The Santa Rita Experimental Range and Wildlife Area is the longest continuously active rangeland research facility and among the five oldest biological field stations in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Located south of

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the populati ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, the 52,000 acre Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) was founded in 1903 and administered by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

until 1987, when the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

College of Agriculture took over administration of the site. The mission at the SRER is "to advance research and education on the ecology and management of desert rangelands through the secure, long-term access to research areas, state-of-the-art facilities, new discoveries, and research legacies."

Environmental data

The SRER makes available several spatial and time series data sets for research purposes including monthly resolution precipitation data from 1922 to present, long term vegetation response studies, and livestock grazing histories. Additionally, the SRER maintains a repeat photography archive, allowing researchers to visually inspect land cover and landscape changes for 117 locations from as early as 1902 to present. The

National Ecological Observatory Network National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a large facility program operated by Battelle Memorial Institute and funded by the National Science Foundation. In full operation since 2019, NEON gathers and provides long-term, standardized da ...

also publicly publishes data collected on the range.

Gallery

File:Santa_Rita_Wildlife_Area_Sign_Arizona_2014.jpg, A Santa Rita Wildlife Area sign. File:Santa_Rita_Experimental_Range_Arizona_2013.jpg, A view across the SRER, facing south. Elephant Head is in the background at the left. File:Santa_Rita_Experimental_Range_Arizona_Huerfano_Butte_2013.jpg, Huerfano Butte is a dominant landmark in the SRER. File:Ocotillo Forest Santa Rita Experimental Range Arizona 2014.jpg,

Ocotillo ''Fouquieria splendens'' (commonly known as ocotillo (), but also referred to as buggywhip, coachwhip, candlewood, slimwood, desert coral, Jacob's staff, Jacob cactus, and vine cactus) is a plant indigenous to the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan ...

in the SRER. File:Florida_Canyon_Wash_Santa_Rita_Experimental_Range_2014.jpg, Florida Canyon Wash in March 2014. File:Helvetia Cemetery Arizona 2014.jpg, Helvetia Cemetery

References

External links

{{authority control Biological stations Wildlife areas of Arizona Protected areas of Pima County, Arizona Protected areas of the Sonoran Desert 1903 establishments in Arizona Territory Buildings and structures in Pima County, Arizona History of Pima County, Arizona Santa Rita Mountains University of Arizona Protected areas established in 1903 Research forests

Environmental data

Gallery

See also

References

External links