Assessment of Native Species and Ungulate Grazing in the Southwest: Terrestrial Wildlife
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United States Department of Agriculture Assessment of Native Species Forest Service and Ungulate Grazing in the Rocky Mountain Research Station Southwest: Terrestrial Wildlife General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-142 Patrick W. Zwartjes September 2005 Jean-Luc E. Cartron Pamela L. L. Stoleson Walter C. Haussamen Tiffany E. Crane Abstract ______________________________________ Zwartjes, Patrick W.; Cartron, Jean-Luc E.; Stoleson, Pamela L. L.; Haussamen, Walter C.; Crane, Tiffany E. 2005. Assessment of Native Species and Ungulate Grazing in the Southwest: Terrestrial Wildlife. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-142. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 74 p. plus CD. Range managers in the Southwestern States are increasingly being required to develop management strategies that take into consideration the conservation of wildlife populations. However, information on many aspects of the fundamental biology and impacts of grazing on individual species is still lacking in the scientific and government literature. This report documents a project designed to assemble this information for terrestrial wildlife in Arizona and New Mexico that have the potential to be negatively impacted by grazing or range management practices. To achieve this, a two-stage panel process was developed that employed a variety of wildlife experts to create a list of potentially vulnerable species and to develop an informational database. Panelists first reviewed and assessed all terrestrial vertebrates in the region to develop an initial list. In the second stage, the panelists refined the list, reviewed published information drafted into individual species accounts, and then augmented these accounts with information from their own experience and observations. The resulting database contains accounts for 305 species and subspecies of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including a computer database that allows managers to search and query the species accounts based on geographic distribution as well as shared ecological and life history characteristics. Keywords: Arizona, grazing effects, New Mexico, range management, Southwest, terrestrial wildlife, ungulate grazing, wildlife management Acknowledgments ______________ Bryce Rickel (Region 3) provided important technical advice and assistance from the Regional Office. Other The publication of this project represents the contribu- participants throughout the development of this project tions of many individuals who worked on the initial included Curt Flather, Darren Bender, and Will Moir conceptualization and development of the entire South- (RMRS, Flagstaff). Special thanks go to Bob Vahle and west grazing assessment, as well as the writing and editing Joan Scott of the Arizona Game and Fish Department for of the final product. The authors wish to first express our their participation. We also recognize Ray Owen (who appreciation to all the panel participants for sharing their developed the Microsoft Access database for the species time and expertise. This project was initiated by Richard accounts) and the offices of RHI Consulting (Robert Half Holthausen (USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC), International, Inc.) in Albuquerque for providing important Sandy Boyce (USDA Forest Service, Region 3), and Debbie technical and logistical support. Michele Zwartjes and Finch (Rocky Mountain Research Station - Albuquerque). Scott Stoleson contributed draft species accounts for the Region 3 provided important funding and other assistance Stage II panels, and David Whalen assisted in editing the throughout the course of this project; special appreciation postpanel accounts. We also acknowledge the inputs of two goes to the contributions of Don DeLorenzo and Nick reviewers, Tom O’Neil of the Northwest Habitat Institute Schmal (Wildlife, Fish, and Rare Plants) and Dave Stewart (Corvallis, OR), and Mark Watson of New Mexico Depart- (Rangeland Management). Additional financial, logistical, ment of Game and Fish (Santa Fe, NM). Finally, our thanks and office support was provided by Rocky Mountain Re- to Louise Kingsbury, Lillie Thomas, Nancy Chadwick, and search Station Research Work Unit-4351 in Albuquerque. the rest of the staff of the Rocky Mountain Research Station We also thank Richard Holthausen for contributing funding Publishing Services (Ogden, UT) for their contributions in from the USDA Forest Service Washington Office for producing the final report. personnel and publication costs. The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service Assessment of Native Species and Ungulate Grazing in the Southwest: Terrestrial Wildlife The Authors _____________________________________ Patrick W. Zwartjes worked as a postdoctoral Research Wildlife Biologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Albuquerque, NM, from 2000 to 2003. He received his Ph.D. degree in biology from the University of New Mexico in 1997 and is currently a biology instructor at Portland Community College, Portland, OR ([email protected] or [email protected]). Jean-Luc E. Cartron completed his Ph.D. degree in biology at the University of New Mexico in 1995 and worked as a postdoctoral Research Wildlife Biologist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Albuquerque from 1997 to 2000. He is currently the Director of the New Mexico office of the Drylands Institute, a nonprofit research organization, and Assistant Research Professor at University of New Mexico ([email protected]). Pamela L. L. Stoleson is a native of Aztec, NM, and earned a master’s degree in biology from California State University at Fullerton. She worked for the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Albuquerque from 1998 to 2002, and currently lives in Sugar Grove, PA ([email protected]). Walter C. Haussamen came to work for the Rocky Mountain Research Station in 2000 after retiring from a 25-year career with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in Santa Fe. He has a master’s degree in wildlife management from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and is currently continuing his “retirement” as the Natural Resources Manager for the U.S. Army Garrison, Combat Support Training Center in Fort Hunter Liggett, CA ([email protected]). Tiffany E. Crane worked on this project for the Rocky Mountain Research Station from 2000 to 2001. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola University in New Orleans, LA, and is currently working toward a law degree at Loyola ([email protected]). You may order additional copies of this publication by sending your mailing information in label form through one of the following media. Please specify the publication title and number. Telephone (970) 498-1392 FAX (970) 498-1396 E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/rm Mailing Address Publications Distribution Rocky Mountain Research Station 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80526 Contents________________________________________ Page Introduction: ................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 2 Methods: The Panel Process ....................................................................................... 3 Stage I ...................................................................................................................... 3 Draft Species Accounts ............................................................................................ 3 Stage II ..................................................................................................................... 4 Species Account Database ....................................................................................... 4 Methods: Species Account Guide .............................................................................. 12 Species Account Elements: Definitions and Descriptions ...................................... 12 Results: Species List Generated by the Panel Process ............................................. 19 Stage I Results ....................................................................................................... 19 Stage II Results ...................................................................................................... 19 Results: Panel Findings on Grazing/Wildlife Interactions .......................................... 21 Interpreting the “Grazing Effects” Section ............................................................... 21 Summary of Panel Findings on Ecological Interactions with Wildlife ...................... 21 Summary .................................................................................................................... 37 References ................................................................................................................. 38 Appendix A—Grazing Assessment Panelists ............................................................ 44 Appendix B—Species Account Template .................................................................. 45 Appendix C—Annotated Bibliography of Major Information Sources ........................ 49 Appendix D—Species Removed by Stage II Panels ................................................