OpportunityTitle: Large Mammal response to wildfire and landscape-scale forest restoration in the Jemez Mountains
Description: Fire suppression, logging, and overgrazing in Southwestern forests has increased tree densities and fuel loads resulting in more, frequent and severe wildfires, decreased biodiversity, and reduced habitat quality for wildlife, including mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), elk (Cervus canadensis), and black bears (Ursus americanus). Degraded forest conditions have resulted in calls for restoration of the historic forest structure and fire regimes. Integration of research and forest restoration treatments will allow us to assess the efficacy of restoration treatments and determine how wildlife respond to restoration treatments. We are conducting a project to assess the responses of mule deer, elk, and black bears to large-scale forest restoration treatments and recent wildfires on lands managed by the NPS (Valles Caldera National Preserve, VALL) and USFS (Santa Fe National Forest) in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. This proposal is part of a long-term assessment of the responses of large mammals to forest restoration treatments that started in 2012 with the capture and placement of GPS collars on mule deer, elk, and black bears; the project will continue through at least 2019 pending continued funding availability. Our objectives are to: 1) assess changes in forage abundance and determine habitat selection and space use of mule deer, elk, and black bears in response to restoration treatments and wildfires. This project will provide much needed information on how forest restoration projects and wildfires influence large mammals in the Southwest. The need for this type of information will increase as more restoration projects are initiated in the future to reduce wildfire risk. If we are going to undertake large-scale restoration projects, it is essential that we understand the dynamic nature of habitat selection by large mammals and how these patterns are influenced by restoration treatments and wildfires. These results will have direct application to Preserve management decisions for public access and use by visitors to VALL.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: .
GrantorContactText: Grants Management Specialist Kelly Adams &lt;br/&gt;Kelly_Adams@nps.gov&lt;br/&gt;