Amargosa Basin Ecological Conservation: Evaluating the Health of the Mesquite Bosque in the Amargosa Basin using Earth Observations

Increased development and shifting water use patterns in the Amargosa Basin have disrupted the region’s natural hydrology, threatening its riparian ecosystems and habitat of western honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana). The mesquite holds significant cultural value for the Timbisha Shoshone, who have traditionally harvested mesquite pods for sustenance. Recent poor harvests have raised concerns for the Tribe and for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), who aim to preserve the landscape’s biodiversity. To address the restoration of the mesquite bosque, we partnered with the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, the USFWS, and the Friends of the Amargosa Basin. The Friends of the Amargosa Basin’s campaign for national monument status would facilitate the development of a comprehensive management plan, leading to more effective and localized conservation strategies. We utilized data from Landsat 4ThematicMapper (TM), Landsat 5TM, Landsat 8Operational Land Imager (OLI), Landsat 9OLI-2, Sentinel-1C band Synthetic Aperture Radar, Sentinel-2Multi-Spectral Instrument, Soil Moisture Active Passive L-band radiometer, and Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station to detect changes in vegetation health through evapotranspiration and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. While the groundwater dependence of this region—and specifically of the mesquite bosque—limited our analysis on hydrological change, we successfully used Earth observations to identify areas of increasing and decreasing mesquite health. These end products will assist partners in future conservation efforts of the mesquite bosque with the goal of leading to more effective and localized conservation strategies.