Bosque is the name for areas of riparian forest found along the flood plains of stream and river banks in the southwestern United States. It derives its name from the Spanish word for woodlands.

In the predominantly arid or semi-arid southwestern United States, the bosque is a oasis like ribbon of green vegetation, often canopied, that exists near rivers, streams, or other water courses.

The trees in the bosque habitant are generally smaller species such as mesquite which rarely exceed 10 meters. Larger Cottonwood trees are also common in some areas. Because there is only a single canopy layer and because the tree species found in the bosque are generally deciduous, a wide variety of shrubs, grasses, and other understory vegetation is also supported. Desert hackberry, blue palo verde, graythorn, mexican elder, virgin's bower, and indian root all flourish in the bosque. The habitat also supports a large variety of lichens.

Currently the bosque is being threatened by increasing human encroachment and the introduction of several harmful invasive species, most notably the Russian olive tree and salt cedar tree species.

The bosque is also threatened by man made fires. Unlike many forest habitats in the western United States which rely on occasional wildfires to clear debris and promote seed germination, bosque plants were adapted for seasonal flooding to accomplish these tasks. Fires are particularly damaging since several of the invasive species are more fire resistant than native species. The construction of dams, levees, and the increasing amount of water siphoned off for residential and agricultural use have lead to a marked drop in the number of floods along bosque sustaining water courses.

External Links

• Save our Bosque Report (.pdf)

• Bosque Management and Endangered Species

• Bosque’s urban area presents challenge

• Race to reduce bosque fires