Paleontological Resource Inventory and Monitoring: Chihuahuan Desert Network

Santucci, V.; Kenworthy, J.; Visaggi, C.

In conjunction with the NPS Geologic Resources Division and the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program, paleontological resource inventories have been initiated in dozens of parks Servicewide. The approach adopted for the inventories is described in the Methodology and Inventory Strategies section of this report. This report presents paleontological resource inventory and monitoring data compiled for the parks of the Chihuahuan Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network. The Chihuahuan Desert Network includes seven widely separated National Park Service areas ranging from south central New Mexico to the Trans-Pecos Texas region. The parks in this network include: Amistad National Recreation Area (Texas; AMIS); Big Bend National Park (Texas; BIBE); Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico; CAVE); Fort Davis National Historic Site (Texas: FODA); Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas; GUMO) Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River (Texas; RIGR) and White Sands National Monument (New Mexico; WHSA). These parks range in size from 192 to 324,232 hectares and are located within the northern region of the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the most biologically diverse arid regions in the world.