Management Indicator Species of the Kaibab National Forest: an Evaluation of Population and Habitat Trends Version 3.0 2010
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Management Indicator Species of the Kaibab National Forest: an evaluation of population and habitat trends Version 3.0 2010 Isolated aspen stand. Photo by Heather McRae. Pygmy nuthatch. Photo by the Smithsonian Inst. Pumpkin Fire, Kaibab National Forest Mule deer. Photo by Bill Noble Red-naped sapsucker. Photo by the Smithsonian Inst. Northern Goshawk © Tom Munson Tree encroachment, Kaibab National Forest Prepared by: Valerie Stein Foster¹, Bill Noble², Kristin Bratland¹, and Roger Joos³ ¹Wildlife Biologist, Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office ²Forest Biologist, Kaibab National Forest, Supervisor’s Office ³Wildlife Biologist, Kaibab National Forest, Williams Ranger District Table of Contents 1. MANAGEMENT INDICATOR SPECIES ................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4 Regulatory Background ...................................................................................................... 8 Management Indicator Species Population Estimates ...................................................... 10 SPECIES ACCOUNTS ................................................................................................ 18 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates ...................................................................................... 18 Cinnamon Teal .......................................................................................................... 21 Northern Goshawk .................................................................................................... 26 Hairy Woodpecker .................................................................................................... 33 Lincoln‘s Sparrow ..................................................................................................... 39 Lucy‘s Warbler ......................................................................................................... 43 Juniper Titmouse ....................................................................................................... 47 Pygmy Nuthatch........................................................................................................ 52 Mexican Spotted Owl ............................................................................................... 56 Wild Turkey .............................................................................................................. 62 Red-Naped Sapsucker ............................................................................................... 64 Yellow-Breasted Chat ............................................................................................... 69 Elk ............................................................................................................................. 74 Mule Deer ................................................................................................................. 76 Pronghorn .................................................................................................................. 81 Red Squirrel .............................................................................................................. 85 Tassel-Eared Squirrel ................................................................................................ 87 Arizona Bugbane ...................................................................................................... 91 2. HABITAT TRENDS ON THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST .......................... 93 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 93 Background and Management Direction………………………………………………...95 Habitat Trend Estimates………………………………………………………………...102 HABITAT ACCOUNTS………………………………………………………………..105 Ponderosa Pine ........................................................................................................ 105 Aspen ...................................................................................................................... 119 Snags ....................................................................................................................... 126 Spruce Fir Forest ..................................................................................................... 145 2 Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands ..................................................................................... 151 Grasslands ............................................................................................................... 161 Riparian Habitat and Associated PNVTs .................................................................... 175 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………192 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………..233 3 1. Management Indicator Species INTRODUCTION This report provides information about management indicator species (MIS) for the Kaibab National Forest (KNF) in northern Arizona. It also includes a description of the status and trends of the major habitat types on the KNF. This report is intended to be used for regulatory, planning, and public education purposes. It is considered a “living document” which allows the KNF to update specific sections of the report as new science becomes available. In calendar year 2007 the MIS portion of the document was updated. The habitat portion was updated in calendar year 2009. The 1.6 million acre KNF is located on the Colorado Plateau. The Mogollon Rim forms the south boundary while Grand Canyon National Park bisects the center of the forest. Changes in elevation, soil type (basalt in the south vs. limestone in the north), historical land use, and land ownership lend way to a diverse landscape comprised of 3 spatially distinct ranger districts. The Williams (613,459 acres) and Tusayan (331,428 acres) Ranger Districts (RDs) make up the South Zone (SZ), while the North Kaibab (NK) RD (655,078 acres) encompasses land north and south of the Grand Canyon. Elevations on the KNF range from approximately 3,300 feet in Kanab Creek to 10,418 feet at the top of Kendrick Mountain. The Forest is comprised of grasslands and sagebrush in the lower elevations, making the transition to pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine to mixed-conifer, fir, spruce and aspen with increasing elevation. As a result of such topographical and geological variability there are some distinct differences, particularly between the NKRD and the SZ which make uniform forest-wide trend estimates somewhat problematic in nature in some instances. We have noted these exceptions by district where applicable. For example, diminished aspen recruitment is a concern on the Williams RD where the effects from elk browse are numerous. However, in the case of the NKRD, where the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) manages for much lower elk numbers, the resulting pressure on aspen recruitment in the area is negligible. Different management strategies for this large game species affect both the interpretation of trends for elk and aspen in different ways for each district. Other notable differences between the North and South Kaibab are an artifact of previous logging operations. Forests on the NKRD contain trees of greater diameter than those on the Williams RD because they were not commercially logged as heavily during historic times. The NKRD contains the only example of a fundamentally intact mature forest on the KNF. However, the Williams RD contains the only active spotted owl protected activity centers (PACs) on the Forest and habitat changes on the SZ are more likely to impact this MIS. Finally, the spatially disjunct nature of the 3 districts can influence population estimates for wide ranging mammal herds such as elk, deer, and, pronghorn by affecting connectivity and seasonal movement patterns. 4 Regulatory Background National Directives The USDA Forest Service is charged with managing all renewable resources, including wildlife, on National Forest lands. This obligation was enacted by Congress and set forth in the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976. As a federal law, the NFMA is the primary statute governing the administration of National Forests. The Forest Service first promulgated regulations implementing NFMA in September, 1979, and subsequently revised them in 1982 (known as the 1982 Rule). The 1976 legislation requires the Secretary of Agriculture to assess forest lands, and develop and implement a land and resource management plan for each unit of the National Forest System. These management plans, commonly known as Forest Plans, guide management activities on each National Forest. Therefore, site-specific projects proposed on national forests must comply with the applicable Forest Plan. The 1982 regulations require Forest Plans to manage fish and wildlife habitat so viable populations of existing native and desired non- native vertebrate species are maintained in the planning area (i.e., each individual National Forest). Under the 1982 regulations, a viable population is regarded as one that has the estimated numbers and distribution of reproductive individuals to insure its continued existence, is well distributed in the planning area, and that habitat must be well distributed so that those individuals can interact with others in the planning area. Because it is impossible to address the thousands of species that occur on National Forests, the use of MIS serves as a barometer for more than the selected species and a surrogate for addressing other species‘ ecological needs. As directed