Mixed Conifer

Mixed Conifer type habitat is found roughly from 8000 to 10,000 feet in New Mexico.

It covers portions of the all higher mountain ranges, including the Mogollon Rim, the Sacramento Mountains, and the Animas Mountains in Hildalgo County.

These forests contain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and white fir (Abies concolor), blue spruce (Picea pungens), aspen (Populus tremuloides) and several pine species including southwestern white (Pinus strobiformis), ponderosa (P. ponderosa) and limber pine (P. flexilis). Warm mixed conifer forests are found in the Animas, Sacramento, San Francisco and Mogollon Mountains and some of the Black Range. They contain forests of Douglas-fir and netleaf (Quercus rugosa) or silverleaf oak (Q. hypoleucoides).

This habitat type can contain other tree species including bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata), Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii), corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa), big-toothed maple (Acer grandidentatum), Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum), Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and occasionally alligator juniper (Juniperus deppeana). These habitats often contain a profusion of shrubs and herbs including skunkbush sumac (Rhus trilobata), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), oceanspray (Holodiscus dumosus), wax currant (Ribes sp.), ninebark (Physocarpa monogynus), New Mexico locust (Robinia neomexicana), creeping mahonia (Berberis repens), wood rose (Rosa woodsii), snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus), huckleberry (Vaccinium sp.), forest fleabane (Erigeron eximius) and common juniper (J.communis). Common herbs are thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), forest ricegrass (Oryzopsis asperifolia), fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus), pale geranium (Geranium richardsonii), mutton grass (Poa fendleriana), mountain trisetum (Trisetum spicatum), parry oatgrass (Danthonia parryi), Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica), mountain (Muhlenbergia montana) and longtongue muhly (M. longiligula), meadowrue (Thalictrum fendleri), yarrow (Achillea sp.), and groundsels (Senecio spp.)

The Animas Mountains in the southwestern corner of the state, along with the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona, contain the only United States mixed conifer breeding habitat for the Mexican Chickadee. Additionally, the Yellow-eyed Junco nests only in the Animas Mountains and a few mountain ranges in Arizona. While populations of these two species appear to be stable, New Mexico has a high responsibility for them.

The vast majority of these lands are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Portions are owned by the Jicarilla and Mescalero Apaches and the Navajo Nation. Private land-owners own a small percentage. The Animas Mountains are owned by a private non-profit organization, the Animas Foundation.

Impacts on habitat include: 1) recreation, 2) grazing, 3) fire and fire suppression, and 4) logging.

Physiographic Areas covered: Mexican Highlands, Mogollon Rim, Colorado Plateau and Southern Rocky Mountains.

Bird Habitat Requirements, Population and/or Habitat Objectives:
(in taxonomic order)

Associated Species: Wild Turkey, Band-tailed Pigeon, Williamson's Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, House Wren, Townsend's Solitaire, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Western Tanager, Red Crossbill

• primarily in ponderosa pine forest, can use Douglas-fir, other pines and aspen
• nest stands can be as small as 25-250ac (10-100ha) typically in mature to old-growth forest primarily with large trees
• 60%- 90% canopy closure is most consistent feature of nesting habitat (average 76%)
• often near the bottom of moderate hill slopes
• nesting habitat can be single or multi-storied, either with sparse ground cover
• water often near nests, can be a pond or ephemeral stream, tends to avoid loud-rushing streams
• frequently near forest openings. i.e. trails, downed tree openings, or openings in understory conifers, but avoids light-duty roads
• forages in forests with greater tree density, foraging preference increases with canopy closure
• conifers preferred for nesting, will also use aspen

Distribution: Breeds throughout the state except in the Pecos and Staked Plains. It is least common in the Chihuahuan Desert mountain ranges and those of the Mexican Highlands

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the West, T = 2.7%, p = 0.00, N = 30, RA=0.01 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• maintain or increase current known 2 nesting pairs in the Mexican Highlands
• maintain or increase populations in the Mogollon Rim, Colorado Plateau and Southern Rocky Mountains
• maintain a no-harvest policy for populations in the Burro Mountains south to the Mexican border. This population may be so significantly different as to warrant subspecific status and protection in the state as well as the country
• maintain a ban on falconry harvesting until there is clear scientific evidence that the New Mexico population is currently self-sustaining.
• stop logging activities, even minimal disturbance, within 600ac of active nests and within established post-fledging areas (H. Schwartz pers. comm.)
• thinning from below to maintain quality habitat may be necessary during non-nesting season. (H. Schwartz pers. comm..)
• maintain forest with high average canopy closure (60-90%) especially in nesting habitat
• maintain open understory with dead and downed logs
• refer to the following document for more specific habitat recommendations: Reynolds et al. 1992.

Associated Species: Band-tailed Pigeon, Dusky Flycatcher, Virginia's Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco

• primary use in steep, walled canyons with mixed conifer or ponderosa pine-oak forests, generally with a riparian component, in the Mexican Highlands it uses Madrean Pine-Oak habitat
• in forested areas, selects old-growth forests or those with more complex structure than the surrounding forest (Seamans and Gutierrez 1994)
• owls may reoccupy territories after several years of non-occupation
• home territories range from 645-3839ac (261-1550ha) and during nesting period most activity occurs within 598ac (242ha) of the nest (Block et al. 1995)
• roosting areas are primarily in mature or old-growth forests, stands usually have uneven-aged trees are multistoried, have dense canopy cover, contain downed logs and snags, and an understory of Gambel oak.
• nesting often occurs on cliffs, rock faces, or on mistletoe brooms in trees
• fledglings often depend on oak thickets for roosting and to avoid predator detection

Distribution:Occurs throughout the state except for the Pecos and Staked Plains. There are no current records of breeding Owls in the Chihuahuan Desert mountains in New Mexico though it does breed in appropriate ranges in Texas in this Physiographic Area.

• no BBS data available
• maintain or increase current populations in the Southern Rocky Mountains, especially in the Jemez Mountains
• maintain or increase current populations in the Guadalupe, Sacramento, Zuni, Chuska, Magdalena, San Mateo, Black Range, Pinos Altos, and Mogollon , as well as other ranges where they currently exist
• limit or cease activities within 600ac of known nest sites or roost sites
• maintain limited logging activities within 600ac of previously occupied sites
• limit oak removal in areas of known occurrence, maintaining a closed canopy understory (especially important for fledged young)
• follow guidelines in USFWS 1995.

Associated Species: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Flammulated Owl, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Clark's Nutcracker, Violet-green Swallow, Dark-eyed Junco

• specializes in sap and phloem; breeders switch to a diet of ants during the nestling season, especially carpenter and wood ants
• mid- to high-elevation coniferous forests and mixed deciduous/conifer forests
• aspen is an important nesting substrate
• wounded or scarred live conifers most frequently used for feeding (and generally smaller than expected, based on size availability); live conifers preferred over snags and aspen; ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir preferred over other conifers
• favors nest sites closer to ponderosa than Red-naped Sapsucker
• availability of suitable nesting sites critical component, preferring snags or cavities in live aspen, aspen snags preferred over conifer snags
• nests in conifers infected with the fungus Fomes igniarius, or aspens with heart rot
• drainage bottoms preferred over ridge tops
• 0.2ac (0.1ha) patch of forest surrounding nest sites in Oregon contained higher live and dead stem density, lower basal area, higher upper canopy height, higher percentage of ground cover, few stumps and larger logs than surrounding habitat (Bull et al. 1986)
• in NM, nests have been found in ponderosa pine and spruce. Nests were from 9-48ft (3-16m) above the ground

Distribution: Occurs in the west from the Mogollon Rim north to the Colorado border and north from the Sangre de Cristos.

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the West, T = 3.3, p = 0.32, N = 55, RA=0.18; in the southern Rocky Mountains, T = 16.7, p = 0.21, N = 17, RA=0.39 (Sauer et al.1997)
• maintain presence in each range of the Mogollon Rim
• maintain density of 1 pair per 100ac in suitable habitat in the Colorado Plateau and Southern Rocky Mountains
• use logging, grazing and controlled burn practices that maintain high-quality, older growth ponderosa forest in the state
• maintain taller trees in ponderosa and mixed conifer forest
• maintain a standing aspen component when logging in forests, especially retaining dead, standing aspen

Associated Species: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Flammulated Owl, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Williamson's Sapsucker, Clark's Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin

• subalpine forest with Englemann's spruce, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and aspen
• need forest edges for foraging and increases in density with a decrease in canopy cover
• needs snags or tree tops near open areas or above canopy as diet consists mainly of larger flying insects, primarily bees
• nests in coniferous trees generally far out from the trunk

Distribution: Found in mountain ranges in the Colorado Plateau and the Southern Rockies. Is also present in the Mogollon Rim but in fewer numbers and tends to be less prevalent further south

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the Southern Rocky Mountains, T = 1.0, p = 0.78, N = 35, RA=2.01; in the Mogollon Rim, T= 4.3, p = 0.25, N = 20, RA=0.43 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• maintain presence in 2mi² (4km²) patches of suitable habitat in the mountain ranges of the Colorado Plateau and Southern Rocky Mountains
• maintain presence in the northern ranges of the Mogollon Rim
• manage for openings within the forest
• keep snags, especially on the edges of forest openings; maintain trees which stand above the average height of the canopy

Associated Species: Band-tailed Pigeon, Mountain Chickadee, Townsend's Solitaire, Virginia's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Dark-eyed Junco

• uses mixed conifer or ponderosa pine forest with a shrubby understory
• also occupies scrub and brushy areas and open areas with scattered trees
• shrub component appears to be critical in NM (B. Howe pers.comm.)
• uses early succession habitat following a disturbance, such as fire (H. Schwartz pers. comm.)
• in Sandia and Manzano mountains, often associated with NM locust patches in otherwise relatively open areas (H. Schwartz pers. comm.)
• nests built from 3-16ft (1-5m) averaging about 6.5ft (2m); nest height tends to correspond to shrub height
• tends to choose shrubs with denser foliage for nesting
• openings near shrubs needed for foraging

Distribution: found from the Zuni and Manzano mountains north and east to the Sangre de Cristo mountains

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the Southern Rocky Mountains, T = 0.1, p = 0.99, N = 20, RA=1.77 (Sauer et al.1997)
• maintain BBS trend in New Mexico
• determine status in the Mogollon Rim
• maintain large shrub component with adjacent open areas within forests or in open conifer forest with shrubby oak understory

Associated Species: Northern Pygmy Owl, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Tree Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Mexican Chickadee, American Robin, Yellow-eyed Junco, Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak

• uses coniferous woodlands; sometimes occuring in mixed or deciduous woodlands
• needs cavities in trees with minimum 12in (31cm) dbh for nest sites
• may excavate nest cavity if wood is dead and soft
• cavities located from 5-40ft (1.5-12m) above the ground, averaging 15ft (4.6m)
• smears pitch below nest cavity entrance
• eruptive species, often present in large numbers after large cone crops: white fir at lower elevations and corkbark fir at higher elevations (H. Schwartz pers. comm.)

Distribution: Found in appropriate habitat throughout the state except for the Pecos and Staked Plains. Rare in New Mexico ranges within the Chihuahuan Desert

• in the Southern Rocky Mountains, T = 0.1%, p = 0.98, N = 27, RA=1.75; in the Mogollon Rim, T = 6.6%, p = 0.06, N = 19, RA=0.99 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• maintain woodpecker populations to provide adequate cavities for nesting

Associated Species: Whip-poor-will, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Mexican Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrush, Olive Warbler, Yellow-eyed Junco

• high elevation (6560-9184ft), particularly on slopes but also on flatter terrain
• uses fir and pine forests with an oak understory, also in Douglas-fir or spruce drainages with a deciduous understory
• may nest on ground, sometimes on small recessed shelf, with a concealing overhang, often located on slopes in wetter areas or in drainages
• water is important, especially at lower elevations (H. Schwartz pers. comm.)
• avoids basing nests near pines or New Mexico locusts and prefers small firs, maples or rocks

Distribution: Found in the Mexican Highlands and the Mogollon Rim becoming less regular the further north. Also found in the Sacramento mountains and possibly regularly in the Gallina mountains west of Corona.

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• no BBS data available
• increase populations through habitat enhancement in the Gallina and Sacramento mountains of the Colorado Plateau
• maintain a density of 2 pair per 100ac in suitable habitat in the Mogollon Rim and the Animas Mountains of the Mexican Highlands

Over time and a large landscape an optimal goal is:

Landscape, soil conditions and elevation will determine the mix at any particular site. At higher elevations, a greater percentage of white fir is acceptable. At lower elevations, a higher percentage of ponderosa pine with less white fir is more desired. Oak on hillsides and slopes should be managed in conjunction with mixed conifers.

Special attention should be paid to the percentages of white fir in this forest type. Because of its unique properties, this species presents a greater fire hazard, where it is numerous, than other species. Additionally, it outcompetes the slower-growing, shade-intolerant ponderosa pine at lower elevations (M. Orr pers. comm.).

A major habitat strategy should be to identify "unique and classic" habitats then manage "non-heroically" for their maintenance. This should include creating openings in dense white fir forest and managing for an open-canopied forest (H. Schwartz pers. comm.).

Logging - Logging is not a major factor in Mixed Conifer Forest (H. Schwartz pers. comm.). While horse logging operations are more desirable than truck operations, it may be impossible to find individuals or groups who practice this type of logging. However, horse logging may pose problems with noxious weed introduction and creation of ruts by dragging logs.

In general, retain large trees on every acre where they occur. Design sales so that the largest and healthiest trees are left. Retain trees in natural spacing designs. Remove the same proportion of tree species that were present before logging. If land is in good condition, leave the same percentages of all age classes on the landscape as before it was logged. Dead trees are highly important to the overall health of a forest. Limit cutting of standing, dead trees.

Grazing - Short-term/rest-rotation grazing reinvigorates grasses, while limiting soil compaction, erosion, and soil dehydration. Long-term grazing or year-long grazing in one pasture often creates damage through soil compaction, erosion, and reduction in grasses and forbs.

Grazing at higher elevations often occurs along riparian areas. The exclusion of cattle from these highly vulnerable areas in the mountains needs to be encouraged (H. Schwartz pers. comm.).

Fire - In general, fire sweeps through this habitat every 20-40 years under non-interference conditions. Fires in this habitat type rarely exceed 500ac and are patchy in nature, especially as elevation and concurrent mesic conditions rise.

Stand-replacement fires that kill all trees in a very large area, may occur in this habitat, and may be part of an overall healthy ecosystem. In general, the amount of white fir in an area may determine the amount of area that a fire burns.

Additional species for which monitoring is recommended:

• Cordilleran Flycatcher
• Mexican Chickadee
• Yellow-eyed Junco

Education:

Table 2. Mixed Conifer Forest Priority Species: Habitat Factors