Tamarisk as an Edge Species in
Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico

Eric Dust

Geographic focus: USA / Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico

Date completed: 2002

Tamarisk is an invasive alien species that has infested most riparian regions in the desert southwestern United States.  The plant is poses a threat to low moisture environments because it can consume up to 200 gallons of water a day. Eric Dust, a student at New Mexico State University, used remote sensing and GIS to assess the density and distribution of tamarisk growing around Elephant Butte Reservoir.

Topics / keywords: Land Use; Water Availability

Presentation (pdf - 0.1MB)