View source for Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

{{short description|Protected area in New Mexico, US}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
| iucn_category = IV
| photo = SnowGooseBoaqueDelApache2.jpg
| photo_caption = [[Snow goose|Snow geese]] at Bosque del Apache
| map = USA
| relief = 1
| map_caption = 
| location = [[Socorro County, New Mexico]], United States
| nearest_city = [[San Antonio, NM]]
| coordinates = {{coord|33|52|9|N|106|50|35|W|display=inline, title}}
| area_acre = 57331
| area_ref = <ref name="area">{{FWS area|2009}}</ref>
| established = 1939<ref name="bosque_pdf"/>
| visitation_num = 160,000
| visitation_year = 2006
| governing_body = [[U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service]]
| website = [https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_del_Apache/ Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge]
}}

The '''Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|oʊ|s|k|eɪ|_|d|ɛ|l|_|ə|ˈ|p|æ|tʃ|i}} {{respell|BOH|skay|_|del|_|ə|PATCH|ee}}, {{IPA|es|ˈboske ðel aˈpatʃe|lang}}; "Woodland of the Apache")  is a [[National Wildlife Refuge]] located in southern [[New Mexico]].  It was founded in 1939 and is administered by the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]]. It is a favorite spot to observe [[sandhill crane]]s, which spend the fall and winter in the area.  The reserve is open year-round and provides safe harbor for its varied wildlife.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_del_Apache/about.html|title=About the Refuge – Bosque del Apache – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|website=www.fws.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-05-04}}</ref> Visitors to the refuge also enjoy partaking in activities such as hiking, cycling, driving tours on the 12-mile scenic auto route, and participating in educational programs offered on site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Visit Us |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bosque-del-apache/about-us |access-date=9 March 2024 |website=US Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref>

==Location==

The name of the refuge means "woodland of the [[Apache (tribe)|Apache]]" [{{abbr|sg|singular}}] in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], named for the Apache tribes that once camped in the forests along the [[Rio Grande]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.socorronm.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bosque-del-Apache-National-Wildlife-Refuge.pdf|title=Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refugeaccess|date=2017-05-03}}</ref> Previously, the [[Piro people (New Mexico)|Piro people]] had lived in the lands around what is now the refuge until the 1600s, when they were forced to abandon their pueblos due to European diseases and attacks from the Apache tribes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bosque-del-apache/about-us |access-date=9 March 2024 |website=US Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref>

The heart of the refuge comprises approximately {{convert|3800|acre|km2}} of Rio Grande [[floodplain]] and {{convert|9100|acre|km2}} of irrigated farms and [[wetland]]s. In addition to this, the refuge contains {{convert|44300|acre|km2}} of arid [[grassland]]s and foothills of the Chupadera and San Pascual Mountains.<ref  name="bosque_about"/> The refuge sits within the Little San Pascual Mountain fault zone, rendering it an ideal site for conducting research on stratigraphy and sedimentology.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Koning, Daniel J., Heizler, Matthew T. |date=Jan 2022 |title=Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Santa Fe Group adjoining the Little San Pascual Mountains – implications for footwall exhumation and evolution of the Little San Pascual Mountain fault zone |journal=New Mexico Geological Society |pages=203–204 |via=OpenAIRE Explore}}</ref>

About {{convert|30000|acre|km2}} of this is designated as wilderness.<ref name=":0" /> A twelve-mile-long (19&nbsp;km) loop road divided by a cutoff into a "Farm Loop" and "Marsh Loop" allows automobile drivers excellent views of wetland wildlife and raptors, and there are several short (1.5 to 10 miles) walking trails.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hiking Trails – Bosque del Apache – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bosque-del-apache/visit-us/trails |access-date=9 March 2024 |website=www.fws.gov |language=en}}</ref> The road affords good views of the fields where crops are grown for the benefit of the birds under cooperative agreements with farmers. Adjacent to the Visitor's Center, a desert plant garden is maintained.<ref name="bosque_map" />

== Terrain ==
[[File:Marsh Overlook Trail view at Bosque del Apache.jpg|thumb|View from the Marsh Overlook Trail at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico]]

About 7,000 acres (28&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) in the center of the refuge are made up of [[Floodplain|flood-plains]] watered by irrigation systems connected to the Rio Grande.  These flood-plains provide an essential habitat for [[populus|cottonwood]] and [[honey mesquite]] trees, [[Goodding's willow|Goodding's]] and [[coyote willow]]s, and [[four-wing saltbush]]es.  The plains are flooded periodically to give these plants the best growing conditions.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCLKLa-RR-8C&q=terrain+of+the+bosque+del+apache&pg=PA91|title=America's Natural Places: Pacific and West|last=Sapp|first=Methea K.|date=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313353192|language=en}}</ref> In recent years, [[elk]] have caused damage to corn crops at the refuge. This damage disrupts the refuge's capacity to supply supplemental food to the sandhill cranes and other waterfowl species that overwinter there.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=DeVore, R. M., Butler, M. J., Wallace, M. C., Liley, S. L., Mertz, A. A., Sesnie, S. E., & Gipson, P. S. |date=April 2016 |title=Elk resource selection patterns in a semiarid riparian corridor |journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=80 |issue=3 |pages=479–489 |doi=10.1002/jwmg.1040 |hdl=2346/93729 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

The flood plains also grow foods for the wildlife that need marshlands to grow. These plants include [[smartweed]], [[millet]], [[bulrush]], [[chufa]], and various [[sedge]]s. These marshlands begin dry, and are burned or turned over before they are flooded in order to produce fresh soil for the new plants.  They are then flooded to become the breeding grounds for these marsh plants.<ref name=":0" /> The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and the wetlands near the [[elephant butte reservoir|Elephant Butte]] and [[caballo lake|Caballo reservoir]]s demonstrate considerable promise for sustaining breeding bird populations over the course of the century. Similar suitable breeding terrain is found only on private land surrounding the refuge.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Friggens, M. M., & Finch, D. M |date=December 23, 2015 |title=Implications of Climate Change for Bird Conservation in the Southwestern US under Three Alternative Futures |journal=PLOS |volume=10 |issue=12 |pages=11 |doi= 10.1371/journal.pone.0144089|doi-access= free|pmid= 26700871|pmc=4689447 }}</ref> Changes in surface flooding and vegetation structure are not affecting shrub-nesting birds who can use other woody debris for nesting; however, canopy nesting birds rely on native trees and are thus more sensitive to environmental changes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hamilton, S.G., King, S.L., Dello Russo, G. Kaller, M.D. |date=25 May 2019 |title=Effect of Hydrologic, Geomorphic, and Vegetative Conditions on Avian Communities in The Middle Rio Grande of New Mexico |journal=Wetlands: Official Scholarly Journal of the Society of Wetland Scientists |pages=1029–1042 |via=Gale Academic One Source}}</ref>

The Bosque del Apache is also made up of several acres of dry land. One unit contains 5,440 acres (23&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of scrubland and desert terrain that is connected to the [[Chihuahuan Desert|Chihuahuan desert]].  This area is called the Chupadera Peak Wilderness Unit. In addition to desert terrain, the Chupadera Peak Wilderness Unit is characterized by tall, reddish cliffs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_del_apache/habitat/wilderness.html|title=Wilderness Units – Bosque del Apache – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|website=www.fws.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-05-06}}</ref>

==Birds==
[[Image:Bosque-cranes.jpg|thumb|Sandhill cranes at Bosque del Apache]]

There have been 393 different bird species observed in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge since 1964 according to [[eBird]], making it one of the most diverse areas for bird species in the [[United States]] .<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ebird.org/region/USFWS_662|title=Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge|website=ebird.org|language=en|access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref> The wetlands attract the huge flocks of wintering [[crane (bird)|cranes]] and [[goose|geese]] that are the refuge's most interesting feature. Many other species&mdash;notably [[wildfowl|waterfowl]], [[wader|shorebirds]], and [[bird of prey|birds of prey]]&mdash;also winter in the refuge.  Striking vagrants such as a [[groove-billed ani]] and [[rufous-necked wood rail]] have been found there. In the [[Chihuahuan desert]] terrain outside of the Rio Grande riparian zone, the refuge also hosts three federally designated Wilderness areas (Chupadera, Little San Pascual, and Indian Well).

The diversity of birds is also high in spring, particularly the last week of April and first week of May, and in fall.  In summer the area is hot but many water birds can be found, including such New Mexico rarities as the [[least bittern]] and occasionally the [[little blue heron]].  Late November to late February is the best time for large numbers of birds, typically over 10,000 [[sandhill crane]]s and over 20,000 [[Ross's goose|Ross's]] and [[snow goose|snow geese]]. An annual 'festival of the cranes' is held in early December as large numbers of cranes begin arriving in the refuge. Winter visitors generally plan to be in the refuge at sunrise or sunset, when the flocks of cranes and geese that roost in the refuge "commute" to or from local fields where they feed.  Although winter sunsets and especially sunrises are chilly, the daily low temperature is seldom far below freezing. Visitors typically stay in the nearby [[recreational vehicle|RV]] park or in [[Socorro, New Mexico|Socorro]] or [[San Antonio, New Mexico|San Antonio]].

== Biology ==
In addition to hosting rare bird species, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is also home to the southernmost known population of the New Mexico [[meadow jumping mouse]] along the Rio Grande river. This mouse is a distinctive, genetically unique subspecies found in certain regions of New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado. Due to its rarity, the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse has been listed as an [[endangered species]] under the U.S. [[Endangered Species Act]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wright, G. D., & Frey, J. K. |date=1 Feb 2015 |title=Habitat Selection by the Endangered New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse on an Irrigated Floodplain |journal=Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management |volume=6 |pages=112–129 |doi=10.3996/062014-JFWM-044 |via=OpenAire}}</ref>

An overabundance of the invasive tree species [[Tamarisk]] (also known as salt cedar) on the refuge has posed a threat to habitats utilized by native wildlife species. To combat this issue,  Bosque NWR has utilized various control methods over time, such as mechanical removal, herbicide application, and prescribed burning. The Tamarisk removal efforts undertaken on the refuge have served as a case study for similar removal initiatives in other protected areas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Briggs, Mark K., Osterkamp, Waite R. |title=Renewing Our Rivers : Stream Corridor Restoration in Dryland Regions |date= 2021 |publisher=University of Arizona Press  |isbn=9780816541485 |pages=244–245}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Rio Grande Trail]]

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist |refs=
<ref name="bosque_about">{{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque/about.html |title=About the Refuge |work=fws.gov |publisher=Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref>

<ref name="bosque_pdf">{{cite web|url=http://library.fws.gov/refuges/bosque.pdf |title=Bosque del Apache NWR |work=fws.gov |publisher=Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref>

<ref name="bosque_map">{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/tourloop.html |title=Tour loop map |work=friendsofthebosque.org |publisher=Friends of the Bosque |access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
*Harden, Paul [https://socorro-history.org/PIRO/piro_doc01.pdf "Time Line & Cultural Phases of the Piro Nation"] Socorro County Historical Society. Retrieved 18 Feb 2024. 
*John E. Parmeter, ''New Mexico Bird Finding Guide''.
*{{cite web|url=http://www.desertusa.com/mag00/nov/stories/bosque.html |title=In Celebration of Wildlife |last=Sharp |first=Jay W. |work=desertusa.com |publisher=Desert USA |access-date=1 June 2010}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge}}
*[https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_del_Apache/ Bosque del Apache official website]
*[https://friendsofbosquedelapache.org/ Friends of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge]
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=gov.fws.aws.2.8|name=Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (2005)}}
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=edu.nmsu.sw.3|name=Bosque del Apache: Ancient Flyway of the Rio Grande (2000)}}
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=edu.nmsu.back|name=Back to the Bosque (2000)}}
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=edu.nmsu.birds|name=Birds of the Bosque (1991)}}

{{Protected areas of New Mexico}}
{{National Wildlife Refuges of the United States}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:National Wildlife Refuges in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Socorro County, New Mexico]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1939]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Wetlands of New Mexico]]
[[Category:Landforms of Socorro County, New Mexico]]
[[Category:Protected areas of the Chihuahuan Desert]]