Janet Rizner Backs

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Research species Texas Parks and Wildlife Department		Quercus hinckleyi Currently identified on ten sites in Presidio County in West Texas, this species was listed as threatened in 1988 by both the Federal government and the state of Texas. It is found on dry limestone slopes and its range probably extends into the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. Fossilized midden remains from approximately 10,000 years ago when the climate was more mesic show that it had a larger range. As the climate became more xeric, its range diminished and became more fragmented.

Research questions	What is the genetic distribution of Q. hinckleyi at the identified sites? What does this tell us about current small population theory? How has this species adapted as a mesic climate changed to a xeric climate in a relatively short time span? What are the effects of hybridization in this species' adaptation to climate change?