Wildlife Specialist report
Wildlife Specialist report
Wildlife Specialist report
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Sensitive Species<br />
Alt. B<br />
Existing Condition<br />
Determination by Alternative<br />
Alt. C Alt. D Alt. E Alt. F Alt. G<br />
Narrow-headed gartersnake MI MI MI MI MI<br />
Reticulate Gila monster MI MI MI MI MI<br />
Rationale For Determination Under alternatives D to G, the potential effects to reptiles and amphibians are<br />
reduced, particularly under alternative E. Under alternative C there is an increase<br />
in motorized routes in the Mexican gartersnake, and Gila Monster analysis areas;<br />
and a 1% decrease in the Arizona toad and narrow-headed gartersnake analysis<br />
area. Under alternatives F and C, the amount of available habitat in riparian<br />
species habitat accessible to motorized big game retrieval remains high. This<br />
activity may not occur often in this habitat type, but as stated with other riparian<br />
species/groups, the potential to cause several years of damage with a single entry<br />
is high. The amount of potentially affected habitat in a given year would be<br />
small, considering the relatively low number of motorized game retrievals that<br />
could occur in a given year and the amount of Forest Service land that this<br />
activity has the potential to occur in. The potential to affect individuals under all<br />
action alternatives still exists; therefore, a determination of “may impact” is<br />
made for all action alternatives. None of the alternatives would affect the<br />
viability of these species or the viability of any other reptile or amphibian that<br />
occurs on the Gila National Forest.<br />
*MI – May impact<br />
Avian Analysis<br />
Analyses for this document in regard to avian species are based on an extensive literature<br />
review, the Gila National Forest Plan, The Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan,<br />
Northern Goshawk Management Recommendations (GTR RM-17), and the New Mexico<br />
Partners in Flight (NMPIF) Draft Land Bird Conservation Plan for the State of New<br />
Mexico (New Mexico Partners in Flight 2010).<br />
Studies examining the effects that motorized roads have on avifauna are relatively<br />
numerous compared to guilds of other species such as large carnivores, and amphibians.<br />
Studies emphasizing the direct effect of road mortality to bird species were historically<br />
most prevalent, with more recent ornithological analyses focusing on habitat<br />
fragmentation, habitat modification, and road effects to migratory bird species. Liddle<br />
(1997) states that road building and particularly alteration of roadside habitat, can have a<br />
major effect on passerine (songbird) species. Volume of traffic was shown to have a<br />
quantitative effect on the density of nesting birds (Reijnen et al. 1995), with noise<br />
identified as the main disturbance factor. Edges of roads with low traffic densities may<br />
actually provide nesting areas for some species, if managed properly (Warner 1992).<br />
Gaines et al. (2003) summarized motorized routes’ effects to focal species of birds<br />
occurring as edge effects, habitat loss or fragmentation, disturbance at specific sites,<br />
collisions, snag reduction, physiological response, and routes for competitors or<br />
predators. Habitats important to bird species vary widely according to each species’ life<br />
history, and occur across the entire forest. As with analyses for the other guilds of species<br />
in this analysis, it is appropriate for focal species to be selected from each habitat type to<br />
be selected. Analysis was conducted for the following guilds of avian species: raptorial<br />
birds, primary cavity nesters, riparian birds, songbirds from forested areas, songbirds<br />
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