MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE DESERT
SPEAKS HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

ASARCO, INC., AN INTEGRATED
PRODUCER OF NONFERROUS METALS

AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL
MINERALS AND PRODUCTS.

ASARCO, INC., ADDING VALUE
TO NATURE'S RESOURCES.

[MUSIC/NATURE SOUNDS]

LOOKING OUT FOR WILDLIFE AND
WILD PLACES IS NOTHING NEW,

BUT CONSERVATION IS
BEING REDESIGNED.

BIODIVERSITY IS A FAIRLY NEW
TERM AND IT COMES FROM NEW

THINKING. INSTEAD OF CLOSE-UPS
OF SAY ONE OWL OR EVEN ONE

FOREST WE'RE TRYING TO
ALSO PULL BACK AND GET A

BIG PICTURE OF WHY SO MANY
SINGLE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.

IT HELPS ME TO THINK OF IT
IN TERMS OF, WELL, HOOKS.

EVERY PLANT AND ANIMAL,
BIG AND LITTLE,

COMES WITH A BUNCH OF
HOOKS, THE WAY I SEE IT.

THERE'S TWO KINDS: ON ONE
SIDE EVERY LITTLE SPECIES

IS HOOKED INTO OTHER THINGS IN
ITS SYSTEM THAT IT DEPENDS ON.

AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE
IT'S ALSO HOOKED INTO ALL

THE THINGS THAT
DEPEND ON IT.

WE'RE ONLY STARTING TO FIND
ALL THESE CONNECTIONS.

BUT EVEN ALL THE SYSTEMS
ARE HOOKED TOGETHER.

PRETTY SOON IT'S CLEAR
THAT WE OURSELVES ARE

HOOKED INTO ONE BIG SYSTEM AND
ALL THE PIECES ARE IMPORTANT.

BIODIVERSITY IS A WORD FOR THE
VARIETY OF PIECES IN THE PUZZLE.

OF COURSE THE VARIETY
ITSELF IS BEAUTIFUL,

WHICH IS A HOOK
FOR US, TOO,

ESPECIALLY HERE
IN THE DESERT.

BUT THE POINT IS, EVERY
PIECE, EACH LITTLE SPECK,

SUSTAINS SOMETHING, MAYBE
A CRICKET OR A LEMON LILY

AND THAT PIECE SUSTAINS
SOME CRITTER THAT

FERTILIZES A TREE THAT
HOUSES A BIRD THAT PLANTS

A FOREST THAT SCRUBS THE
AIR. EVERYTHING MATTERS.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
BIODIVERSITY,

THE TYPICAL RESPONSE
PEOPLE HAVE IS TO LOOK

AROUND AND THINK ABOUT THE
SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND

PLANTS THAT ARE AT
A PARTICULAR AREA.

SO THEY ASK ME, WHAT
IS BIODIVERSITY HERE?

THEY LOOK AND THEY SEE THE
MESQUITE TREES AND THE

GRASSES AND THE
DEER THAT ARE HERE.

THAT'S THE FIRST CONCEPT OF
BIODIVERSITY THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

HOWEVER, IN REALITY BIODIVERSITY
HAS MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.

BIODIVERSITY INCLUDES THE
GENETIC COMPONENT OF THE

PLANTS AND ANIMAL POPULATIONS
THAT YOU SEE OUT HERE.

IT INCLUDES THE VARIATION
BETWEEN LOCATIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE SEE AN
ASSEMBLAGE OF SPECIES

HERE, HOWEVER, UP ON THE
MOUNTAINSIDE BEHIND US

THERE'S A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT GROUP OF ANIMALS

AND PLANTS THAT
LIVE UP THERE.

SIMILARLY, IN THE BOTTOM
OF THE VALLEY BELOW US

HERE THERE'S A COMPLETELY,
ANOTHER COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT ASSEMBLAGE OF
PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE

COMMUNITY IN THE
VALLEY BOTTOM.

SO, YOU KNOW, IN
A REGIONAL SENSE

BIODIVERSITY IS COMPOSED
OF ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT

POPULATIONS.

AND ON A YET ANOTHER SCALE
WE SEE COMMUNITIES OF

SPECIES DOWN IN SONORA TO THE
SOUTH OF US THAT ARE COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING WE
SEE HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE
DIVERSITY THAT WE THINK OF

AS BEING OURS IN THESE
MOUNTAIN CANYONS,

WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE
FACT THAT THESE ANIMALS GO

DOWN ALL THE WAY TO
SOUTHERN MEXICO OCCUPYING

A SERIES OF DIFFERENT
HABITATS ON THE WAY, ALL

OF WHICH HAVE TO BE PROTECTED
IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN WHAT

WE THINK OF AS OUR DIVERSITY
HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

SO DIVERSITY TAKES ON A
MUCH BROADER GEOGRAPHIC AND

INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT HABITAT REQUIREMENTS

OF SOME OF THESE SPECIES
THAT MIGRATE LONG DISTANCES.

IN LOOKING AT A GRADING
FOR EXAMPLE FROM THE

BOTTOM OF THE TUCSON
VALLEY HERE UP TO THE TOP

OF MOUNT WRIGHTSON
BEHIND US,

WE SEE TWO PRINCIPLE
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

OPERATING THAT HELP
CONTROL DIVERSITY.

ONE OF THOSE IS AVAILABLE
MOISTURE AND ONE OF THOSE

IS TEMPERATURE, ESPECIALLY
FREEZING TEMPERATURE.

AND WE FIND THAT AT BOTH
ENDS OF THIS GRADIENT IS

WHERE THE DIVERSITY
IS THE LOWEST.

AT THE TOP OF THE
MOUNTAINS WHERE IT'S VERY

COLD, A NUMBER OF SPECIES
THAT ARE SENSITIVE TO COLD

ARE ELIMINATED FROM THERE
BY VIRTUE OF THOSE COLD

TEMPERATURES, EVEN THOUGH
THERE'S A LOT OF RAIN UP THERE.

AT THE OTHER END
OF THE SCALE,

DOWN IN THE BOTTOM
OF THE VALLEY,

EVEN THOUGH IT'S WARM
THERE YEAR ROUND,

IT MAY NOT FREEZE
DOWN THERE,

IT'S SO DRY THAT ONLY A LIMITED
NUMBER OF SPECIES CAN SURVIVE

THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS
IN THE BOTTOM OF THE VALLEY.

SO LOOKING AT THIS
GRADIENT OF INTERACTING

ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES,
INCREASING MOISTURE AND

DECREASING TEMPERATURE, WE SEE
THAT SOMEWHERE RIGHT IN THE

MIDDLE HERE IN THE FOOTHILLS
NEAR WHERE WE'RE SITTING

NOW, IS WHERE WE SEE THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF LOCAL DIVERSITY.

SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ON A

SERIES OF
DIFFERENT LEVELS.

ON A GENETIC LEVEL, ON A
SPECIES POPULATION LEVEL,

ON A LOCAL
COMMUNITY LEVEL,

AND THEN FINALLY
ON A REGIONAL,

ON A GEOGRAPHIC SCALE,
LOOKING AT PATTERNS OF

VARIATION BETWEEN
BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES.

SO THAT THINKING ABOUT
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

BECOMES COMPLICATED
VERY FAST.

ADDITIONALLY, MANY PEOPLE
THROW IN THE IDEA OF THE

NATURAL PROCESSES THAT
HELP MAINTAIN DIVERSITY.

SO ON TOP OF JUST THE
SPECIES THEMSELVES WE HAVE

TO THINK ABOUT THOSE
NATURAL PROCESSES,

SUCH AS FIRE IN THIS AREA,
SUCH AS THE HYDROLOGICAL

PROCESSES IN THE WATERSHEDS
AND STREAMS IN THIS AREA.

WE HAVE TO THINK OF
THE PROCESSES LIKE THE

SEASONALITY OF RAINFALL,
SUMMER RAIN VERSUS WINTER RAIN.

SO THAT FROM THE POINT
OF VIEW OF MAINTAINING

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IS A
WHOLE SERIES OF NATURAL,

SOME PHYSICAL, PROCESSES THAT
HELP SUPPORT THAT DIVERSITY.

SO THAT THAT WHOLE
ASSEMBLAGE OF PATTERNS,

OF POPULATION STRUCTURE,
AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE,

AND FINALLY ECOSYSTEM AND
NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL

STRUCTURE, COMPRISE WHAT
WE THINK OF AS BIOLOGICAL

DIVERSITY IN THE
BROADEST SENSE.

LIVING THINGS AND NATURAL
PROCESSES TAKEN TOGETHER

MAKE A SYSTEM AND
SYSTEMS ARE THE KEY TO

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO
HOLD ON TO DIVERSITY.

WHEN YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ONE
LITTLE SPECIES, FOR EXAMPLE,

YOU LOOK FIRST AT THE SYSTEM
IT LIVES WITH, ITS HOME.

SOUTH OF SIERRA
VISTA, ARIZONA,

A RARE FLOWER CALLED THE
LEMON LILY IS HANGING TO A

LITTLE SYSTEM CALLED
RAMSEY CANYON,

UP IN THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS.
THEY SEEM TO DO WELL HERE.

I'VE GOT HIGH HOPES
FOR THIS BUNCH.

AND THIS IS A SITE THAT
IS ONE THAT WE PLANTED.

THE WAS, THERE WAS A
HISTORIC SITE AND I THINK

IT WAS UNDER THE WATERFALL WHEN
THE STREAMS CHANGED COURSE...

IT'S A WIDE MIX OF
ANIMALS HERE, AND PLANTS,

HERE IN THE HUACHUCAS, AND
RAMSEY BEING A COOL MOIST

CANYON WITH PERMANENT
WATER PROVIDES AN OASIS

AND KIND OF AN ALMOST A
TROPICAL HABITAT SO THAT

FERNS AND ORCHIDS AND
TROGONS AND HUMMINGBIRDS

AND THINGS LIKE THAT FIND
A HOME HERE AT RAMSEY.

THE LEMON LILY GROWS RIGHT
ALONGSIDE THE CREEK SIDE AND

THAT'S ONE OF ITS, ONE OF THE
REASONS THAT IT'S SO VULNERABLE.

IT'S VULNERABLE TO
FLOODING AND FLOODING IS

OFTEN TIMES ACCENTUATED BY
WILDFIRES IN THE UPPER CANYON.

THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE
LEMON LILY IS REALLY FLOODING

AND, KIND OF BY EXTENSION,
FIRE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.

THE FIRE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
THROUGH THE

YEARS HAVE, WE'VE KIND OF
GOTTEN OUT OF THE NATURAL

FIRE REGIME SO THAT WHEN
WE DO HAVE FIRES NOW,

THEY CAN BE VERY
DEVASTATING.

IT IS THE ONLY MEMBER OF
THE GENUS LILIUM THAT'S

FOUND HERE IN ARIZONA.

KIND OF A SPOTTY
DISTRIBUTION,

PROBABLY LESS THAN TWO
THOUSAND PLANTS WORLDWIDE.

THE LEMON LILY IS REALLY
KIND OF A SEVERE EXAMPLE

BECAUSE THIS IS A PLANT
THAT HAS DROPPED FROM OVER

ONE HUNDRED PLANTS IN RAMSEY,
AT ONE TIME, WE HAD LESS

THAN TWENTY PLANTS AND WERE DOWN
TO JUST A COUPLE OF FLOWERS.

AND WE BEGAN TO WONDER WHAT
HAPPENED TO THE LILY, WHETHER

IT WAS MAN-CAUSED, WHETHER
IT WAS JUST A NATURAL DECLINE.

ONCE WE DECIDED THAT THIS
WAS A MAN-CAUSED DECLINE,

THEN WE HAD TO STEP IN AND
TAKE SOME PRETTY DRASTIC

ACTIONS RIGHT DOWN TO
HAND POLLINATING THE LAST

COUPLE OF FLOWERS SO THAT WE
WOULD HAVE SEEDS TO THEN BEGIN

REPLANTING LEMON LILIES IN AREAS
WHERE THEY SHOULD OCCUR. THIS

IS MUCH MORE HANDS-ON MANAGEMENT
THAN WE USUALLY GET INVOLVED IN.

OKAY, THIS IS SITE C AND
WE'LL COUNT MULTI-LEAF

PLANTS, THE HEIGHT AND THE
NUMBER OF LEAVES. OKAY.

WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE
LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS

WITH THE COOPERATION
OF THE FOREST SERVICE,

SINCE MOST OF THE
POPULATION IS UP ON FOREST

SERVICE LAND AS WELL, WE
MONITOR EACH YEAR AS THE

LILIES COME UP, MONITOR
THE NUMBER OF PLANTS AND

THE SIZE, WATCH
FOR THE FLOWERS.

IN A COUPLE OF INSTANCES
WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT

SEEDS AND PLANT LEMON
LILLY SEEDS IN WHAT WE

DEEMED APPROPRIATE HABITAT AND
THEN MONITOR THE SURVIVAL THERE.

SO WE HOPEFULLY CAN GET
SOME NEW POPULATIONS GOING

SO THAT ONE
CATASTROPHIC EVENT,

A FLOOD IN ONE PARTICULAR
AREA WOULDN'T WIPE OUT ALL

OF THE LEMON LILIES
HERE IN RAMSEY.

I THINK THE
CHANCES ARE GOOD.

YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO
WHEN WE BEGAN LOOKING AT

LEMON LILIES, IT
DIDN'T LOOK SO GOOD.

AND IN FACT, ONE REPORT SAID,
YOU KNOW, IN FIVE YEARS THE

LEMON LILY WILL BE GONE FROM
RAMSEY CANYON.

WELL, THE FIVE YEARS ARE UP AND
THEY'RE NOT GONE,

THEY'RE STILL HANGING ON.

YOU KNOW IT'S A MATTER
OF REALIZING THAT NO ONE

SPECIES IS REALLY MORE
IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER.

IT'S EASY TO GET PEOPLE
EXCITED ABOUT SAVING THE

WHALES AND SAVING THE EAGLES AND
THE TIGERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO
LILIES AND BATS AND FROGS

AND SNAKES AND
THINGS LIKE THAT,

THEY SAY WELL I DON'T KNOW
IF WE NEED TO SAVE ALL OF THOSE.

AND YET IN THE GREATER
SCHEME OF THINGS,

THEY ALL FIT TOGETHER IN
THE SAME WEB AND NO ONE IS

MORE IMPORTANT
THAN ANOTHER.

WHAT GRABS OUR ATTENTION
ABOUT CERTAIN PLANTS OR

ANIMALS IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES.

SOME THINGS WE'RE ATTACHED
TO 'CAUSE THEY'RE FAMILIAR.

OTHERS CATCH OUR EYE BECAUSE
THEY'RE SO UNFAMILIAR.

BUT THE AREA IN BETWEEN
DOESN'T GET OUR ATTENTION

UNTIL WE LEARN ABOUT THE
HOOKS AND CONNECTIONS.

WHEN WE KNOW HOW THE PARTS OF
THE SYSTEM HELP KEEP THE WORLD

TICKING, THEN WE WANT TO GET
OUT THERE AND VISIT WITH MORE

OF 'EM. ABSOLUTELY EVERY ASPECT
OF HUMAN SURVIVAL IS BASED ON

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

IN BIOLOGY THERE IS A
COMPLEXITY THAT'S BASED ON

MANY SYSTEMS THAT
NEED TO INTER-REACT,

THAT'S PROBABLY MOST
ANALOGOUS TO THE ECONOMIES

THAT WE LIKE
TO THINK ABOUT;

A HEALTHY ECONOMY BEING
ONE WHICH IS DIVERSIFIED,

WHERE IT TAKES SEVERAL
DIFFERENT TYPES OF

EMPLOYMENT IN A LOCAL AREA
IN ORDER TO MAKE A STRONG

INTERACTIVE AND
HEALTHY ECONOMY.

THE VERY SAME IS TRUE
FOR BIODIVERSITY.

IT'S IN THE INTERACTIVITY
OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT

LEVELS WITHIN THAT SYSTEM,
WHETHER IT'S AN ECONOMIC OR

A BIOLOGIC SYSTEM, THAT WHEREIN
LIES THE HEALTH OF THE THING.

WELL, ECOTOURISM, IT
SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE

JUST A SIMPLE CROSSOVER
BETWEEN ECOLOGY AND TOURISM.

IT ISN'T SIMPLY TAKING
PEOPLE OUT AND SHOWING

THEM THE NATURAL HISTORY,
ALTHOUGH THAT CERTAINLY IS

AN ASPECT AND THE MOST
IMPORTANT FUNDAMENTAL PART

OF THAT WOULD BE KIND OF
AN INTELLECTUAL RECREATION

THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO CRAVE.

BUT THE ADDITIONAL ELEMENT
IS THAT IT'S A TOURISM

THAT'S BASED ON THE
PREMISE THAT THE

SUSTAINABILITY OF THE VERY
THINGS THAT ATTRACT PEOPLE

TO COME LOOK AT THEM HAS
GOT TO BE ASSURED BY THE

VERY PRACTICE OF
ECOTOURISM ITSELF.

MONEY MUST BE LEFT BEHIND
THAT CAN ASSURE THAT THE

THING THAT PEOPLE CAME TO
SEE IS GOING TO BE THERE

FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO COME
TO SEE IN THE FUTURE.

SO ECOTOURISM IS BOTH A GIVE
AND A TAKE, IT'S A MIX.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN
PLACES LIKE RAMSEY CANYON

IS THAT A LOT OF AMERICA'S
TOURISTS ARE NOW

INTERESTED IN THIS
INTELLECTUAL RECREATION.

BIRD WATCHING
IS BIG BUSINESS.

PEOPLE ARE COMING TO
ARIZONA IN DROVES IN ORDER

TO SEE MORE OF THE
WILDLIFE THAT THEY'VE SEEN

PICTURED IN ARIZONA
HIGHWAYS MAGAZINE.

RECENTLY, WE ENGAGED WITH
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA,

THE WORK SERVICES OF SOME
AGRICULTURE ECONOMISTS,

WHO ACTUALLY CAME TO
RAMSEY CANYON AND THE

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
MANAGED SAN PEDRO NATIONAL

CONSERVATION AREA, AND
THEY DISCERNED WHAT WE

KNEW AND HAVE BEEN TELLING
PEOPLE FOR SOME YEARS,

IS THAT THESE BIRD
WATCHING TOURISTS ARE

BRINGING AN INCREDIBLE
AMOUNT OF NEW INCOME INTO

THIS ECONOMY OF
SIERRA VISTA.

IN FACT, NEARLY THREE
MILLION DOLLARS OF

ADDITIONAL MONEY IS
COMING INTO THIS ECONOMY,

ESPECIALLY AND SPECIFICALLY
BY BIRD WATCHERS.

[SHUTTER SNAPPING]

IF I WERE THE
GOVERNOR,

OR I WERE THE LEGISLATURE,
AND I WAS ASKED WHAT WOULD

BE THE BEST AND MOST SURE
FIRE WAY OF ASSURING THAT

THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
WHICH APPEARS TO BE THE

BAIT THAT'S ATTRACTING
THESE ECOTOURISTS TO

ARIZONA, THE SIMPLE,
SINGLE ANSWER THAT I WOULD

GIVE THEM IS
PROTECT HABITATS,

PARTICULARLY THE
RIPARIAN HABITAT.

IT'S THE ENTIRE MECHANISM,
WHICH HAS EVOLVED OVER

MILLIONS OF YEARS, THAT'S
KEPT THESE SPECIES AND

THESE WORKING
MECHANISMS INTACT.

WE NEED TO PROTECT
THE ENTIRE, WELL,

THE STREAMS AND THE RIVERS
OF ARIZONA AND THEN WE'LL

HAVE AN ARIZONA THAT'S GOING
TO BE INTERESTING TO THE REST

OF THE NATION AND THE REST OF
THE WORLD FOR DECADES TO COME.

OUR NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
CALLED LAST GREAT PLACES,

WHICH IS AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN MAN AND THE

ENVIRONMENT, IS A THING
THAT MANY OF US ARE

REALIZING THAT'S ITS GOING
TO REQUIRE MAN IN OUR

ECONOMIES AND THE
BIOLOGICAL PROVINCE AND

THE CONSERVATION OF
IT THAT'S GOING TO BE

ULTIMATELY WHAT EITHER
DOES OR DOES NOT PROTECT

THE INTEGRITY OF
LIFE ON EARTH.

A MECHANIC WILL TELL YA,
A MACHINE THAT'S ONLY GOT

TWO OR THREE MOVING
PARTS IS NICE,

UNLESS A PART BREAKS
AND CAN'T BE REPLACED.

A COMPLICATED MACHINE WITH
LOTS OF PARTS IS MORE

DEPENDABLE WHEN ONE LITTLE
THINGAMABOB IS IN TROUBLE.

DIVERSITY HELPS
MAKE NATURE STABLE.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE
ABOUT VARIETY THAT'S GOOD.

AND THE BEST PERSON TO ASK
IS MAYBE SOMEONE WHO'S GOT

HIMSELF THROWN IN JAIL, SOMEONE
WHOSE CHOICES ARE LIMITED.

A GOOD LIFE SEEMS TO
HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH

ALTERNATIVES, MORE KINDS
OF PLACES TO GO AND THINGS

TO SEE AND FACES AND TASTES
AND KINDS OF EXPERIENCES.

ABUNDANCE DOESN'T MEAN
MUCH WHEN IT'S AN

ABUNDANCE OF ONLY
THE PORK AND BEANS,

SO BIODIVERSITY DOES MORE THAN
KEEP THE MACHINERY STABLE.

THE DESERT AND NATURE IN
GENERAL HAS LOTS OF MOVING

PARTS, AND THAT HAS EVERYTHING
TO DO WITH HOW WE ENJOY LIFE.

HUMAN BEINGS ARE DIFFERENT
PHYSICALLY FROM EACH OTHER

IN SO MANY WAYS IT'LL GIVE
YOU AN IDEA HOW WIDE JUST

GENETIC DIVERSITY CAN BE.

HUMANS ARE JUST ONE
SPECIES, AFTER ALL.

SO ARE WOLVES AND THE
MEXICAN WOLF IS NOW SO

REDUCED IN NUMBERS THAT
THEIR GENETIC DIFFERENCES

COULD USE A LITTLE
CONSERVING.

SOME OF THESE WOLVES LIVE
AND BREED IN CAPTIVITY AT

THE ARIZONA SONORA
DESERT MUSEUM IN TUCSON.

THE PROBLEMS WITH LACK OF
GENETIC DIVERSITY HAVE TO

DO WITH LACK OF THE
ADVANTAGES OF GENETIC

DIVERSITY AND THE
ADVANTAGES OF POPULATION

OF ANIMALS HAVING A
DIVERSITY OF TYPES OF

GENES MEANS THAT THAT
POPULATION OF ANIMALS CAN

ESSENTIALLY ADAPT TO
CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE MEXICAN WOLF IS AN
INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF

GENETIC DIVERSITY BECAUSE
THE CAPTIVE POPULATION AS

A MANAGED POPULATION IS
VERY SMALL WITH VERY FEW

ANIMALS THAT FOUNDED
THAT POPULATION.

SO AS ALL WE HAVE FOR
GENETIC DIVERSITY IS WHAT

THOSE FEW WOLVES OUT OF
THE WILD BROUGHT IN.

AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY
PROBLEMS WITH LACK OF

GENETIC DIVERSITY IN
CAPTIVITY BUT OUR TACTIC

AT THIS POINT IS NOT TO LOSE
ANY MORE GENETIC DIVERSITY.

WE ARE CAREFULLY
MONITORING BREEDING,

CHOOSING PAIRS THAT WILL
MINIMIZE INBREEDING,

WILL MAXIMIZE THE
REPRESENTATION OF OUR

FOUNDING POPULATION
IN THE GENETIC POOL.

WE'RE ALSO DOING SUCH
THINGS AS ARTIFICIALLY

INCREASING LIFE SPANS BY
COLLECTING SEMEN FROM MALE

WOLVES, PRESERVING THAT BY
QUICK FREEZING IT AND WE

CAN USE THAT SEMEN
HOPEFULLY IN ONE HUNDRED

YEARS, MAYBE TWO
HUNDRED YEARS,

TO ARTIFICIALLY INSEMINATE
A FEMALE WOLF FROM

ESSENTIALLY ORIGINAL STOCK
WITH NO LOSS OF GENETIC

DIVERSITY AT THAT TIME.

THE FUTURE OF THE
MEXICAN WOLF, I THINK,

DEPENDS MORE UPON PEOPLE'S
ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOLVES

IN THE SOUTHWEST AND MEXICO
THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE TO
PRESERVE THE GENETIC

VARIABILITY. HOW MUCH LOSS OF
GENETIC VARIABILITY A WOLF

POPULATION CAN WITHSTAND
MAY BE A FAIR AMOUNT AND

STILL BE A VIABLE
WILD POPULATION.

SO I THINK THOSE SORTS
OF THINGS ARE TECHNICAL

THINGS THAT WE HAVE ANSWERS
TO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS.

THE BIG ISSUE
HAS TO DO WITH,

DO PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO
HAVE WOLVES BACK IN THE

WILD IN THE SOUTHWEST, AND
MOSTLY WHAT I HEAR IS YES

THEY WOULD LIKE THE WOLVES
HOWLING IN THE MOUNTAINS

OF THE SOUTHWEST. WITHOUT THE
HOWL OF THE WOLF,

NATURE'S MUSIC WOULD
BE LESS DIVERSE.

I GUESS THAT'S AN AESTHETIC
HOOK, HOOKING PEOPLE TO WOLVES.

BUT PEOPLE ARE HOOKED INTO
DIVERSITY

IN OTHER WAYS WE DON'T EVEN
REALIZE.

AND SOME ARE MATTERS OF LIFE
AND DEATH. DIET, FOR INSTANCE.

WE IN THE U.S. DON'T GIVE MUCH
THOUGHT TO DESERT PLANTS FOR THE

DINNER TABLE. BUT I'LL TELL YOU
WHAT, READING THE LATEST FIGURES

ON HEART DISEASE MAY JUST AWAKEN
YOUR CRAVING FOR PRICKLY PEARS.

PRICKLY PEAR HAS BEEN
KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME TO

HAVE AN EFFECT ON
PLASMA CHOLESTEROL.

I MEAN, THIS IS LIKE
SOMETHING IN MEXICO,

LIKE AN OLD WIVES' TALE
THAT PRICKLY PEAR IS GOOD

FOR EVERYTHING
YOU CAN THINK OF,

NOT ONLY CHOLESTEROL,
DIABETES, CANCER, WHATEVER.

IN THIS LAB WE WORK
WITH GUINEA PIGS,

THAT'S OUR ANIMAL MODEL,
AND IT'S WHAT WE ARE USING

TO STUDY THE
EFFECTS OF PECTIN.

AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT
PECTIN DECREASES TOTAL

CHOLESTEROL IN
GUINEA PIGS.

AND IT DECREASES
LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN,

WHICH IS KNOWN AS
THE BAD CHOLESTEROL.

THE PECTIN IS SENT
TO ME AS A POWDER,

THAT'S THE WAY IT IS
AFTER ISOLATION, AND WE

INCORPORATE IT INTO THE PELLETS
THAT WE FEED THE GUINEA PIGS.

SO IT'S PART OF THE DIET
OF THE GUINEA PIGS AND ITS

TASTELESS SO THEY DON'T EVEN
NOTICE IT. THEY JUST EAT IT.

WE ARE GIVING THE GUINEA
PIGS TWO DIFFERENT DIETS.

ONE DIET WE CALL OUR CONTROL
DIET, WHICH HAS A RELATIVELY

HIGH AMOUNT OF CHOLESTEROL IN
THE DIET. AND THEN WE FEED THE

SAME DIET TO WHICH WE ADD
PECTIN AND WE COMPARE.

AND FIRST, THE FIRST THING
WE NOTICED IS THAT TOTAL

CHOLESTEROL, AS
I SAID BEFORE,

WAS DECREASED BY
INTAKE OF PECTIN.

AND FIRST WE TRIED TO
FIGURE WHICH LIPOPROTEIN

HAD DECREASED AND IT WAS
LOW-DENSITY LEVEL PROTEIN,

WHICH IS THE BAD
CHOLESTEROL.

AND THEN AFTER WE WERE
INTERESTED IN THE MECHANISMS.

WHY, WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND SO FAR
IS THAT THE ANIMALS THAT

ARE ON THE PECTIN DIET EXPRESS
MORE LDL RECEPTORS; HEPATIC

LDL RECEPTORS THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE BODY, LDL RECEPTORS.

THAT MEANS THAT THEY
REMOVED THE LOW-DENSITY

LIPOPROTEIN FROM THE
CIRCULATION AND THAT'S WHY THEY

HAVE LESS CHOLESTEROL THAN THE
ANIMALS ON THE CONTROLLED DIET.

WE CHOOSE THE GUINEA
PIG AS THE ANIMAL MODEL

BECAUSE IT HAS A LOT OF
SIMILARITIES TO HUMANS.

NOW MOST ANIMAL MODELS DO
NOT HAVE HIGH LDL AS WE

HUMANS DO, SO THEY ARE NOT
GOOD MODELS. GUINEA PIGS

HAVE HIGH LDL IS WHY WE CHOOSE
IT AS OUR ANIMAL MODEL.

SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE
JUST TRYING TO STUDY THE

MECHANISMS BY WHICH PECTIN
DECREASES THE PLASMA CHOLESTEROL

AND IT'S HARD TO EXTRAPOLATE TO
HUMANS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY. WE WILL
HAVE

TO DO A CLINICAL STUDY
TO SEE HOW IT WORKS IN HUMANS.

BUT IT DEFINITELY
WORKS IN GUINEA PIGS.

NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE JUST
NOW WAKING UP TO HOW

HOOKED INTO NATURE WE ARE.

SOME FOLKS HAVE RECOGNIZED
FOR A LONG TIME THAT

ANIMAL AND PLANT DIVERSITY
RANKS RIGHT UP THERE WITH

THE TELEPHONE AND THE CAN
OPENER FOR KEEPING US GOING.

FOR THESE PEOPLE THE HOOKS
FEEL LIKE REVERENCE.

WELL, I STRONGLY BELIEVE
THAT CORN IS THE

FOUNDATION OF
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO;

OF OUR LIFESTYLE, OUR
RELIGION, OUR CULTURE.

WHEN A CHILD'S BORN
THEY'RE PRESENTED WITH AN

EAR OF CORN AND THEY'RE
TOLD THAT THE CORN,

THESE TWO EARS, WHITE EARS
OF CORN ARE THEIR MOTHERS.

THEY'RE SYMBOLIC OF THE
CHILD'S MOTHER, YOU KNOW.

THAT JUST SHOWS THE CHILD
THAT CORN IS GOING TO BE

IN THEIR WHOLE LIFE.

CULTURES CO-EVOLVE WITH
THE PLANTS AROUND THEM,

WITH THE PLANTS
THAT THEY USE.

WHEN YOU GROW CORN, CORN
BECOMES A PART OF YOUR LIFE.

IT'S IN YOUR DANCES,
IN YOUR SONGS,

YOU KNOW HOW TO PLANT
IT, WHEN TO PLANT IT.

SO PLANTS BECOME PART OF
THE CULTURE AND A VERY

IMPORTANT PART, BRINGING
TO CULTURES THE SAME SORT

OF DIVERSITY THAT YOU
SEE IN WILDERNESS.

THE O'ODHAM PEOPLE FEEL
THAT PLANTS AND ANIMALS

ARE JUST AS
IMPORTANT AS PEOPLE.

WE ARE, AS HUMAN BEINGS WE
ARE NO HIGHER THAN THE,

EVERYONE ELSE, EVERYTHING
ELSE THAT'S LIVING.

IN FACT, ALL OF THEM
COMMONLY REFER TO ANIMALS

AND PLANTS AND PEOPLE
INTERCHANGEABLY AS PEOPLE.

WE LIVE IN A
MULTI-CULTURAL

REGION--SEVENTY DIFFERENT
INDIAN CULTURES ALONG THE

BORDER, MEXICAN, HISPANIC
HERITAGE AS WELL AS THE

ANGLO AMERICAN
HERITAGE HERE.

AND I THINK WE HAVE
TO MOVE TOWARDS A

CROSS-CULTURAL
CONSERVATION ETHIC THAT

EVERY CULTURE CAN SHARE
AND PARTICIPATE IN AND

BRING THE TRADITIONAL
KNOWLEDGE FROM ITS OWN

PARTICULAR CUSTOMS AND
KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURAL

WORLD TO ALL OF US TO HELP
PROTECT THESE PLANTS.

BECAUSE EACH CULTURE HAS
USED A DIFFERENT SET OF

PLANTS AND IS AWARE OF THE
VALUE OF EACH OF THESE

PLANTS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

NATIVE SEED SEARCH IS A
NONPROFIT CONSERVATION

GROUP AND WE'RE
TEN YEARS OLD NOW.

WE AROSE TO MEET A NEED
THAT WE SAW ON THE INDIAN

RESERVATIONS HERE IN THE
SOUTHWEST WHERE MANY OF

THE OLD VARIETIES
OF CROPS, THE CORN,

SQUASH AND BEANS,
WERE BEING LOST.

THE PLANTS THAT ARE STILL
IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE,

THAT PEOPLE STILL RELISH EATING,
I THINK ARE SURVIVING THE BEST.

AND ONE EXAMPLE PERHAPS ARE
CHILES. IN THE WILD WE STILL

FIND THE WILD CHILTEPINS, THE
MOTHER OF CHILE. ALL OF

THE CHILE PEPPERS INCLUDING
FROM GREEN PEPPERS TO THE

HOTTEST JALAPENO EVOLVED FROM
THIS LITTLE WILD ROUND CHILE.

SO YOU, YOU FIND
IT EVOLVING,

CO-EVOLVING WITH PEOPLE
INTO ALL SORTS OF FORMS.

THESE ARE A COUPLE OF
TRADITIONAL CHILES THAT

ARE USED IN THE
SONORAN DESERT;

ONE THAT'S KIND OF A
MILD DARKER ONE FOR THE

DELICIOUS MOLE SAUCES AND
A HOTTER CHILE DE ARBOL

THAT'S USED TO FLAVOR A GOOD POT
OF BEANS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

PERHAPS ONE OF THE
GREATEST GIFTS FROM THE

NATIVE PEOPLES OF THIS
REGION WILL PROVE TO BE

THE CROPS THAT WE CAN
GROW IN OUR BACKYARDS,

THAT HAVE THE RESISTANCE
TO THE LOCAL PESTS,

THAT GROW UNDER THE EXTREME
DESERT CONDITIONS HERE.

AND WE FOUND THAT THERE'S
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF

GARDENERS THAT LOVE
EXPERIMENTING WITH THESE CROPS.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE SOME CULTURES
HAVE A FEEL FOR NATURAL

DIVERSITY. MAYBE WE GREW AWAY
FROM IT AT SOME POINT WHEN

WE MOVED INTO TOWN
FROM THE FARM.

BUT IF WE'D LIKE TO
TAP BACK INTO IT,

IT SURE MAKES SENSE TO
START BY GETTING A HANDLE

ON SOME OF THESE
HISTORIC LOCAL CROPS.

BESIDES THE RIGHT
CLIMATE AND CONDITIONS,

WHAT IT TOOK TO WHIP UP ALL
THIS NATURAL DIVERSITY IS TIME.

AND WHO KNOWS, IN
A ZILLION YEARS,

MAYBE THERE'LL BE A LOT OF
SPECIES WE NEVER IMAGINED. BUT

RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS THE DIVERSITY
IS NOT GAINING BUT SLIPPING.

SURE, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
SPECIES DISAPPEAR OVER THE

LONG HAUL, BUT THE RATE NOW
IS FASTER THAN IT USED TO BE.

THAT'S WHY WE NEED
THIS BIG PICTURE.

THAT'S WHY THE EMPHASIS
IS ON HOW LITTLE PIECES,

LIKE THE LEMON LILY, FIT
INTO THE BIG SYSTEM.

[MUSIC]

MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE DESERT
SPEAKS HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

ASARCO, INC., AN INTEGRATED
PRODUCER OF NONFERROUS METALS

AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL MINERALS
AND PRODUCTS.

ASARCO, INC., ADDING VALUE
TO NATURE'S RESOURCES.