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| Photo ©2005, Esha Chiocchio |
The Galisteo Basin Preserve is geographically characterized by a gentle rolling terrain, piñon/juniper forest, short-grass prairie, and meandering stream corridors. Regionally, the Preserve reflects the ecological values of the Galisteo River, the Ortiz Mountains, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Flora
The Galisteo Basin Preserve is a landscape of piñon and juniper forest, as well as grasslands of blue grama, hairy grama, and galleta. Along the property's stream corridors (arroyos), willow, tamarisk, and cottonwood tree species can be found. The Preserve's high-desert grasslands include chamisa, cholla, prickly pear cactus, yucca, saltbush, and rubber rabbit bush.
Fauna
The Galisteo Basin Preserve's wildlife resources are affected by many factors, including vegetation and habitat, water, recent fires, and the availability of relatively unbroken migration corridors. The land is home to a rich variety of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Among other species, salamanders, lizards, frogs, snakes, jackrabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, prairie dogs, coyote, foxes, deer, and sometimes antelope and bear, are in evidence.
The Preserve provides native habitat, or forage and resting places, for an enormous variety of birds including the snowy egret, green-winged teal, osprey, bald eagle, golden eagle, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Merlin, peregrine falcon, blue grouse, great horned owl, nighthawks, swifts, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and a large variety of songbirds. |
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