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Irds of the Bookcliffs BASELINE INVENTORY

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Irds of the Bookcliffs BASELINE INVENTORY 1998 FINAL REPORT irds of the BookCliffs BASELINE INVENTORY Utah Division of Wildlile Resources Northeastern Regional Office Vernal, Utah December 1998 TABLE of CONTENTS Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Study Area 3 Figure 1: Survey Overview 4 Methods 5 Table 1: Habitat Classifications 7 Results 9 Table 2: Species Observations by Habitat 9 Table 3: Species Richness of Repeated Suneys 10 Discussion 12 Recommendations 14 References 16 Appendices 17 Appendix A: Checklist of Birds 18 Appendix B: Maps 26 Appendix C: Selected AOU Codes 33 Appendix D: Species Lists by Transect 36 1 ABSTRACT Twenty point count surveys were conducted in 1998 as part of the Book Cliffs Baseline Bird Inventory monitoring effort.Ten of these transects were initially established in 1995 and were repeated in 1996 and 1997 and 1998. Four transects were repeated from the routes first established in 1996. Six transects were repeated from those initially established in 1997. Species observations on repeated transects in 1998 increased by an average of 1.5 species/transect.Two new species were added to the Birds of the Book Cliffs checklist: Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata ) and Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli). INTRODUCTION The Book Cliffs Baseline Bird Inventory was initially designed to monitor bird populations over time in the Book Cliffs Conservation Initiative (BCCI) area. A public input effort now underway, the Book Cliffs Coordinated Resource Management Plan (BCCRMP), may change the boundaries of the original BCCI designation and thus this study effort is no longer tied to that designation. The original purpose of initiating this and other baseline wildlife studies within the Book Cliffs was to document wildlife species and population changes resulting from habitat restoration and enhancement activities. Since the first year efforts in the more restricted BCCI area, transects were expanded in 1996 and 1997 to include habitats throughout the East Tavaputs Plateau. Transects have now been established from the White River on the north, the Green River on the west, and the Utah/Colorado state line on the east. Some sampling sites in the Colorado River drainage to the south have also been established. Transect elevations range widely from 3,955 feet at the Range Creek transect in Desolation/Gray Canyons to 8,200 feet at the Peterson Springs location. The study began in 1995 with the establishment of 36 transect routes in four general habitat types. It expanded in 1996 with repeat monitoring often of those original routes and the establishment of nine new transects. In 1997, fourteen routes were repeated from 1996, three from 1995, and an additional sixteen new transects were established. These 2 transects included habitats classified as: riparian, disturbed riparian, dry canyon, and ridge top. In 1998, twenty transects were repeated from the previously established routes. However in 1998, transect habitats were classified according to BLM riparian inventory guidelines. Riparian habitats were classified according to their functionality as either proper functioning condition (PFC), functional at risk (FR), and non functioning condition (NF). Cattle grazing is a major activity within much of the Book Cliffs region. Oil and gas exploration and production is an important economic activity in many of the Book Cliffs habitats. Other human activities in the area include mining, firewood cutting, timber harvest, shed antler gathering, and hunting. Very few people live in the area on a year- round basis. The Bureau of Land Mangement (BLM) is the major land management entity in the Book Cliffs. The State and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) also manages large blocks of land as well as the typical scattered school sections throughout the Book Cliffs region. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), in addition to managing the wildlife within the Book Cliffs, also has management ownership of several thousand acres of land. In recent years, habitat restoration programs have been undertaken to restore riparian areas and adjacent lands damaged by years of heavy livestock grazing. Cooperators in these projects include the BLM, UDWR, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), the Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Shikar Safari International (SSI). This effort was made possible by the recent acquisition of the Graham and Cripple Cowboy ranches in Willow Creek, Meadow Creek, and Bitter Creek. As indicated, initial baseline wildlife surveys were directed at areas targeted for rehabilitation work in riparian habitats within these land purchases. As these baseline inventories are completed it will be possible to monitor the effects of habitat restoration efforts in the Book Cliffs on wildlife populations. 3 STUDY AREA Survey efforts during 1995 were focused primarily on the higher elevation eastern and middle portions of the Book Cliffs. In 1996 the focus with new transects shifted more to the western and lower southern reaches of the area. The 1997 survey effort on new transects keyed primarily on sampling the bordering river corridors and adjacent uplands of the Green and White Rivers as well as repetition of sampling sites from the previous two years. Surveys were conducted from across the entire area in 1998 as the study- entered a monitoring focus. Four complex areas were defined in 1995: Bitter Creek, Rat Hole Canyon, South Canyon, and Willow Creek. In 1996, two areas were added including the Nash Wash Complex and the White River Complex. In 1997 an area defined as the Desolation Canyon Complex was added to the study. Additional sampling sites were established in the White River Complex and the lower Bitter Creek and Evacuation Creek drainages. A limited number of additional transects were added within previously sampled complex areas. To facilitate future monitoring efforts, all transects were re-examined after the 1997 field season and the following six Complex areas defined: The Upper Bitter Creek Complex; the Lower Bitter Creek/Evacuation Creek Complex; the Green River/White River Complex; the Upper Willow Creek Complex; the Lower Willow Creek Complex; and the South Book Cliffs Complex. As a result of new 1998 riparian classifications, the twenty repeated surveys in 1998 were identified and each transect route classified accordingly (see table 1). All surveys were conducted in riparian habitat, however riparian habitat was rated according to its functionality. The three ratings are: proper functioning condition (PFC), functional at risk (F/R), and non-functional (NF). Most riparian types included wetland areas as well as stream-side habitats commonly including hydrophilic vegetation. Proper functioning condition routes were generally characterized by a more lush, varied vegetation component and an extensive amount Survey Overview 1995, 1996, 1997, & 1998 20 20 40 Miles A N ® 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 Survey Locations 5 of cover. Typical vegetation included cottonwood (Populus spp.). willow (Salix spp.), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), and greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) as well as a variety of forbs and grasses, sometimes including cattail (Typha latifolia), and wiregrass (Juncus articus). In contrast, those routes classified as functional at risk or non-functional; while occurring along perennial streams, offered much less cover and plant diversity. Riparian associated vegetation was most often degraded and damaged. This was a common habitat designation in the adjacent areas of the Green and White Rivers as well as in the Bitter Creek drainages. In general, these areas were dominated by sagebrush (Artemesia spp.), greasewood, and rabbitbrush (Chrysothamus spp.). METHODS The Point Count Survey method described by Ralph, et al. (1993) was used on all transects. This method measures bird populations and species diversity between habitats. The survey method entailed first selecting a general survey area then establishing a replicable transect line often points (or stations) approximately 250 meters apart. Where possible, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates for each station were acquired using a Magellan GPS 2000 portable unit. All coordinates were recorded in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) units. Most of the routes in 1998 were located along roads, jeep trails, pipelines, or stream bottoms for ease of replication. In some cases, transects deviated from roads and paralleled water courses to maintain closer proximity to riparian habitats. All routes were conducted on foot in order to minimize disturbance and maximize observation of bird species. Point counts were conducted in the early morning by hiking to the beginning point and remaining at each location 8 minutes before moving on to the next station. Most routes 6 began at about 0600 hours and no routes were initiated after 0700 hours, Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). During each eight minute interval, attention was given both to listening and watching for bird activity. Observations were recorded on standard data forms and were divided into intervals of 0-3, 3-5, and 5-8 minutes blocks. These time divisions were used in order to enable future comparisons with bird counts using other formats such as the three minute intervals with each stop with the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), administered by the USFWS. The selected eight minute time interval coincides with statewide UDWR riparian area bird surveys currently underway. American Ornithologist Union (AOU) species codes were used on all data forms. A list of the codes used in this study is found in Appendix B. Each observation was recorded with
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