Abstract

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Agricultural Resources Management at Aztec Ruins National Monument
Track: Agriculture
Author(s): Heather Hormell, Beth LaShell, Scott White

Aztec Ruins National Monument is a 318-acre ancestral Pueblo site located in the town of Aztec, New Mexico. In addition to great houses and kivas, the site contains many different plant species, both native and exotic. Two old orchards are found on the west side of the Monument--a 50-year old pear orchard and a 75-year old apple orchard. Survey-grade GPS has been used to locate every pear and apple tree in the two orchards. Additional field work has documented the tree species, tree health, canopy, trunk diameter and perimeter, and irrigation source. ArcGIS is being used to create a geodatabase of both vector and raster orchard data, including tree locations, orchard boundaries, and historic aerial photography. This database will be used by National Park Service personnel as part of their ongoing effort to preserve the natural and cultural resources of Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Heather Hormell
Fort Lewis College
Biology
1000 Rim Drive
Durango , CO 81301
US
Phone: 970-247-7475
E-mail: hormell@msn.com

Beth LaShell
Fort Lewis College
Biology
1000 Rim Drive
Durango , CO 81301
US
Phone: 970-247-7189
E-mail: lashell_b@fortlewis.edu

Scott White
Fort Lewis College
Geosciences
1000 Rim Drive
Durango , CO 81301
US
Phone: 970-247-7475
E-mail: white_s@fortlewis.edu