Aguiar, Q., Mesa Community College ## Indigenous Land Acknowledgement This field trip begins with the recognition that we are only able to enjoy the beauty of this national monument because of the conservation of this land for thousands of years by indigenous people. Previous to westward expansion by European settlers, indigenous peoples of the southwest cared for this land. Thank you to the 23 tribes, including the Jicarilla Apache and the Ute, which are located in New Mexico for taking care of this land. # Welcome to Capulin Volcano National Monument! By stepping into this virtual field trip for Capulin National Monument, you are walking along history and an ancient transformation of land. Capulin Volcano is located at (36.778 N, 103.9801 W) in the northeastern corner of New Mexico along the edge of the Great Plains. On a clear day, one can see features in Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma from the rim of the crater. The name Capulin itself is derived from the Spanish word for chokecherry, a plant found along the rim of the crater. Despite being in the southwest temperatures are mild as the National Parks Service lists average winter temperature highs between the low 40s to low 50s and the summer highs in the mid to low 80s (NPS, 2022). As it is located along the edge of the Great Plains basin, Capulin has a mixture of ecology ranging from plains to desert. Around the park there are plants encompassing the regions that extend up to North Dakota as well as all the way westward to Arizona. This unique landscape allows for an interesting location to survey soil, plant, and wildlife diversity. [Enter VR ](/scenes/capulin-volcano-top)[Take a look at the views from the top of this crater!](/scenes/capulin-top-view) *** ## Geodiversity The now extinct **cinder cone** volcano known as Capulin Volcano rises to 8,182 feet above sea level and is located on the Ratón-Clayton Volcanic Field (RCVF). The RCVF is a 8,000 square mile field ranging from Colorado to Oklahoma that includes clusters of many small, mostly **scoria** volcanic cones erupted from the hundreds of vents lining the RCVF (NPS, 2020), but lava domes, tuff rings, and the large **shield volcano** called Sierra Grande also occur. Categorizing a cluster of volcanic activity into one field means that they all erupt from one shared **magma** source. The uniqueness of this field is how young it is compared with the formation of many other volcanoes in the US. It was thought previously that Capulin dated at 11,000 years old but new research has said otherwise. The range of dates is as old as 9 million years to 45,000 years old with Capulin dated between 56,000 to 62,000 years old (NPS, 2015). [Enter VR Capulin view within crater](/scenes/capulin-volcano-crater) \*Fun Fact! This age is still surprisingly young so to find another volcano outside this field this age or younger you would have to travel all the way to the **Mid-Atlantic Ridge** located in the Atlantic Ocean. ### Anatomy of a cinder cone volcano: All volcanoes share two characteristics: a **vent** and a conduit. Vents are the direct opening of a volcano where the magma or gas is emitted while a conduit is the fashion in which the magma is able to travel from underground to the vent. In a cinder cone volcano like Capulin, magma begins to erupt from the vent and spray **pyroclastic basaltic** material. This material falls around the vent creating a shape low in density that usually resembles a cone. Depending on winds or other features, like whether the vent moves during explosion, the shape of this cone could be altered to be elongated or have a largely asymmetrical crater rim. Capulin, for example, has a slightly asymmetrical rim which indicates that winds blew from the southwest at the time of explosion (US Department of the Interior, 2022). Towards the end of a volcano’s lifespan, a formation called **spatter** or **spatter cones** can be seen near the volcano’s vents. These occur when material that is still molten surfaces and combines with other **molten** material to form rock. On Capulin, there are areas of **lava rock** land towards the base of the volcano and cinder scoria rockland that are in and near the crater. The crater, a divot at the top of the volcano, is often preserved in a cinder cone because of spatter and the unique lava flow system. While pyroclastic material exits from this vent, the high density of the magma versus the lower density of the rock causes it to flow out of the base of the volcano through other vents known as bocas. These boca vents, of which Capulin has two, create lava flows that creep outwards from the base of the cinder cone.(US Department of the Interior, 2022). Cinder cones are usually simple as they have just one eruptive period causing one lava flow, but Capulin has three major known eruptive flows (New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, n.d.). ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/cinderconeformation_b8d5b7819f.png) (NPS,2015) *** ## Plant Diversity Though the volcano is only four miles in circumference, enough variety is created in the media and climate that there is a noticeable difference in vegetation. Figure 1 shows the elevation change between the vegetation plot points as you travel across the cinder cone. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_Figure1_map_598660d403.png) (Map 1 by Quinn Aguiar, 2023) There is plenty of data available that documents the plant life diversity on this volcano as represented by figure 2 below. The main species of plants that have been documented are as follows: Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.), gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), piñon pine (Pinus cembroides), mountain muhly (Muhlenbergia montana), Scribner needlegrass (Achnatherum scribneri), wavyleaf oak (Quercus undulata), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus Iedifolius Nutt)., Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), fourwing saltbrush (Atriplex canescens), and fivepetal cliffbush (Jamesia americana). As you can see from the “Capulin Vegetation Species Elevation” map, when these data points are cross referenced with elevation data, it is seen that the piñon pine and woodland varieties of plants are found at the higher elevations. Many of the lower elevation plants are classified as shrub land. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_Figure2_map_16c8e819d2.png) (Map 2 by Quinn Aguiar, 2023) As referenced from the map below, the plants associated with the highest vegetation plot points are: pinon pine, Gambel oak, mountain muhly, Scribner needlegrass, wavyleaf shrubland, Arizona fescue, and fivepetal cliffbush cinder shrubland. These plants occur in the high elevation points, but may also appear on the lower elevations on the cinder cone. However, if not included in this list, the species appears exclusively in the below 7,800 ft elevation. Documented plants that do not appear in the highest elevation points are ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, blue grama shortgrass steppe, big bluestem, little bluestem, and western wheatgrass swale. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_Figure3_map_922850255b.jpg) (Map 3 by Quinn Aguiar, 2023) #### Select Plants Under the Microscope: ### Piñon Pine Also referred to as pinyon pine, piñon pine is a 10-30 foot tall evergreen that specifically grows well in more north/northwest facing scoria media that makes up the lava rock base for Capulin. It is a plant that is particular with competition and has a harder time growing when it has to compete with surface space as it would with the blue grama and wheatgrass. It seems counterintuitive, but having less soil depth was found to be more beneficial to the pinon (Hacker et al, 2008). This species is made for the desert, but due to climate changes and being located in a severe drought zone, these trees are under surveillance. A study conducted in 2009 by the U.S. forest service found that 32-65% of piñon and 3-10% of juniper species died within the region of southwest Colorado, northern New Mexico, and northern Arizona (Floyd et al, 2009). Though this was years ago, the patterns of climate change are only getting more severe and the piñon pine is a crucial species that provides habitat and nutrients to the ecosystem. \*Fun Fact! These are the only pine trees in North America that produce nuts large enough to eat and are common in Native American and New Mexican cuisine. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/pinyontrees_6c2dca6485.jpg) Depicted is a photo taken of Piñon trees from a field study conducted by (NPS, 2005-2012). ### Gambel Oak Cinder Woodland Gambel oak is a 3-20 ft tall shrub that often accompanies ponderosa pines in the southern habitats. It is found in the southwest in AZ, CO, NM, NV, TX, UT and north in WY. As it occurs often in the New Mexico habitat, it is referred to as a **riparian** species that houses many species including the threatened Mexican spotted owl. A study conducted by the Canadian Science publishing found that seedlings planted under Gambel oak had a 10-35% greater chance of survival than if they were planted under New Mexican locust, a plant that often accompanies Gambel oak in other parts of the state (Crockett 2022). This is important as the US history of fire suppression and growing effects of climate change create more arid and hotter climates which are the perfect breeding grounds for forest fires. After the forest burns (if the fire wasn’t too hot), certain trees will be leftover in order to facilitate new growth for the future of the forest. Oftentimes a tame fire will encourage Gambel oak to sprout shoots. (Simonin, 2000) On Capulin, these shrubs have an increased ability to nurture the future of a changing climate. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/Gambeloak_585a4d5ad7.jpg) Depicted is a photo taken of Gambel oak cinder woodland from a field study conducted by (NPS, 2005-2012). ### FivePetal Cliffbush This is a low lying **perennial** shrub that occurs in the states of CA, NV, AZ, NM, UT, CO, and WY and appears mainly in mountainous regions. It has been described as performing well in drought and rocky lands. (USDA, n.d.). As per the map of “Capulin Species Elevation”, this plant only occurs in one area next to one of the only plots of scoria rock land near the main vent in the crater of the cinder cone. It is evident that this species is true to type and performs well in areas for hardy plants. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/cliffbush_f04bc05dff.jpg) Depicted is a photo taken of fivepetal cliffbush from a field study conducted by (NPS, 2005-2012). *** ## Wildlife Diversity Capulin’s arid desert landscape lends to sightings of many animals you would expect to see in the southwest. There is documentation of: mule deer (Odocoileus hemiones), pronghorn (Antolocarpa americana Ord.), elk (Cervus canadensis), black bears *(Ursus americanus)* [30 mammals documented in US Department of the Interior, 2020 April 15)] red-tailed hawks *(Buteo jamaicensis)* [71 birds documented in (US Department of the Interior, 2020 May 7) of which 34 are known to mate], convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens), false cinch bug (Nysius raphanus), white-lined sphinx caterpillars (Hyles lineata), and many butterflies (US Department of Interior, 2020). Although a complete survey has not been done, known reptiles that inhabit the area are: the bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi), western prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridus), the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), the plains spadefoot toad (Spea bombifrons), and the Great Plains skink (Plestiodon obsoletus). (US Department of the Interior, 2016) These are just 5 of the 10 documented reptiles/amphibians that inhabit the area as of 2002. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_CAVO_05_CV_008_caterpillar_at_plot_yc38_D_09212e8931.JPG)![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_CAVO_05_CV_lizard_yc28_D_4e9ae990f8.JPG) *white-lined sphinx caterpillar (NPS,2005-2012)* *eastern fence lizard (NPS,2005-2012)* ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/prairierattlesnake_765e12279c.jpg)western prairie rattlesnake *(Crotalus viridus)*
#### Select Species Under the Microscope: ### Convergent Lady Beetle These ladybugs are quite the sight to see at Capulin. Each summer between mid June to mid August the convergent lady beetle congregates at some of the highest points on the rim of the volcano. It is unknown exactly what draws them to the area, but they still arrive every year. They feed on the aphid population in the spring and then settle on the rim of the volcano. They then hibernate throughout the winter in still swarms until the weather warms up again and they are able to feed, mate, and continue their life cycle. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/ladybugs_85f6b9b3a6.jpg) See the image below from the field study done by (NPS, 2005-2012) as well as video from an excursion by (Dianna Gielstra, 2022). Video [Loveliness of Lady Beetles](https://youtu.be/svVoLR5hoco) ### Butterflies See the figures below for the full list of 17 butterflies that have been seen at Capulin according to the National Park Service. In the map “Animals Found on Vegetation Plot Points”, two butterfly sightings are associated with the field study pictures. One of the butterflies is named Marine Blue *(Leptotes marina)* and is commonly seen roaming the prairie land towards the bottom of the volcano. As seen from the image attached its coloration allows for better camouflage amongst a beige background. For many of these species, that is the common place to see them, but there are also a couple that prefer to feed off of the plants inside of the crater and at the top where temperatures are more moderate for summertime pollinators. One of these types, called Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), was spotted in the crater during the field study. This butterfly is characterized by its metallic blue wings and white underside. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_BUTTERFL_Ypt1_dd9c9e44aa.jpg)![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_BUTTERFL_Ypt2_7b1f702cea.jpg) (NPS,2022) [Link to butterfly brochure for better image quality](http://npshistory.com/brochures/cavo/butterflies.pdf) ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/marineblue_springazure_ca6497e50d.jpg)![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/springazure_a499755773.jpg) Left: marine blue *(Leptotes marina)* Right: spring azure *(Celastrina ladon)* \*Fun Fact! There is also another butterfly here called the Alberta Arctic *(Oenesis alberta capulinesis)* that has not been seen since 1996. It has only been documented here 6 times since discovery in 1970 and is only found in isolated populations in the southwest (Southern Plains Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, 2012). ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/small_animals_plots_44c1b0ac0b.jpg) (Map 4 by Quinn Aguiar, 2023) ## Conservation: Why Do We Care? Conservation of this habitat is crucial to the ecosystem of the southwest. The location is already situated in a vulnerable geological area that has a more difficult time retaining water due to its volcanic composition. As seen in the map below, Capulin is situated in an area of the southwestern Great Plains labeled “severe drought”. With the oncoming of climate change, Capulin National Monument is projected to only get drier and hotter in the seasons where previous normal conditions already put stress on the inhabitants. Compared to historical data, groundwater surface levels have dropped at least 100 feet since the 1960s in easternmost Union County where Capulin is located (Rawling, G. C., 2015). In the Capulin Basin specifically, one well has shown a documented 12 feet decrease in water level since the 1950s (Rawling, G. C., 2015). This is due in large part to the agricultural and ranching irrigation of the surrounding land. Unfortunately, water is being pumped faster than it is able to replenish itself through the water cycle. Underneath this monument, the groundwater is situated largely in basaltic and **tephra** flowing **water tables** with low **groundwater gradient** and high transmissivity. (Rawling G. C., 2015). This means that the groundwater is not easily accessible, cycles quickly, and leeches into the ground before it is able to help the soil maintain moisture from which the local plants and animals survive. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/drought_20654e06c8.jpg) (Map 5 by Quinn Aguiar, 2023) data from (National Drought Mitigation Center, 2023; Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, 2015) The fact that this environment is so arid and dry coupled with the misuse of modern fire suppression, Capulin is at risk of large wildfires that it may not be able to recover from. Wildfires are beneficial to an ecosystem when they burn small and frequently and are often encouraged by indigenous cultures. When settlers took control of the land, fire was viewed as too destructive and was a threat to grazing and logging. Because of this, for over a century, fire has been actively suppressed. This creates a buildup of underbrush that helps to feed hotter fires which will inevitably start in a location of severe drought; in turn killing trees that historically survived manageable wildfires as indicated by burn marks on their tree rings (Fort Collins Science Center, 2021). This applies to Capulin as rural Union County is largely agricultural and ranching land. Proper management of wildfires in the modern day by the National Parks Service is needed to ensure that the foliage in the national monument is preserved. ![](https://strapi.geoepic.app/uploads/ponderosa_pinerings_0dd3b50f27.png) Historical survival of a ponderosa pine tree in New Mexico from past wildfires as indicated from its tree rings. (Fort Collin Science Center, 2021) As for the local wildlife, a decrease in species variation can be seen through the years. In 1973, a report of Capulin documented twelve reptiles and five amphibians which turned into nine reptiles and one amphibian in 2002 (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016). It is uncommon for amphibians to inhabit a desert environment, especially mixed with a volcanic geologic composition like Capulin, so it is unfortunate that the last documentation only sighted one species in the park. Amphibians and reptiles are part of the ecosystem in a way that helps to regulate pest management and provide food as prey for those higher on the food chain. When any species begins to disappear, it puts a strain on the balance of the ecosystem. Although this is protected land, the most recent data from the National Park Service is around 2002 with one checklist dating 2004. Seeing as the last official documentation of animal species surveys was 21 years ago, a closer eye needs to be kept on a population as vulnerable as here if we are to maintain the geographical treasure that such a unique location has to offer in this desert/plains transition land. *** ## Glossary **Cinder cone** a cone formed around a volcanic vent by fragments of lava thrown out during eruptions **Scoria** dark colored rock filled with lots of holes formed by basaltic lava, **Lava domes** circular, mound-shaped protrusion formed by slow excretion of lava from a vent **Tuff ring** pyroclastic cone with a crater above the ground surface, low to the ground **Shield volcano** broad domed volcano with gentle, sloping sides **Magma** hot fluid below or within the earth’s crust that cools to form lava **Mid-Atlantic Ridge** underwater mountain range in the Atlantic ocean **Vent** place at the Earth’s surface where lava flows and fragmented rocks are erupted **Conduit** channel or pipe that carries magma from a reservoir to the vent to erupt **Pyroclastic** relating to fragments of rock erupted by a volcano **Basaltic** a hard, dense rock solidified from lava or magma **Crater rim** part of a volcano that extends above the height of the surrounding surface **Spatter/spatter cone** chunks of lava thrown into the air and are still molten when they land, when they harden together to form one rock it becomes a spatter cone or volcano **Molten** object reduced to liquid form by heating **Lava rock** solidified rock from formally molten flow **Boca** vent area at the base of a volcano **Riparian** relating to or located on the bank of a watercourse **Perennial** plants that regrow every spring instead of dying off after a year **Tephra** rock fragments and particles ejected by a volcanic eruption **Water table** boundary level of water better soil surface and where groundwater accumulates into an aquifer **Groundwater gradient** angle of inclination that groundwater flows **Transmissivity** ability of an aquifer to transmit groundwater through its entire thickness *** ## References Crockett, J. L., & Hurteau, M. D. (2022). Post-fire early successional vegetation buffers surface microclimate and increases survival of planted conifer seedlings in the southwestern United States. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 52(3), 416–425. [https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2021-0221](https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2021-0221) Floyd, M. Lisa; Clifford, Michael; Cob, Neil S.; Hanna, Dustin; Delph, Robert; Ford, Paulette; Turner, Dave. 2009. Relationship of stand characteristics to drought-induced mortality in three Southwestern pinyon-juniper woodlands. *Ecological Applications.* 19(5): 1223-1230. Fort Collins Science Center. (2021). New Mexico Landscapes Field Station Research informs fire management: U\.S\. geological survey\. New Mexico Landscapes Field Station Research informs Fire Management \| U\.S\. Geological Survey\. 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Retrieved March 10, 2023 from [https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2233454](https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2233454) Rawling, G. C. (2015). (rep.). Groundwater Surface Map of Union County and the Clayton Underground Water Basin, northeast New Mexico. New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. Retrieved March 2023, from [https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/openfile/downloads/500-599/570/OFR570_UnionCounty_Clayton_WaterBasin_report.pdf.](https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/openfile/downloads/500-599/570/OFR570_UnionCounty_Clayton_WaterBasin_report.pdf.) Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Quercus gambelii. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: [https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/quefgam/all.html ](https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/quefgam/all.html)[2023, March 3]. 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Retrieved March 3, 2023 from [https://www.nps.gov/cavo/learn/nature/animals.htm#:~:text=Mammals%3A%20such%20as%20Mule%20Deer,or%20migrate%20through%20the%20park.](https://www.nps.gov/cavo/learn/nature/animals.htm#:~:text=Mammals%3A%20such%20as%20Mule%20Deer,or%20migrate%20through%20the%20park.) U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020, April 15). Mammals. National Parks Service. Retrieved March 3, 2023 from [https://www.nps.gov/cavo/learn/nature/mammals.htm](https://www.nps.gov/cavo/learn/nature/mammals.htm) U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020, May 7). Birds. National Parks Service. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from [https://www.nps.gov/cavo/learn/nature/birds.htm](https://www.nps.gov/cavo/learn/nature/birds.htm) U.S. Department of the Interior. (2022, February 9). NPS geodiversity Atlas-Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. 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