Santa Fe National Forest Plan Final Assessment Report Volume I
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United States Department of Agriculture Santa Fe National Forest Plan Final Assessment Report Volume I. Ecological Resources Forest Service Santa Fe National Forest June 2016 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD- 3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Volume I, Ecological Report Santa Fe National Forest Plan Final Assessment Report Volume I. Ecological Resources For further information contact: Santa Fe National Forest Plan Revision Team 11 Forest Lane Santa Fe, NM 87508 Phone: (505) 438-5442 or (505) 438-5300 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/santafeforestplan Abstract: The Assessment presents and evaluates existing information about relevant ecological, economic, and social conditions, trends, and risks to sustainability and their relationship to the 1987 Santa Fe National Forest plan, within the context of the broader landscape. Fifteen topics are presented in two volumes. Volume I covers vegetation, water resources including aquatic biota, at-risk species in the plan area, soils, air, and carbon. Volume II covers cultural and historic resources and uses; areas of tribal importance; social, cultural, and economic sustainability; extractive multiple uses of timber, ranger and grazing, water, and fish and wildlife; recreational settings and scenery; designated areas; infrastructure; lands status and ownership; and energy and minerals. Contributors: Core team Lindsay Buchanan, Forest Plan Revision Collaboration Specialist, Santa Fe National Forest Abie Carabajal, Forest Plan Revision Ecologist and Ecological Lead, Santa Fe National Forest Charles Clark, Forest Plan Revision Collaboration Specialist, Santa Fe National Forest Jennifer Cramer, Forest Plan Revision Lead and Forest Planner, Santa Fe National Forest Jessica Dunn, Forest Plan Revision Recreation, Scenery, and Designated Areas Specialist, Cibola and Santa Fe National Forests Shannon Kelardy, Forest Plan Revision Planning Specialist and Socio-Economics Lead, Santa Fe National Forest Mary Orr, Forest Plan Revision Wildlife Biologist, Santa Fe National Forest Dave Park, Watershed Program Manager and Forest Plan Revision Hydrologist, Santa Fe National Forest Daryl Ratajczak, Forest Plan Revision Wildlife Biologist, Santa Fe National Forest Jessica Richardson, Forest Plan Revision Collaboration Specialist (detailer), Santa Fe National Forest Sidney Woods, Forest Plan Revision Planning Specialist and Socio-Economics Lead (detailer), Santa Fe National Forest Santa Fe National Forest iii Forest Plan Assessment Report Extended team Will Amy, Wildlife Program Manager, Santa Fe National Forest Anne Apodaca, Recreation Program Manager, Santa Fe National Forest William Armstrong, Fuels Specialist, Santa Fe National Forest Christine Bishop, Forest Range Program Manager, Santa Fe National Forest Mike Bremer, Forest Archaeologist, Santa Fe National Forest Dennis Carril, Fire Ecologist, Santa Fe National Forest Mike Frazier, Forest Recreation, Lands, Minerals, and Engineering Staff Officer; Santa Fe National Forest Anne Goode, Planning Specialist, Ecosystem Management Coordination, Washington Office Larry Gore, Geologist, Santa Fe National Forest Josh Hall, Air and Water Quality Specialist/Liaison to NMED, New Mexico National Forests Lee Harrelson, Forest Engineer, Santa Fe National Forest Nicole Hill, Landscape Architect, Enterprise Program Hillary Hudson, GIS Specialist, Santa Fe National Forest Julie Luetzelschwab, GIS Coordinator, Santa Fe National Forest Micah Kiesow, Soil Scientist, Southwestern Region Jason McInteer, Assistant Forest Archaeologist, Santa Fe National Forest Rueben Montes, Tribal Relations and CFRP, Santa Fe National Forest Chris Napp, Planning Specialist, Santa Fe National Forest Roger Norton, Realty Specialist, Santa Fe National Forest Alyssa Radcliff, Wildlife Biologits, Carson National Forest Ken Reese, East Zone Silviculturalist, Santa Fe National Forest Cecil Rich, Forest Fish Biologist, Santa Fe National Forest Jon Williams, Ecosystem Staff Officer, Santa Fe National Forest Santa Fe National Forest iv Volume I, Ecological Report List of Commonly Used Acronyms BASI Best Available Scientific Information CCVA Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment CFR Code of Federal Regulations CPGB Colorado Plateau/Great Basin Grasslands1 CWD Coarse Woody Debris CZ Central Zone ERU Ecological Response Unit FI Fire Interval FIA Forest Inventory and Analysis FRCC Fire Regime Condition Class HERB Herbaceous Riparian HRV Historical Range of Variability HUC Hydrological Unit Code ILAP Integrated Lands Assessment Project JUG Juniper Grasslands1 MCD Mixed Conifer – Frequent Fire1 MCW Mixed Conifer w/ Aspen1 MSG Montane Subalpine Grassland1 MTBS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity NAAQ National ambient air quality standards NADP National Atmospheric Deposition Program NMAAQS New Mexico ambient air quality standards NMED New Mexico Environment Department NMED-AQB New Mexico Environment Department, Air Quality Bureau NSHR Narrowleaf Cottonwood Shrub1 NEZ North-East Zone NFS National Forest System NRV Natural Range of Variation NWZ North-West Zone PJG Piñon-Juniper Grassland1 PJO Piñon-Juniper Woodland1 PJS Piñon-Juniper Sagebrush1 PNC Potential Natural Community PNVT Potential Natural Vegetation Types PPF Ponderosa Pine Forest1 RAD Risk Assessment Database RMAP Regional Riparian Mapping Project SAGE Sagebrush1 SCC Species of Conservation Concern SEZ South-East Zone SFF Spruce Fir Forest1 SWZ South-West Zone TES Terrestrial Ecosystem Survey TEU Terrestrial Ecological Unit TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load VDDT Vegetation Dynamics Development Tool 1 Ecological Response Unit Santa Fe National Forest v Forest Plan Assessment Report -- Contents Forest Plan Assessment Report Santa Fe National Forest Volume I. Ecological Report Contents Assessment Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 Structure of the Assessment Report .......................................................................................................... 1 Setting, Distinctive Features, and Background of the Santa Fe National Forest ...................................... 2 Ecosystem Services .................................................................................................................................. 4 Best Available Scientific Information ...................................................................................................... 6 Public Participation ................................................................................................................................... 7 Tribal Engagement ................................................................................................................................ 9 Ecological Assessment Introduction ........................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1. Vegetation ................................................................................................................................. 11 Reference Conditions (Natural Range of Variation – NRV) .................................................................. 12 Departure............................................................................................................................................. 12 Terrestrial Ecosystems ............................................................................................................................ 13 Spatial Scales of Analysis for Terrestrial Ecological Systems ..........................................................