The main objective of this two-semester Practicum was to evaluate the utility of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing methodologies for resource management in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. Feature detection and image classification were particularly emphasized. This report is intended as a reference for managers needing to monitor and accurately assess change over spatial extents too large for traditional inventory methods. Such large area land characterization is well suited for the generation of predictive models focused on the impacts of land use, the detection of archaeological resources, and the study of the changing nature of regional landscapes. This report provides detailed evaluation of methodologies designed for monitoring the resources of the northern Chihuahuan Desert. Four study sites have been chosen as representative of the larger region. these areas were chosen because of the wide diversity of land cover and distinctive land use histories that are felt to integrate many of the patterns and processes within the northern Chihuahuan region. three sites are within the United States Army's Fort Bliss installation, located in El Paso County in western Texas, and Doa Ana and Otero Counties in south-central New Mexico, and the fourth location is a subset of the Jornada-LTER site which is 37 km north of Las Cruces.