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***[RAILROADS, CATTLE, COTTON FIELDS AND THE ENVIRONMENT]{.underline}***

> ***[BACKGROUND INFORMATION]{.underline}***

With water flowing year-round, the Santa Cruz River is the life-blood
for myriad animals, insects, trees, plants and grasses. Populations of
White-tailed and Mule Deer, Javelina, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, jackrabbit,
desert cottontail, rock squirrel, valley pocket gopher, opossum, coyote,
gray fox, raccoon, badger, spotted, hog-nosed and stripped skunk,
porcupine, white-throated woodrat and gray shrew all rely on the river.
Native trees such as netleaf hackberry, honey mesquite, Arizona ash,
Freemont cottonwood, Nogales walnut, Gooding willow, Mexican elder
(elderberry) and catclaw acacia frequent the valley. And hundreds of
insects, grasses and plants coexisted in the *mesquite-Bosque* (mesquite
woodland) and riparian environment.

It hasn't always been so abundant, however. During prehistoric and
Spanish settlement history, the natural environment was, for the most
part, fairly stable and abundant. In addition to the aforementioned,
what is today threatened or endangered were common. This list includes
monkey springs pupfish, river otter, jaguar, Mexican (gray) wolf,
ferriginous pigmy owl, barking frog, Sanborns long-nosed bat, willow
fly-catcher, Gila topminnow, large flowered blue star, Wiggen's milkweed
vine, yellow billed cuckoo and Santa Cruz star leaf.

The environment of the Santa Cruz Valley was not adversely affected
until the late 1800s. Prior to this time, populations remained
relatively small (at least partially from Apache attacks), and
technologies did not have a great impact. With the arrival of emigrating
Americans, the industrial revolution and the surrender of Geronimo, the
environment took a turn for the worse.

In the 1800s cattle operations, railroads and cotton farms took their
toll on the environment. Cowboys brought large herds of cattle into the
area and ranchers attempted to raise as many animals as possible,
without effectively managing the rangeland. The cattle ate and trampled
native plant species and, because their numbers were so great, many
native plants were unable to reseed. Other introduced "exotic" species
competed for space. Wildlife, of course, was for the most part thought
of as something to be conquered. Wolves, coyotes, large cats, raptors
and other animals were considered threats and were often shot when seen.
People sometimes hired hunters to track and kill the predators.

The railroad brought new technologies to the area and with it Arizona
citizen's most likely saw a higher standard of living. Travel and
movement of commerce improved and supplies were more readily available.
But technology also brought money, wealth and greed. Large companies and
land owners often took from the land everything they could, destroying
habitat and killing wildlife as they did so.

The technologies also brought inventions that encouraged large-scale
cotton farming. Habitat was destroyed and the river was tapped to
irrigate huge fields of cotton that depleted the soil.

> So it was that the large cattle operations, railroads and cotton
> farms, negatively impacted the environment along the Santa Cruz. An
> important concept to emphasis, however, is not as much how this
> occurred but why. What was the motivation behind the inventions and
> technologies? Were they essentially good? How does human character
> come into play here? By exploring these ideas perhaps students will
> gain understanding and insight into how future generations might
> better manage
>
> our environment. ![](media/image2.emf){width="0.19722222222222222in"
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>
> ***[ACTIVITY]{.underline}***

\- Copy **Master Page VIII - 4 and cut-out individual "species cards**."
Use all cards and give each student at least one. (In smaller classes
give students two or more of the [same]{.underline} species.)

\- Give each student six (6) beans or other counting object for each
card.

\- Tell students that you are going to read some statements that
describe various historical events. After reading each statement,
discuss with the class whether or not the event affected the environment
and how. If it did not affect it or helped the environment, do nothing
and read the next statement.

If it adversely affected the environment,

ask each student or "species" to give up one bean which represents a
percentage of their population. (about 15% per bean)

\- Read the following statements, discuss any effect the event might
have had on the environment, and collect beans as appropriate. After
each statement, note and discuss any changes in the "species"
population. If a student runs out of beans, it signifies that their
representative animal ran out of food or habitat and dies (the student
must sit down).

\- Conclusion: After reading all the events and subsequent loss of
certain animal populations, the only remaining animals are hearty
survivors such as coyotes, raccoons, deer and javelina. Discuss why
these animals survived and others did not. What happened to the other
animals? Are any of them extinct? What conclusions can be made about how
history affects the wildlife? Are there any events in which the
environment shaped history?

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-   Gadsden Purchase

-   Big cattle operations come to Arizona

-   The Civil War

-   Railroads bring new technologies to Arizona

-   Congress buys 77 camels from North Africa

-   Arizona becomes a territory

-   Area is cleared to grow cotton and raise cattle

-   The black Buffalo Soldiers earn a reputation as brave Indian
    fighters

-   Geronimo surrenders

-   Governor Safford starts a state-wide public school system

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-   President Taft declares Arizona a State in 1912

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  -------------- -------------- -------------- ------------- -------------- -----------
  **JAGUAR**     **RACCOON**    **JAVELINA**   **BEAR**      **MOUNTAIN     
                                                             LION**         

  **MOUNTAIN     **WOLF**       **COYOTE**     **RACCOON**   **JAVELINA**   
  LION**                                                                    

  **COYOTE**     **BEAR**       **RACCOON**    **COYOTE**    **PIGMY OWL**  

  **PIGMY OWL**  **JAVELINA**   **MOUNTAIN     **JAGUAR**    **JAVELINA**   
                                LION**                                      

  **JAVELINA**   **RACCOON**    **WOLF**       **OTTER**     **RACCOON**    

  **COYOTE**     **OTTER**      **JAVELINA**   **BEAR**      **COYOTE**     

  **RACCOON**    **PIGMY OWL**  **COYOTE**     **MOUNTAIN    **WOLF**       
                                               LION**                       
  -------------- -------------- -------------- ------------- -------------- -----------