PhD Student
Karen Munroe has been working with the Round-tailed Ground
Squirrel population at Casas Grandes Ruins for five years. Her field
work and conclusions about squirrel population dynamics are featured in
the September issue of Arizona Highways. In addition to DNA testing,
tagging and behavioral observation, Karen has also used
ground-penetrating radar to examine the species' underground tunnels,
which it turned out, were not deep enough to undermine the structures
at the Ruins. Karen's work helps the managers at Casas Grandes to meet
both the cultural and wildlife dimensions of their mission.
