TUMAMOC RESEARCH


ECOLOGY

CONSERVATION

ARCHAEOLOGY
 
 

ECOLOGY

The story of Tumamoc: People & Habitats began with ecological research in 1903. We were the first laboratory built on purpose to do pure, basic ecological research on desert plants. Basic means 'done just because people are basically curious'. That work continues. Though we cherish our fine, old, rock-walled buildings, our 860 acres of land has been and will continue to be our laboratory.

    Highlights:
  • Saguaro — Most of what the world knows about saguaro comes from work done by Tumamoc's scientists.
  • Plant communities — Do different species act as a superunit or go it alone?
  • Desert plant physiology — How do plants survive desert heat and dryness?
  • Effects of buffelgrass on native plants — Which species do they hurt and how do they do it?
  • The life and times of the little annual wildflowers — How do so many species all stay in business?
  • Do desert plants give us a record of past temperatures the way tree rings do?

ARCHAEOLOGY

Tumamoc was settled about 2500 years ago. Two separate civilizations came and went before giving way to the Hohokam, who are ancestors of our fellow citizens, the Tohono O'odham.

    Some of what we study:
  • A 2300-yr old ruined village on the top of the mesa
  • A set of monumental rock walls built around the village
  • An abandoned agave plantation of commercial size
  • A 680-acre landscape strewn with shards of pottery
  • Close to a thousand petroglyphs

CONSERVATION

At first, the acreage was badly overgrazed and domestic animals interfered with the basic research. To protect it, the entire laboratory grounds were surrounded in 1906 by a fence over five miles long. The cattle, horses, burros and goats were removed. The result was the invention of restoration ecology. Our scientists set out to study the recovery of nature.
The grazers are long gone but Tumamoc continues to face new challenges to its integrity, and continues to guard its restored landscapes.

Meanwhile, Tumamoc is exploring a new form of conservation, reconciliation ecology, which promises to bring back many species into urban areas as well as to protect their numbers around the world.

Don't wait up for us. We'll be here a while longer!