64:
28:
72:
20:
40:
52:
300:. The Padilla Mountains form the western boundary of the Malpai. Elevations of the valleys range from about 3,700 ft (1,100 m) to 5,200 ft (1,600 m). The highest mountain in the region is Animas Peak with an elevation of 8,565 ft (2,611 m). The mountain ranges are called
210:
The boundaries of the Malpai
Borderlands are indefinite. Located in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, one definition of the Malpai is that it borders Mexico for approximately 75 mi (121 km) and extends northward from the border for up to 50 mi (80 km). The area is
374:
The mountain ranges rising above the semi-desert lowlands have greater precipitation and lower average temperatures. Average temperatures decline about 3.6°F (2.2°C) and precipitation increases by 3.9 in (99 mm) to 4.9 in (120 mm) with each 1,000 ft (300 m) increase in
400:
sided with the ranchers. As a result in 1993, the Nature
Conservancy sold the ranch to the newly created Animas Foundation. The conditions of the sale prohibited the Foundation from developing the land but permitted continued cattle grazing. The name of the Gray Ranch was changed to the Diamond A.
375:
elevation. Thus, the climate of the higher mountains is substantially different than that of the lowlands with average annual precipitation reaching perhaps 20 in (510 mm). Changes in elevation result in more abundant and different characteristics of flora and fauna.
238:
ranching. The lands within the borders defined by members of the group total 800,000 acres (320,000 ha) (1,250 sq miles) of which 53 percent of the land is privately owned and 47 percent is publicly owned by the states of New Mexico and
Arizona and the
395:
Local ranchers lobbied against the sale of the ranch to the U.S. government. The ranchers saw the proposed transfer of the land to the government as part of a movement to prevent cattle grazing on public lands. Secretary of the
Interior
404:
In the midst of the controversy surrounding the Gray Ranch, a group of local ranchers banded together to form the Malpai
Borderlands Group. The goal of the Group was to preserve the land in the Malpai region from fragmentation,
387:
purchased the Gray Ranch, with an area of 502 sq mi (1,300 km) from a
Mexican owner. The Animas Mountains were within the boundaries of the ranch. The Nature Conservancy began negotiations with the U.S.
366:
system. Average monthly temperatures for Animas range from 44 °F (7 °C) in
January to 80 °F (27 °C) in July. Annual precipitation averages 11.67 in (296 mm). In what is called the
420:
on 280,000 acres (110,000 ha) of land in addition to the conservation easement on the Gray ranch of 320,000 acres (130,000 ha). The easements protect the land from subdivision and development.
371:, most precipitation is received July thru September. Annual snowfall totals an average of 5 in (130 mm). Precipitation, however, is highly variable from year to year with drought common.
362:
The climate of Animas, New Mexico on the northern edge of the Malpai
Borderlands at an elevation of about 4,500 ft (1,400 m) is borderline BW (arid desert) and BS (semi-arid steppe) in the
496:"DECRETO por el que se declara como área natural protegida, con el carácter de reserva de la biosfera, la zona conocida como Janos, localizada en el Municipio de Janos, en el Estado de Chihuahua"
891:
886:
304:
as they rise steeply above the desert valleys. The Sky
Islands have cooler temperatures, receive greater precipitation, and have more diverse and abundant vegetation than the valleys.
268:
The terrain of the Malpai
Borderlands consist of a series of north-south rending mountain ranges separated by broad, mostly flat valleys. The eastern border of the Malpai consists of the
413:, and to manage the land in a way that benefited both ranchers and plant and animal life. The Malpai Borderlands Group included scientists and environmentalists among its members.
307:
Grassland and shrub land make up 87.9 percent of the vegetation in the Madrean region mostly in the valleys and lower elevations of the mountains. At higher elevations, are
234:
Within the larger area the Malpai Borderlands Group of ranchers is devoted to environmentally-sensitive ranching and preservation of the traditional use of the land for
936:
931:
171:
combined with practices to improve and manage the land in an environmentally-sensitive manner. Much of the land is protected from development and subdivision by
926:
896:
263:
916:
251:
134:
133:
The Malpai consists of steep, narrow mountain ranges separated by grassy, semi-arid plains. The lowest elevations are about 3,700 feet in the
881:
876:
293:
826:
577:
704:
63:
871:
23:
The boundaries of the Malpai or Malpais borderlands are indefinite. This map shows the region as defined by prehistoric cultures.
788:
297:
906:
460:
624:
625:"Potential Effects of United States-Mexico Border Hardening on Ecological and Human Communities in the Malpai Borerlands"
921:
792:
167:
In the 1990s, ranchers in the Malpai formed the Malpai Borderlands Group devoted to the preservation of privately-owned
787:"Toward Integrated Research, Land Management, and Ecosystem Protection in the Malpai Borderlands: Conference Summary,"
901:
815:
733:
911:
392:
to turn the ranch into a wildlife refuge and exclude cattle grazing, the principle economic activity of the ranch.
212:
141:. Mountain ranges run north-south. Vegetation is desert shrub and grassland at lower elevations, transitioning to
677:
389:
244:
71:
331:
grow near watercourses and springs. The total number of plant species within the region is estimated at 4,000.
269:
231:, a 2,000 sq mi (5,200 km) conservation region bordering the New Mexican portion of the Malpai.
216:
363:
820:
866:
436:
228:
220:
27:
416:
By 2021, the accomplishments of the Malpai Borderlands group included agreements with fifteen ranchers for
417:
368:
172:
495:
277:
273:
32:
185:
324:
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240:
384:
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2,700 sq mi (7,000 km) of which about 2,000 sq mi (5,200 km) is in
87:
44:
700:
647:
103:
639:
600:
285:
138:
137:. The highest elevation is 8,565 ft (2,611 m) above mean sea level (AMSL) in the
581:
574:
111:
860:
798:
643:
410:
289:
281:
115:
99:
76:
522:
397:
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The Malpai Borderlands are an area of high diversity. An estimated "104 species of
194:
19:
475:
308:
142:
39:
319:
oak woodlands. The highest elevations of the Animas mountains are cloaked with
594:
320:
301:
123:
95:
51:
841:
828:
347:
651:
547:
409:
the division of large ranches into small "ranchettes" as is common in the
810:
485:
Area calculated from map rather than the smaller area defined in the text
328:
161:
56:
343:
316:
312:
146:
91:
604:
483:. Rocky Mountain Research Station, U.S. Forest Service. pp. 1–2.
335:
235:
224:
158:
119:
107:
613:, ed. by Benjamin M. Sleeter, Tamara S. Wilson, and William Acevedo.
219:
counties, New Mexico and 700 sq mi (1,800 km) is in
168:
127:
70:
62:
50:
38:
26:
18:
339:
154:
599:. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper. pp. 285–286.
351:
157:
woodlands, with coniferous forests at the highest elevations.
150:
611:
Status and Trends of Land Change in the Western United States
223:. The Malpai Borderlands share the geography of neighboring
523:"The Formation and History of the Malpai Borderlands Group"
67:
San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge features wetlands.
474:
Fish, Paul R.; Fish, Suzanne K.; Madsen, John H. (2006).
114:
which includes the arid and semi-arid borderlands of the
55:
Skeleton Canyon and the Peloncillo Mountains in Arizona.
477:
Prehistory and Early History of the Malpai Borderlands
593:
Ruhlman, Jana; Gass, Leila; Middleton, Barry (2012).
254:
in Arizona, consisting of 2,309 acres (934 ha).
719:
699:. Tucson, AZ: Rio Nuevo Publishers. pp. 82–84.
98:. It is sometimes defined as including areas in the
768:
766:
35:
in New Mexico rise to 8,356 ft (2,547 m).
575:Animas Mountains at the New Mexico Audubon Society
47:is on the northern edge of the Malpai Borderlands.
892:Temperate coniferous forests of the United States
887:Deserts and xeric shrublands in the United States
247:. Fewer than 100 families reside on these lands.
183:Malpai is an Americanization of the Spanish word
623:Sayre, Nathan F.; Knight, Richard L. (2009).
502:(in Spanish). Diario Oficial de la Federación
8:
664:
354:species in the world" inhabit the Malpai.
250:Also within the Malpai Borderlands is the
757:
596:Chapter 28: Madrean Archipelage Ecoregion
570:
568:
90:. It encompasses the southeast corner of
284:is west of these ranges followed by the
264:Sierra Madre Occidental pine–oak forests
937:Geography of Hidalgo County, New Mexico
811:Malpai Borderlands Group, (a nonprofit)
799:US Geological Survey web page on region
548:"Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge"
447:
252:San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge
135:San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge
932:Geography of Grant County, New Mexico
350:, and the greatest known richness of
7:
927:Geography of Cochise County, Arizona
897:Regions of the Western United States
772:
720:Ruhlman, Gass & Middleton 2012
14:
164:is the main economic activity.
16:Region along the US–Mexico border
644:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01381.x
193:. The word is sometimes spelled
789:Rocky Mountain Research Station
678:"Climate: Animas -- New Mexico"
917:Geography of Chihuahua (state)
552:U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
461:University of California Press
1:
189:, which can be translated as
882:Temperate coniferous forests
877:Deserts and xeric shrublands
455:Gudde, Erwin Gustav (1950).
110:. The Malpai is part of the
94:and the southwest corner of
580:September 29, 2007, at the
953:
734:"New Life in the Badlands"
433:(article with map of area)
292:and San Luis Valleys, the
261:
732:McMillion, Scott (2015).
695:Sayre, Nathan F. (2005).
390:Fish and Wildlife Service
258:Terrain, flora, and fauna
245:Bureau of Land Management
86:is a land area along the
59:surrendered here in 1886.
527:Malpai Borderlands Group
379:Malpai Borderlands Group
75:A panorama of the upper
665:Sayre & Knight 2009
437:Janos Biosphere Reserve
229:Janos Biosphere Reserve
221:Cochise County, Arizona
842:31.52361°N 108.87417°W
457:California Place Names
418:conservation easements
369:North American Monsoon
173:conservation easements
80:
68:
60:
48:
36:
24:
907:Regions of New Mexico
364:Köppen Classification
298:San Bernardino Valley
74:
66:
54:
42:
33:Big Hatchet Mountains
30:
22:
872:Malpaíses (landform)
847:31.52361; -108.87417
632:Conservation Biology
294:Peloncillo Mountains
206:Location and acreage
922:Geography of Sonora
838: /
431:Madrean sky islands
241:U.S. Forest Service
902:Regions of Arizona
738:Nature Conservancy
697:Working Wilderness
385:Nature Conservancy
88:U.S.-Mexico border
84:Malpai Borderlands
81:
69:
61:
49:
45:Animas, New Mexico
37:
25:
912:Chihuahuan Desert
793:US Forest Service
682:U.S. Climate Data
609:. Extracted from
605:10.3133/pp1794A28
342:, 136 species of
338:, 327 species of
43:The community of
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521:McDonald, Bill.
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286:Animas Mountains
227:, including the
139:Animas Mountains
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582:Wayback Machine
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5:
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867:Madrean Region
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805:External links
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802:
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778:
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758:McMillion 2015
750:
724:
722:, p. 286.
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667:, p. 345.
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638:(1): 345–348.
615:
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463:. p. 222.
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359:
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270:Little Hatchet
259:
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112:Madrean Region
100:Mexican states
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10:
9:
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2:
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822:
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816:Map of region
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791:Report P-10,
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411:American West
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282:Playas Valley
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116:United States
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77:Animas Valley
73:
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34:
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795:, July 1999.
753:
741:. Retrieved
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555:. Retrieved
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530:. Retrieved
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516:
504:. Retrieved
499:
490:
476:
469:
456:
450:
415:
406:
403:
398:Manuel Lujan
394:
383:In 1990 the
382:
373:
361:
333:
306:
280:ranges. The
267:
249:
233:
209:
190:
184:
182:
166:
132:
83:
82:
845: /
833:108°52′27″W
506:10 February
325:Cottonwoods
302:sky islands
278:Alamo Hueco
274:Big Hatchet
861:Categories
830:31°31′25″N
821:Gray Ranch
500:dof.gob.mx
443:References
348:amphibians
321:coniferous
296:, and the
262:See also:
124:California
96:New Mexico
329:sycamores
323:forests.
201:Geography
191:bad lands
179:Etymology
104:Chihuahua
773:McDonald
652:20015263
578:Archived
425:See also
344:reptiles
243:and the
162:ranching
57:Geronimo
782:Sources
743:10 July
557:10 July
532:10 July
358:Climate
317:Madrean
313:juniper
213:Hidalgo
195:Malapai
186:malpaís
169:ranches
147:juniper
92:Arizona
703:
650:
336:mammal
315:, and
290:Animas
288:, the
236:cattle
225:Mexico
159:Cattle
120:Mexico
108:Sonora
628:(PDF)
481:(PDF)
340:birds
309:piñon
217:Grant
175:.
143:pinon
128:Texas
122:from
745:2024
701:ISBN
648:PMID
559:2024
534:2023
508:2017
407:i.e.
346:and
327:and
276:and
215:and
155:pine
149:and
118:and
106:and
31:The
640:doi
601:doi
352:bee
151:oak
130:.
126:to
102:of
863::
823:–
765:^
736:.
680:.
646:.
636:24
634:.
630:.
567:^
550:.
525:.
498:.
459:.
311:,
272:,
197:.
775:.
760:.
747:.
709:.
684:.
654:.
642::
607:.
603::
561:.
536:.
510:.
153:-
145:-
79:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
