Mesquite bosques are characterized by stands of mature mesquite trees with low-stem density and a dense, closed canopy. These habitats are known to support a diversity of native plants in the understory and wildlife. In an effort to restore a bosque structure to a velvet mesquite community, scientists with The Nature Conservancy implemented a tree thinning experiment in 1998 at Bingham Cienega Natural Preserve (the Preserve), a 115-ha site on the San Pedro River owned by the Pima County Flood Control District. The site was revisited for monitoring in 2017, 19 years after the thinning occurred.
