paradigm: "All trees are good and all fires are
bad." The Smokey Bear Syndrome is beginning to
break down.
The Forest Service has a new P-J ecosystem
management strategy in Region 111.
The Carrizo Project in the Lincoln National Forest
has received substantial grant monies to produce a
video that will alert the public and our Federal
Land Managers as to the seriousness of watershed
deterioration in the Southwest.
Prescribed burning is becoming an integral part of
public and private land management. We have
come full circle: From evolutionary dependency
on burning, to resistance to fire, to acknowledging
its importance to the natural ecosystem. Now we
must learn how to make fire work for us under
restrictions imposed by urban sprawl, recreation,
summer homes, etc.
NEGATIVES
Mind Set: Most people thmk New Mexico should
look exactly as it looks today. A vegetative
history study being conducted by NMSU on the
Pecos River watershed will prove that assumption
to be untrue.
Appeals: Many are well intentioned, but based
upon emotic without a complete understanding of
the ecosystem in question.
Threatened and Endangered Species Act: The act is
often misinterpreted by the public and the
agencies responsible for its implementation and
enforcement. On public land it has been misused
in cases to pursue personal interests. Some species
have been listed before through surveys have been
made. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service must
balance T & E species values with watershed
values and provide incentives for management
favorable to T & E species.
Archaeological Evaluation: Watershed rehabilitation
is severely curtailed in the P-J ecosystem when
shards are discovered and a large area is
designated as an archaeological site. No one is
accountable or required to prove whether that area
is an actual site or just a broken pot. This over
protective policy will greatly inhibit watershed
restoration.
5) C02 Research: Recent work by Dr. Idso of the
ARS Water Conservation Lab in Phoenix, related
to global climate change and vegetation dynamics,
indicates that woody plants have an increased
growth and competitive ability over warm season
grasses. He has proven that an 85% increase in
atmospheric C02 increased tree growth rate 3
times. He expects a growing invasion of grassland
by shrubs and trees as the air's CO2 content
continues to increase.
I have noticed many contmdictions at this symposium We
all want to do the right thing, but have very diverse opinions
and conflicting information Some examples:
One speaker says the pifion is returning to old
sites, another says new areas are being invaded.
Some are concerned about eradication of the piiion,
others about overpopulation.
Nut production could be decreased by fuelwood
harvest. Your garden is planted and growing, get
rid of the weeds by demanding that the invaders
be cut first.
Some believe a solid or semi-solid canopy is
preferred wildlife habitat--others a savanna.
Some say erosion rates are the same on treated and
untreated P-J, others say treatment is mandatory
to save resources and archaeological site.
Why can't our next symposium hammer out a consensus on
these and other differences? Then take action What happened
to my challenge to Commissioner Baca?
I would like to suggest a new approach to P-J research:
1) Can we increase nut yields of existing stands of
piilon by cultivation (removing invaders and other
excess growth) or fertilization sludge?
2) Develop harvest methods that are economical but
not detrimental to wildlife.
3) What are the benefits of fire? How do we manage
it?
4) What is the best fuelwood harvest method?
5) What nutrients are recycled by fire? How do they
benefit the ecosystem?
6) Are aquifers replenished more rapidly under
grasslands or P-J woodlands?
7) How does increased C02 affect P-J growth and
competitiveness.
Watershed management must be reevaluated on both public
and private land in the Southwest. Hopefully, you have listened
with an open mind and will respond with your own analysis of
this very serious situation