Raramuri Criollo: Old Genetics for New Landscapes

Raramuri Criollo is a Bos taurus biotype with characteristics that are showing promise for profitable and sustainable production in the arid US Southwest. On-ranch research has shown that compared with breeds commonly used in the Southwest, Raramuri Criollo travel greater distances from water, spend more time grazing and traveling, forage on low-quality grasses, and appear to experience less heat stress – while gaining weight and maintaining desirable body condition.
Rancher observation and research suggest that Raramuri Criollo have the following characteristics:
  • Improved distribution and efficiency during foraging
  • Hardy, self-reliant and suited to arid environments
  • Lower impact on sensitive soils and vegetation
  • Quality carcass from all-forage diet
  • Protective mothering styles
  • High fertility and longevity
  • Mild temperament
  • Small calves
Read more here about current criollo research
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Riparian/Bosque:

Mesquite (Prosopis spp.) forests or Bosques are unique and biodiverse riparian forests. Bosques occur primarily along high floodplains in riparian ecosystems below 1200 m in elevation. Today, bosques are composed of dense stands of small young trees. Mesquite is the dominant overstory species with a variety of small shrubs and herbaceous plants making up the understory. With a deep root system almost reaching the water table and a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Mesquite is a highly productive species promoting biodiversity and providing habitat to wildlife. With this high biodiversity, Mesquite Bosques has a higher density of breeding bird species than any other habitat in the southwest (Stromberg, 1993).

Species Composition

There are three native mesquite species found in the Bosques of the southwest; honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and velvet mesquite (P. velutina) which are in riparian and upland ecosystems and screwbean mesquite or tornillo (P. pubescens) which is restricted to riparian ecosystems and floodplains. Less than 25% of overstory trees in bosques are species other than mesquite (Stromberg, 1993) mainly including cottonwood and willow species (Carothers et al., 2020) (table x). Bosques have a middle stratum comprised of vine and shrub species and an herbaceous understory (Stromberg, 1993).

Table 4. Bosque Overstory Vegetation Species. Adapted from Stromberg (1993)

Common Name Scientific Name
Honey mesquiteProsopis glandulosa
Velvet mesquiteProsopis velutina
Screwbean mesquite/tornilloProsopis pubescens
Fremont cottonwoodPopulus fremontii
Goodding willowSalix gooddingii
Catclaw acaciaAcacia gregii Gray
Netleaf hackberryCeltis reticulata
Blue palo verdeCercidium floridum
Arizona walnutJuglans major
Texas muberryMorus microphylla
Desert willowChilopsis linearis
Velvet AshFraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh, ssp. velutina
Mexican elderSambucus mexicana
SoapberrySapindus saponariaL. var. drummondii


Historical Conditions

Historically, Bosques were the most abundant riparian forest type in the southwest. At one point, these forests occupied floodplains and often spanned hundreds of kilometers along rivers such as the Gila and Colorado (Stromberg, 1993). Today, bosques are significantly reduced to remnants as anthropogenic changes have eliminated or significantly reduced this forest type. Many species rely on Bosques so this reduction in forest area, has also led to a loss of other plant and animal species (Carothers et al., 2020; Stromberg, 1993).

Climate Impacts 

Human activities such as groundwater pumping, land clearing, and livestock grazing threaten Southwestern Bosques. Few bosques remain and few to none are in pristine condition (Stromberg, 1993). Despite the significant decline from historic composition, Bosques are well-adapted to arid environments. Mesquites have Dimorphic root with a deep tap root that reach alluvial aquifers and lateral roots that reach surface water and flooding (Leenhouts et al., 2006), allow them to replace willow and cottonwood in these systems (Carothers et al., 2020) escape seasonal droughts by storing viable seeds in seed banks, long life span (Stromberg, 1993).