Revisting the Tumamoc Globeberry

Tumamoca macdougalii Rose

Volunteers in Ecology Monitor the Tumamoc Globeberry

2007-2015 Results of Monitoring and Surveys
Presented at the 2015 Arizona Botanist's Meeting
Presented at the 2012 Tumamoc Hill Arizona Centennial Exhibit
Southline Transmission Project

Tumamoc globeberry was listed as an endangered species in 1986 and then dropped from the endangered list in 1993 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1986, 1993). During that period numerous surveys mapped the extent of the small isolated populations that characterize the species’ distribution in eastern Pima County. Although a few people took note of trends in one or two Tumamoc globeberry population for the next 14 years, the species mostly dropped from sight. In 2007 we revisited two sites where we would have expected to find relatively large healthy populations and were surprised to discover only a few individuals. Concern for the species’ future, at least locally, prompted us to continue monitoring those sites and to expand the effort to the extent feasible. A summary of the 2007-2008 effort was published in the Arizona Native Plant Society magazine, The Plant Press.