Albuquerque's Environmental Story
Albuquerque's Environmental StoryBefore Earth Day 1970 moved the word ecology from the biology classroom into common parlance, few people understood the delicate interrelationships that exist in the natural world. Although many still tend to be anthropocentric, thinking of everything in terms of human values, and regarding people as the central entity of the universe, we are now generally more aware than we formerly were of the importance of other living things in our environment, and of our interdependence with them. There is increasing evidence that we live in a system that is seeking equilibrium, and that if a change occurs in one sector of that system, it affects all other parts either directly or indirectly. Ecology (eco-house, ology-study of) is the study of that system and of the interrelationships that occur in it. The largest system, or house, is our planet and its atmosphere. The city of Albuquerque and its environs can be viewed as a microscopic example of the whole house.
As human beings have modified their environment to make it most beneficial in their search for food, shelter, energy resources, waste disposal sites, and recreation, they have contributed to disruption of equilibrium in the natural systems. This imbalance has resulted in two widely divergent consequences--among other changes. One is the extinction, or threatened extinction, of many species, both plant and animal. The other is the proliferation of plants and animals that have been introduced by humans into areas in which they have no connections or natural enemies. Both of these disruptions of natural patterns have resulted as much from ignorance and thoughtlessness as from deliberate decisions to sacrifice natural elements to human wants and needs.
Plants and animals have become extinct or endangered for several reasons. A major cause is indirect extermination, whereby people destroy habitats either directly, when they cut down trees, fill in marshes and swamps, build dams and highways, and develop cities in formerly open areas; or indirectly, when destruction results from overgrazing, soil depletion, erosion, or the pollution of air, water, and food supplies. Plants and animals are also endangered by direct extermination. People kill animals deliberately because they consider them pests, or by collecting living specimens of plants and animals to sell.
*Different methods of classification are sometimes used.
The plants and animals whose ultimate survival is imperiled can be grouped in three general categories:
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Other animals, such as the black hawk, have not fared as well when their nesting sites were eliminated from riparian areas by human efforts to control wetlands with salt cedars. These tamarisks, originally imported to reclaim swampy regions, have now been recognized as an uncontrollable species, thereby becoming another example of the danger that accompanies the introduction of exotic (not indigenous) species into a new environment.
Prairie dogs are disrupted and seriously reduced in number as habitable mesas turn into buildings and parking lots. Two animals that depend on prairie dogs are the already endangered black-footed ferret, which feeds exclusively on Gunnison's prairie dog, and burrowing owls, which rely on the colonial animals to provide adequate nesting burrows during the summer months.
The kinds and numbers of animals in the Sandias have been changing constantly through the years. Without human interference, these changes occurred slowly. When people became involved, some species, such as the grizzly bear, true wolves or lobos, and pronghorn antelope, were rapidly eliminated. Other animals disappeared from the Sandias and then reappeared, either by coming in from adjacent areas, or when they were reintroduced by human beings. The black bear, Rocky Mountain bighorn, and mountain lion are examples of the latter.
Many animals currently in jeopardy in the Sandias are the same as those found on endangered species lists for the entire state or for the country in general. A list of endangered animal and plant species in the state can be obtained from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
While most of the Sandia Mountain area is within the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest, the Forest Service's district ranger manages only the land and vegetation that feeds and shelters the wildlife. The animals themselves are managed by the state department of game and fish, with considerable interagency cooperation. The Sandias have been designated by the department of game and fish as a wildlife refuge. Although bow hunting of deer is allowed, gun hunting is not permitted in an effort to offer maximum protection to the bighorn sheep herd.
The Sandia Mountains contain several plant species that must be protected. For example, when Tramway Boulevard was widened, the new part went directly through the middle of a population of thirty or forty grama grass cactus plants, already endangered for three of the general reasons cited previously: (1) collection; (2) development; and (3) other forms of habitat destruction such as erosion, soil depletion and overgrazing. In this case, overgrazing reduced the grass cover and enabled rabbits, who like to feed on the grama grass, to find these plants easily. To save the species, road construction was halted until the remaining population could be moved to a safe location.
Among the sensitive or rare plants in the Sandia foothills are the Santa Fe milk vetch (Astragalus feensis) and the cyanic milk vetch (Astragalus cyaneus). Development and habitat destruction are responsible for their diminishing numbers. Higher up in the Sandias another rare plant, Plank's catchfly (Silene plankii), is found. The bighorn or mountain sheep, which are native to this region, browse on these rare plants, but a delicate balance has been maintained. If non-indigenous animals (e.g., the Persian ibex that have been introduced in other New Mexico mountains) were brought in, these sensitive plants might be threatened. Ibex are considered "feeders of opportunity." They do not have their own niches, and tend to eat almost any plant the area provides. The Forest Service has a policy of not permitting introduction of exotics because such animals offer too much competition for native species, and can disturb the natural equilibrium of a region.
The negative consequences of human interference with natural processes have been dramatically demonstrated in the southern part of our state, where Persian ibex and Barbary sheep were brought in to provide more game for hunters. The plan did not work out as projected because these animals are small and difficult for hunters to locate. As a result, they, like other introduced animals lacking natural enemies, proliferated and became a management problem. The food supply is rapidly depleting, and sensitive plants, as well as populations of native animals, can be seriously affected. In an attempt to prevent further spread of Persian ibex and Barbary sheep, the state game commission opened up year-round hunting for these two species in 1985 and increased the bag limit.
The
preservation of wildlife in an area like Albuquerque, where the natural world
has been encroached on by urbanization has prompted the formation of Wildlife
Rescue, Inc., a nonprofit volunteer organization.
The group's motto, "Raise--Rehabilitate--Release," states its three main concerns. It provides care for orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife. Every year, the organization receives many creatures during "baby season" and raises them to releasable age. It sponsors classes that offer instruction in the feeding, maintenance and "wilding" of orphaned birds and mammals. The return of a wild creature into its natural habitat is a precious and rare experience. All of the Wildlife Rescue's birds and mammals are returned to the wild as soon as they are self-sufficient and vigorous. This is part of the group's commitment to the preservation of environmental quality in an age in which habitats are diminished. For information about participating in Wildlife Rescue's program, see Resource Organizations in the Appendix of this book.
The busy city lives most of us lead leave little time for thinking about the other living things sharing our planet with us. Indeed we are most often aware of them when they become what we call "pests." Clothes moths, millers, cutworms, mice and rats eating their ways through our possessions; raccoons and skunks dumping garbage and carrying the risk of rabies; owls carrying away our poultry; rock and ground squirrels and other small rodents bringing the possibility of plague; prairie dogs digging holes in which horses can break their legs-- all are forms of wildlife that impinge upon us in ways we interpret as negative. Tumbleweed, and other weeds, as well as many allergy-causing plants, join these troublesome animals on our "hit" list. Although we realize that many of them are the consequence of human actions --habitat destruction, introduction of exotic species, or alteration of physical factors in our environment--we are also keenly aware that they upset the quality of our lives, and sometimes present serious health hazards. Philosophical discussions, even bitter arguments, take place concerning the role of humans as masters, stewards, or merely equal parts of the total environment, and about responsibility for disruptions in the web of life. While these discussions go on, public agencies have to deal with the real problems of public health and well-being, and must struggle with the consequences of interaction that can be harmful to people.
The Environmental Services Division of the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department (EHD) delivers county-wide health services through two sections: Insect and Rodent Control and Plague Surveillance. The Insect and Rodent Control staff conducts investigations of human and animal outbreaks of vector-borne diseases in order to determine their origin. In order to contain or prevent disease outbreaks, the staff gathers information through routine surveillance on the ecology of vectors. Those workers investigate alternatives to pesticides, such as biological controls, in an attempt to reduce contamination of our environment and incidence of insect resistance. They also research more efficient and ecologically acceptable control measures including less toxic and specifically targeted pesticides; investigate disease outbreaks; survey vector populations for presence of disease.
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The insects targeted for control are mosquitoes and flies. Mosquitoes, in addition to being annoying, transmit encephalitis (sleeping sickness), malaria, and dog heart worm--a disease virtually unknown in this area a few years ago. Flies carry various intestinal diseases.
The mosquito population can be considerably diminished by practicing a few basic good housekeeping rules:
Flies can be better controlled by correcting improper disposal of garbage, animal wastes, commercial lift bins, and agricultural wastes.
The Plague Surveillance staff monitors the existence of plague in wild and domestic mammal populations through trapping, sampling, and laboratory testing. It also educates the public about how to recognize and avoid plague. An informed public can do much to minimize the spread of this dangerous disease.
Plague is a naturally occurring, flea-transmitted disease of mammals caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Infected rodents usually die, leaving plague-infected fleas that seek new hosts for blood meals. People contract plague in three ways: (1) from the bite of an infected flea; (2) by handling plague-infected tissues of sick or dead animals; or (3) by droplet infection when a person or pet cat with plague coughs.
Plague in humans exists in three clinical forms: bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and pneumonic plague. Prompt treatment with antibiotics can help prevent bubonic or septicemic plague from developing into the highly contagious pneumonic form of the disease.
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Symptoms of bubonic plague, which develop after an incubation period of two to six days, usually include severe malaise, headache, shaking chills, high fever, and pain in the lymph nodes (called buboes) located in the groin area, under the arms, or in the neck.
Although plague can occur in any season, it is most prevalent during the warmer months when both humans and animals are more active. Rodents, especially rock squirrels, are the animals that often carry plague. Others include chipmunks, mice, woodrats, prairie dogs, gophers, and sometimes rabbits. Dogs, cats and wild carnivores may also become infected by eating diseased rodents, or through the bites of infected fleas. Dogs and cats may bring infected fleas back to the home environment. Cats are of particular concern because they can develop pneumonic plague, which can be spread to humans.
There are several "good sense" approaches to avoiding plague. An important start is to eliminate rodent habitats around the house by cleaning up woodpiles, refuse piles, and other places rodents may nest. It is also wise to restrict dogs and cats from roaming at will. Animals who do roam should be dusted with flea powder once a week. An especially important prevention is to avoid handling sick or dead animals, particularly rodents.
The Plague Surveillance Section of the EHD should be notified immediately if dead rodents are found (768-2600). The department's surveillance and control activities include:
It is important to remember that while no infected animals have been found in the river valley, plague-infected animals are rather common in the western foothills of the Sandias from Juan Tabo picnic area south to Four Hills, through Tijeras Canyon, along North and South Hwy 14, and in the Cibola National Forest as high as Sandia Crest.
Most plants, like most animals, are an enriching part of the human experience, but, again like animals, there are exceptions that are sometimes regarded as nuisances. Notable among those in the Albuquerque area are weeds, especially tumbleweed, introduced trees such as the tamarisk and the Russian olive, which threaten to crowd out trees indigenous to the bosque. In addition, there are trees such as the Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila), whose saplings have deep roots and seeds that disperse broadly, making this beautiful tree a difficult weed to eradicate. In a similar way, other ornamental trees have seeds or fruits that cause city residents other kinds of inconvenience.
In May of 1969, the city enacted the Cottonwood Ordinance, the purpose of which was ". . . to provide for the safety and preserve the health and promote order, comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of the city of Albuquerque." This ordinance declared distillate (female, cotton-bearing) trees a nuisance, a menace to the health and welfare of the citizenry because they are fire hazards. Reservations about the validity of these statements led the city council to request an in-depth study of how female cottonwoods affect the health and welfare of Albuquerque's citizens. The study concluded that the cotton of the female tree is a nuisance to people living near it, but that it did not constitute a fire hazard. This discrimination against the female tree resulted in the planting of more male trees, which disseminate the pollen to which many people are allergic--another demonstration of how human action can produce unexpected and unwanted results. Incidentally, the ordinance was repealed. However, proposed regulations often come before the city council to ban certain tree genera that produce serious allergy problems for many people.
The pollen allergy problem in Albuquerque has been increasing in severity. Once considered a "respiratory haven," our city has become almost the opposite as unwise ornamental plantings increased with our increasing population. The kinds of trees used for landscaping may have given Albuquerque the longest tree-pollen season in the U.S. The cottonwood pollen count is low and of short duration compared with those of other species.
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It is interesting to note that cedars and pines, although major pollen producers, do not contribute substantially to suffering from allergies, probably due to either the waxy coating on the pollen, or to some factor in the composition of the pollen grain.
Pollen production and the anatomy of a plant's flowers are important in determining the allergenicity of that plant. Wind-pollinated plants are major contributors to allergy problems, while those pollinated by insects are relatively unimportant. Since wind pollination is quite inefficient, extremely large quantities of pollen are produced by these plants, and the grains are sometimes carried as far as 30 to 40 miles. Wind-pollinated plants generally have inconspicuous, nonfragrant flowers, while those pollinated by insects are usually very colorful and fragrant, meaning that the pollen must be heavy and sticky to adhere to insect bodies. Thus it can't blow away to human noses and cause hay fever.
Thommen's Postulates, a five-point set of criteria, is useful in determining whether a plant species contributes significantly to allergies. Accordingly, a plant must
In the list of New Mexico plants that follows, those marked (1) are "primary offenders," and fulfill all five postulates. "Secondary offenders" (2) do not fulfill all five postulates. Plants considered relatively unimportant as causes of allergies are marked (3).
"Thou
can't not stir a flower without troubling a star."
Place
on the continuum below the general reputation of the following. Discuss.
"When a change occurs in one part of the circuit, many other parts must
adjust themselves to it. Change does not necessarily obstruct or divert the
flow of energy; evolution is a long series of self-induced changes, the net
result of which has been to elaborate the flow mechanism and to lengthen the
circuit. Evolutionary changes, however, are usually slow and local. Man's invention
of tools has enabled him to make changes of unprecedented violence, rapidity,
and scope."
--Aldo Leopold
(Up to Section V, Back to Animal Control, On to Archaeological Resources))