Wildlife Specialist report

the forest edge (New Mexico Partners in Flight 2010). They prefer forests dominated by
ponderosa pine or Douglas-fir, and New Mexico Partners in Flight recommends
maintaining open meadows and more open canopy within a 1-mile zone surrounding
meadows. In areas managed for wild turkey, Hamann et al. (1999) suggest that managers
minimize the number of roads open to public use. Holbrook and Vaughan (1985)
suggested that managers should consider minimum road alternatives for meeting forest
objectives. They concluded that the difference between turkey mortality and proximity to
roads in the hunting season verses the off season was 95 meters.
Roberts and Porter (1998) state that nesting success is the most important demographic
parameter affecting wild turkey population sizes. Badyaev and Faust (1996) found that
successful nests were located an average of 290 m. from roads, + 50 m. To analyze
effects to this guild of species from the proposed action and each alternative of the Travel
Management Project on the Gila National Forest, analysis will focus on two factors:
1. To analyze the potential for harvest/direct disturbance effects of motorized
activities to game birds road densities were measured, as these densities pertain to
the proposed action and each alternative.
2. To analyze disturbance/indirect effects a disturbance zone of 300 meters from
roads was used as it pertains to the proposed action and to each alternative.
Mearn’s quail (Management Indicator Species and Regionally Sensitive Species
Representative of Plains/Mountain Grassland Vegetation Cover Type) - The Mearns’
quail is an indicator of plains and mountain grassland vegetation cover types. Mearns’
quail are present in most of the mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona, southwestern
New Mexico, southwestern Texas and northwestern Mexico. The species inhabits warm,
temperate forests and woodlands. Their principal habitat is open oak or pine-oak
woodland areas with an understory of grassland savanna in foothills and montane areas
between 5,000 and 10,000 feet (NatureServe, 2001). They seldom go far from pine-oak
woodlands due to dependence on succulent, bulb-producing forbs that grow in the
understory. Mearns’ quail feed exclusively on the ground using their long, curved claws
to scratch and dig for bulbs and tubers. Their annual diet is basically 50-75% bulbs from
Oxalis and flat sedge (nut grass); the remainder is made up of seeds and insects
(NatureServe, 2001). Acorns become important during years they are produced but
cannot be relied upon annually. Mearns’ quail are able to procure enough moisture in the
foods they eat and are not dependent on free water (NatureServe, 2001).
Quail populations fluctuate from year to year for a number of reasons, primarily local
weather conditions and predators. Limiting factors for quail populations include
predation, habitat modification and annual precipitation. Excessive cover removal can
affect the species by limiting nest building habitat and escape cover. Brown (1982)
suggested that forage utilization in wooded and open grassland within about 46 m of tree
overstory must be below the 51-55% range to compensate for dry years. While the 40-
45% level provides a slight safety margin and should adequately compensate for minor
fluctuations in forage production during most years, the 35-40% range is preferable as it
provides some additional protection for years of extremely low forage production
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