Join the AZ BioBlitz Hub!
The 2022 Hassaymapa Ecoystems BioBlitz took place from 9am Saturday, April 9th - 9am Sunday, April 10th!
110 participants or "Blitzers" and 52 Species Matter Experts and Support Leads came together to make 2,000+ observations of 492 different species! See below to learn more about the results of the first major AZ BioBlitz event!
Bureau of Land Management
Arizona Game & Fish Department
Arizona Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Maricopa County Parks & Recreation Department
HEB TARGET AREA
WHY THE HEB RESULTS MATTER
The target region was selected based on a number of contributing factors which make collecting ecological inventory data a priority, most of which revolve around human development and wildlife connectivity concerns. Wildlife connectivity, or the ability for animals to move across the landscape, is critical for the health and diversity of ecosystems. To learn more, visit the White Tank Mountains Conservancy website for a wealth of resources about conservation and connectivity in the Sonoran Desert. Currently, the Hassayampa Plains connect several mountain ranges between which wildlife is constantly moving. In the coming years, it is possible that these mountain ranges could become isolated and wildlife connectivity could be significantly reduced.
The "priority zone" for the Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz was based largely around a swath of land within the current "Selected Corridor Alternative" for the proposed Interstate-11. The Selected Corridor Alternative is a 2,000-foot-wide starting point within which the proposed I-11 could be built, stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg. More information about Interstate 11 (I-11) and the Intermountain West Corridor Study, including Environmental Impact Statements, can be found here.
The landscape in and around the HEB target area is also projected to change rapidly as human population increases in this fast-growing section of the Sun Corridor. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau identified Buckeye, AZ as the fastest growing city in the nation with a population of 50,000 or more based on change between 2017 and 2018 - and similar patterns of growth are expected over the coming decade for the entire region. These changes will undoubtedly impact wildlife and the ecosystems that currently exist in what is currently undeveloped desert landscape. Consideration of wildlife connectivity and conservation efforts are critical to protecting these ecosystems as human communities expand. The Hassayampa Ecosystems BioBlitz contributed an important snapshot of biodiversity in this vulnerable area while bringing together the community to learn more about advocacy for wildlife conservation from diverse experts and organizations.
Data Source: Maricopa Association of Governments Long-Range Population Projections by Municipal Planning Area. Graphic © White Tank Mountains Conservancy [13]
