Any discussion of conservation must include the consequences of human impacts. Management of natural resources is vital to conservation efforts in the San Francisco Peaks region, within which lies the C. Hart Merriam Elevation Gradient. This unique region serves as an example of a diverse semi-arid ecosystem where managers are trying to balance growth with conservation. Among the many issues that affect natural resource management in the area are drought, fire, and invasive species. These natural resource management issues can be traced throughout the history of habitation in the area.

Conservation has been an integral part of long-term habitation in the region dating back to the Sinagua Indians that lived in the area from about 800 A.D. until about 1225 A.D. Many researchers believe the Sinagua may have been forced to leave the area due to a combination of extreme flood/drought conditions, poor land use practices, and possibly cultural upheaval. Archaeological evidence suggests the Sinagua experienced high soil salinity, a consequence of large-scale agricultural irrigation practices.

Though we do not have much direct evidence of what caused the Sinagua, Cohonina, and Anasazi to leave the area, we have enough evidence to suggest that the wise management of natural resources--particularly water, land, and plant and animal populations--was crucial to their existence in this semi-arid area. In an already unpredictable flood/drought ecosystem, mismanaging any one of these resources could tip the scales unfavorably and, on a human time scale, irreparably.