Bosque

A bosque (/ˈboʊskeɪ/ BOHSS-kay)[1][2] is a type of gallery forest habitat found along the riparian flood plains of streams, river banks, and lakes.

In the predominantly arid or semi-arid southwestern United States, a bosque is an oasis-like ribbon of green forest, often canopied, that only exists near rivers, streams, or other water courses.

The most notable bosque is the 300-mile (500 km)-long forest ecosystem along the valley of the middle Rio Grande in New Mexico that extends from Santa Fe, through Albuquerque and south to El Paso, Texas.

[8] Because there is often only a single canopy layer and because the tree species found in the bosque are generally deciduous, a wide variety of shrubs, grasses, and other understory vegetation is also supported.

Desert hackberry, blue palo verde, graythorn (Condalia lycioides), Mexican elder (Sambucus mexicana), virgin's bower, and Indian root all flourish in the bosque.

In 2017, 150 different species of flora (trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses) were documented in Albuquerque's Bosque (New Mexico, United States).

[13] There are ongoing efforts to undo damage to the bosque ecosystem caused by human development, fires, and invasive species in the 20th century.