Our Work
Field-based research, education, and partnerships advancing wildlife conservation and resilient landscapes across the Borderlands.
Ecohydrological Restoration to Improve Scaled Quail Habitat
Emiliano Elizondo
This research will evaluate how ecohydrological restoration practices can improve riparian areas and habitat conditions for scaled quail in the Chihuahuan Desert. Low-tech restoration structures will be used to slow runoff, capture sediment, increase soil moisture, and promote the recovery of native vegetation in degraded drainage systems. Soil and vegetation responses will be monitored to determine whether these practices improve water retention, reduce bare ground, increase plant cover and diversity, and enhance the availability of food and protective cover for scaled quail. The findings will help guide restoration strategies that rebuild watershed function while improving habitat for scaled quail and other wildlife dependent on desert riparian areas.
