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SMNRA Landscape Analysis

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SMNRA Landscape Analysis FINAL REPORT LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS CHAPTERS 3 AND 4: CURRENT AND REFERENCE CONDITIONS Prepared for: USDA FOREST SERVICE SPRING MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA HUMBOLDT-TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST Contract No. AG-9360-C-06-0003 Prepared by: ENTRIX, INC. Las Vegas, NV Project No. 3138801 August 2008 FINAL REPORT LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS CHAPTERS 3 AND 4: CURRENT AND REFERENCE CONDITIONS Prepared for: USDA FOREST SERVICE SPRING MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA HUMBOLDT-TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 Prepared by: ENTRIX, INC. 8010 W. Sahara Avenue, Suite 110 Las Vegas, Nevada 89117 702-413-1020 Project No. 3138801 August 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................1 2.0 HUMAN USE CONDITIONS......................................................................................................................1 2.1 History of Human Use ......................................................................................................................1 2.1.1 American Indians................................................................................................................2 2.1.2 Euro-American Settlers.......................................................................................................3 2.2 Current Human Use ..........................................................................................................................7 2.2.1 Recreational Facilities and Locations................................................................................8 2.2.2 Recreation Use..................................................................................................................28 2.2.3 Profile of Recreation Visitors ...........................................................................................33 2.2.4 Future Recreation Development.......................................................................................36 2.2.5 Effect of Management Direction on Recreation Opportunities ........................................43 2.2.6 Use of the Above Data for Analysis Purposes – Chapter 5 Preview ................................45 2.2.7 Non-Recreation Human Use.............................................................................................46 3.0 ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS.................................................................................................................49 3.1 Vegetation Communities Classification..........................................................................................50 3.1.1 Desert Shrubland Plant Community Zone ........................................................................59 3.1.2 Low Conifer Plant Community Zone ................................................................................68 3.1.3 High Conifer Plant Community Zone ...............................................................................73 3.1.4 Alpine Plant Community Zone..........................................................................................82 3.1.5 Steep Slopes and Cliffs Plant Community Zone................................................................86 3.1.6 Riparian and Springs Plant Community Zone ..................................................................91 3.2 Exotic Plants .................................................................................................................................100 3.2.1 Reference Conditions......................................................................................................100 3.2.2 Current Occurrences ......................................................................................................101 3.3 Surface Water Sources..................................................................................................................102 3.3.1 Springs and Seeps...........................................................................................................102 3.3.2 Guzzlers ..........................................................................................................................108 3.3.3 Additional Water Sources ...............................................................................................109 3.4 Soils ..............................................................................................................................................109 3.5 Fire................................................................................................................................................113 3.5.1 Reference Conditions......................................................................................................113 3.5.2 Current Conditions .........................................................................................................113 3.6 Elk.................................................................................................................................................114 3.6.1 Reference Conditions......................................................................................................114 3.6.2 Current Conditions .........................................................................................................114 i TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.7 Horses and Burros.........................................................................................................................117 3.7.1 Reference conditions.......................................................................................................117 3.7.2 Current Conditions .........................................................................................................117 4.0 SPECIES ACCOUNTS.............................................................................................................................118 4.1 Mammals ......................................................................................................................................121 4.1.1 Western Small-footed Myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) ........................................................121 4.1.2 Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis) .................................................................................126 4.1.3 Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes) ..............................................................................131 4.1.4 Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans) ..............................................................................135 4.1.5 Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)..................................................................................140 4.1.6 Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) ...............................................................141 4.1.7 Spotted Bat (Euderma maculatum).................................................................................145 4.1.8 Allen’s Lappet-browed Bat (Idionycteris phyllotis)........................................................147 4.1.9 Pale Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens) ........................151 4.1.10 Palmer’s Chipmunk (Neotamias palmeri) ......................................................................156 4.2 Birds..............................................................................................................................................161 4.2.1 Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)...........................................................................161 4.2.2 American Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum)................................................165 4.2.3 Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus).............................................................................166 4.2.4 Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea)...............................................173 4.2.5 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) ......................................177 4.2.6 Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) .................................................................................178 4.2.7 Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)..............................................................................180 4.2.8 Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)..................................................................................181 4.3 Reptiles .........................................................................................................................................182 4.3.1 Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) – Mojave Population...........................................182 4.3.2 Western banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)...............................................................184 4.3.3 Western Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) .........................................................................188 4.3.4 Banded Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum cinctum) .................................................189 4.3.5 Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) ........................................................191 4.3.6 Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores) ................................................192 4.3.7 Western Red-tailed Skink (Eumeces gilberti rubricaudatus) ..........................................194 4.3.8 California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae)................................................195 4.3.9 Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans)......................................................................................197 4.3.10 Sonoran Lyre Snake (Trimorphodon biscutatus
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