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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2005

Precipitation, density, and population dynamics of desert bighorn sheep on San Andres National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

Understanding the determinants of population size and performance for desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) is critical to develop effective recovery and management strategies. In arid environments, plant communities and consequently herbivore populations are strongly dependent upon precipitation, which is highly variable seasonally and annually. We conducted a retrospective exploratory analysis of desert bighorn sheep population dynamics on San Andres National Wildlife Refuge (SANWR), New Mexico, 1941-1976, by modeling sheep population size as a function of previous population sizes and precipitation. Population size and trend of desert bighorn were best and well described (R 2=0.89) by a model that included only total annual precipitation as a covariate. Models incorporating density-dependence, delayed density-dependence, and combinations of density and precipitation were less informative than the model containing precipitation alone (??AlCc=8.5-22.5). Lamb:female ratios were positively related to precipitation (current year: F1,34=7.09, P=0.012; previous year: F1,33=3.37, P=0.075) but were unrelated to population size (current year. F1,34=0.04, P=0.843; previous year: F1,33 =0.14, P=0.715). Instantaneous population rate of increase (r) was related to population size (F1,33=5.55; P=0.025). Precipitation limited populations of desert bighorn sheep on SANWR primarily in a density-independent manner by affecting production or survival of lambs, likely through influences on forage quantity and quality. Habitat evaluations and recovery plans for desert bighorn sheep need to consider fundamental influences on desert bighorn populations such as precipitation and food, rather than focus solely on proximate issues such as security cover, predation, and disease. Moreover, the concept of carrying capacity for desert bighorn sheep may need re-evaluation in respect to highly variable (CV =35.6%) localized precipitation patterns. On SANWR carrying capacity for desert bighorn sheep was zero when total annual precipitation was <28.2 cm.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS2003

Infectious disease survey of gemsbok in New Mexico

Exotic wildlife can introduce new diseases or act as reservoirs of endemic diseases. On White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico (USA), significant declines in populations of native ungulates generally correspond to increases in range and population density of the exotic gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella), introduced beginning in 1969. We surveyed gemsbok in 2001 for exposure to a variety of diseases potentially important for native ungulates. High seroprevalence was found for malignant catarrhal fever virus (49 [98%] of 50 sera; 43 [96%] of 45 plasma samples), bluetongue virus (48 [96%] of 50), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (33 [66%] of 50), and parainfluenza-3 virus (10 [20%] of 50). Low numbers of Nematodirus spp. eggs in a few individuals were the only parasites detected in gemsbok . Exposure to the above diseases in gemsbok is of interest to managers because of potential implications for recovery of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) and desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus crooki) in the White Sands area because each has been implicated in mortality in these species either in the White Sands area or elsewhere in the western/southwestern United States.

New Mexico↗
USGS2019

Value of migratory bird recreation at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico

Each fall, thousands of Rocky Mountain Sandhill Cranes and other migratory birds congregate at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley in search of wintering habitat. As such, this refuge is known as one of the premier destinations for bird viewing and photography in the United States. Using contingent valuation data, this case study quantifies the value associated with migratory bird recreation at this refuge to be \$7.5 million in 2010. It is estimated that this annual value increased by more than \$6.4 million in 2017 due to growth in annual refuge visitation.

New Mexico↗
USGS2014

Restoration of Rio Grande cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis to the Mescalero Apache Reservation

Rio Grande Cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis (RGCT) represents the most southern subspecies of cutthroat trout, endemic to Rio Grande, Canadian, and Pecos basins of New Mexico and southern Colorado. The subspecies currently occupies less than 12% of its historic range. The Mescalero Apache Tribe has partnered with U.S. Geological Survey-New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, New Mexico State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to meet mutually shared goals of restoring and maintaining a Pecos strain of RGCT to Tribal lands. The goal of this project was to assess the suitability of the Rio Ruidoso within the Mescalero Apache Reservation to support a self-sustaining RGCT population by conducting a systematic and comprehensive survey. We conducted three surveys (fall 2010, spring 2011 and 2012) to characterize water quality, macroinvertebrate assemblages, fish communities, and physical habitat (stream size, channel gradient, channel substrate, habitat complexity, riparian vegetation cover and structure, migration barriers to movement). Seven-100 m reaches throughout three major tributaries of the Rio Ruidoso within the Tribal lands were sampled during baseflow conditions October 2010, May 2011, and June 2012. Despite the onset of severe drought in 2011, water quality, physical habitat, and fish populations revealed that the Rio Ruidoso and its three tributaries would most likely support a self-sustaining RGCT population. Pools were abundant (mean, 8.9 pools/100 m), instream woody debris was present (range, 3.8-45.6 pieces/100 m), and instream dataloggers revealed daily maximum stream temperatures rarely exceeded criteria established in New Mexico for coldwater fishes, however, presence of frazil and anchor ice may limit fish distribution in the winter. Aquatic macroinvertebrate samples revealed a community of benthic invertebrates reflective of high quality cool to cold water. Overall densities of brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout were high (overall mean, 0.23 fish/m2) and in relatively good condition (range of mean relative weight, 84-117). Should the Mescalero Apache Tribe decide to introduce RGCT, prior to chemical treatment, a barrier placed below the confluence of Middle and South forks of the Rio Ruidoso would create approximately 12 km of perennial flow and help protect against invasion of non-native fishes. The North Fork of the Rio Ruidoso is not a good candidate for reintroduction because of easy access by the public to reintroduce non-native fishes into the watershed. Lastly, an annual, long-term monitoring program of RGCT would help document that there was no subsequent incursion of non-native fishes.

Cooperator Science Series↗
USGS2007

A condensed middle Cenomanian succession in the Dakota Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous), Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro County, New Mexico

The upper part of the Dakota Sandstone exposed on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, northern Socorro County, New Mexico, is a condensed, Upper Cretaceous, marine succession spanning the first five middle Cenomanian ammonite zones of the U.S. Western Interior. Farther north in New Mexico these five ammonite zones occur over a stratigraphic interval more than an order of magnitude thicker. The basal part of this marine sequence was deposited in Seboyeta Bay, an elongate east-west embayment into New Mexico that marked the initial transgression of the western shoreline of the Late Cretaceous seaway into New Mexico. The primary mechanism for condensing this section was nearshore, submarine erosion, although nondeposition played a minor role. The ammonite fossils from each zone are generally fragments of internal molds that are corroded on one side, indicating submarine burial, erosion of the prefossilized steinkern, and corrosion on the sea floor. In addition, the base of the condensed succession is marked by a thin bed that contains abundant, white-weathering, spherical to cylindrical phosphate nodules, many of which contain a cylindrical axial cavity of unknown origin. The nodules lie on the bedding surface of the highly burrowed, ridge-forming sandstone near the top of the Dakota and occur in the overlying breccia. The breccia consists of rip-up clasts of sandstone and eroded internal molds of the ammonite Conlinoceras tarrantense, the zonal index for the basal middle Cenomanian. The nodules below the breccia imply a time of erosion followed by nondeposition or sediment bypass during which the phosphatization occurred. The breccia implies a time of submarine erosion, probably storm-related. Remarkably, this condensed succession and the basal part of the overlying Mancos Shale tongue contain one of the most complete middle Cenomanian ammonite sequences in the U.S. Western Interior. Five of the six ammonite zones that characterize the middle Cenomanian of the Western Interior are found on Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Only representatives of the second oldest zone are missing, although stratigraphically there is room for this zone. Fossils from each zone occur in stratigraphically separated beds; no zone overlaps with or is superimposed on another. Maps of the western shoreline of the seaway at the beginning and end of the time represented by the condensed succession show the progression of the Late Cretaceous seaway from embayment to ocean covering most of New Mexico. These maps, combined with the resolving power of the middle Cenomanian biostratigraphic framework, indicate that the southern shoreline of Seboyeta Bay, which was only a few miles south of Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, was virtually stationary for most of this time. This ensured that the refuge was under shallow, well-oxygenated, marine waters for much of middle Cenomanian time. It also ensured that deposited sediments would be subjected periodically to erosion by nearshore waves and currents. This report marks the first recorded occurrence in New Mexico of the following ammonite species: Acanthoceras muldoonense (zonal index), A. bellense (zonal index), Turrilites (Euturrilites) scheuchzerianus , Cunningtoniceras cf. C. cunningtoni , and Paraconlinoceras leonense . The occurrences of the zonal indices in the Dakota Sandstone on and to the south of the refuge increase not only their geographic distributions, but also the biostratigraphic resolution in the middle Cenomanian of New Mexico.

New Mexico↗
USGS2024

Seroprevalence, blood chemistry, and patterns of canine parvovirus, distemper virus, plague, and tularemia in free-ranging coyotes (Canis latrans) in northern New Mexico, USA.

Wildlife diseases have implications for ecology, conservation, human health, and health of domestic animals. They may impact wildlife health and population dynamics. Exposure rates of coyotes ( Canis latrans ) to pathogens such as Yersinia pestis , the cause of plague, may reflect prevalence rates in both rodent prey and human populations. We captured coyotes in north-central New Mexico during 2005–2008 and collected blood samples for serologic surveys. We tested for antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV, Canine morbillivirus ), canine parvovirus (CPV, Carnivore protoparvovirus ), plague, tularemia ( Francisella tularensis ), and for canine heartworm ( Dirofilaria immitis ) antigen. Serum biochemistry variables that fell outside reference ranges were probably related to capture stress. We detected antibodies to parvovirus in 32/32 samples (100%), and to Y. pestis in 26/31 (84%). More than half 19/32 (59%) had antibodies against CDV, and 5/31 (39%) had antibodies against F. tularensis . We did not detect any heartworm antigens ( n = 9). Pathogen prevalence was similar between sexes and among the three coyote packs in the study area. Parvovirus exposure appeared to happen early in life, and prevalence of antibodies against CDV increased with increasing age class. Exposure to Y. pestis and F. tularensis occurred across all age classes. The high coyote seroprevalence rates observed for CPV, Y. pestis , and CDV may indicate high prevalence in sympatric vertebrate populations, with implications for regional wildlife conservation as well as risk to humans via zoonotic transmission.

New Mexico↗
USGS2015

Physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition at site and mesohabitat scales over a range of streamflows in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011-12, summer 2012

In winter 2011&ndash;12 and summer 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, evaluated the physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition of available mesohabitats over a range of streamflows at 15 sites on the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico. The fish assemblage of the Middle Rio Grande includes several minnow species adapted to hydrologically variable but seasonably predictable rivers, including the Hybognathus amarus (Rio Grande silvery minnow), a federally listed endangered species. Gaining a better understanding of habitat usage by the Rio Grande silvery minnow was the impetus for studying physical characteristics and fish assemblages in the Middle Rio Grande during different streamflow conditions. Data were collected at all 15 sites during winter 2011&ndash;12 (moderate streamflow), and a subset was collected at the 13 most downstream sites in summer 2012 (low streamflow). Sites were grouped into four river reaches separated by diversion dams listed in downstream order (names of the diversion dams are followed by short names of the sites nearest each dam in parentheses, listed in downstream order): (1) Cochiti (Pe&ntilde;a Blanca), (2) Angostura (Bernalillo, La Orilla, Barelas, Los Padillas), (3) Isleta (Los Lunas I, Los Lunas II, Abeytas, La Joya, Rio Salado), and (4) San Acacia (Lemitar, Arroyo del Tajo, San Pedro, Bosque del Apache I, and Bosque del Apache II). Stream habitat was mapped in the field by using a geographic information system in conjunction with a Global Positioning System. Fish assemblage composition was determined during both streamflow regimes, and fish were collected by seining in each mesohabitat where physical characteristic data (depth, velocity, dominant substrate type and size, and percent embeddedness) and water-quality properties (temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and pH; during summer 2012 only) were measured. Nineteen species of fish were collected among the 15 sites and four reaches over both sampling periods; 10 of these 19 species are introduced. Fish-species richness (total number of fish species collected at each site during each sampling event) among sites that were sampled during both sampling periods ranged from 6 at Rio Salado to 12 at La Orilla. Fish were most abundant at the Lemitar site (1,786 individuals) and least abundant at the San Pedro site (275 individuals). The native Cyprinella lutrensis (red shiner) was the most abundant species collected among all of the sites, accounting for about 42 percent of fish collected. Fish-species richness and catch per unit effort (CPUE) were higher (or equivalent) at all sites during summer 2012 compared to winter 2011&ndash;12. The relations between fish assemblage composition (that is, total abundance, which refers to the number of individuals of each species that were collected) and selected environmental variables (physical characteristic data collected at the mesohabitat scale [depth, velocity, and substrate particle size], and mesohabitat types) were explored by using canonical correspondence analysis. Environmental variables explained 8 percent (p=0.48) of the variability in the Middle Rio Grande fish assemblage during winter 2011&ndash;12, and Rio Grande silvery minnow were weakly associated with sand substrates, relatively moderate velocities (qualitative descriptors are derived from synthetic gradients extracted from CCAs), and relatively shallow depths. Environmental variables explained 14 percent (p < 0.01) of the variability in the Middle Rio Grande fish assemblage during summer 2012, when Rio Grande silvery minnow were associated with run mesohabitats, relatively high velocities, sand substrates, and relatively moderate depths. The mean fish-species richness was greater in summer 2012 than in winter 2011&ndash;12 for each mesohabitat type, and the overall fish-species richness across all mesohabitat types was 0.62 during winter 2011&ndash;12, compared to 1.49 during summer 2012. The highest mean CPUE during winter 2011&ndash;12 was in isolated pools (54.3 fish per 100 square meters [m 2 ]), whereas the lowest was in flats (18.9 fish per 100 m 2 ). Ranges in CPUE were higher in summer 2012 relative to winter 2011&ndash;12 in each mesohabitat type sampled. As in winter 2011&ndash;12, the highest mean CPUE during summer 2012 was in isolated pools (233 fish per 100 m 2 ), whereas the lowest was in flats (29.6 fish per 100 m 2 ). Overall mean CPUE per mesohabitat across all mesohabitat types was 29.1 fish per 100 m 2 during winter 2011&ndash;12 compared to 85.3 fish per 100 m 2 during summer 2012. Four species of minnows (red shiner, Rio Grande silvery minnow, Pimephales promelas [fathead minnow], and Platygobio gracilis [flathead chub]) were selected to compare preferred mesohabitat characteristics because all are small-bodied minnows and because more than 200 individuals of each of these species were collected. Red shiner were collected across the largest range of depths in both winter 2011&ndash;12 (0.02&ndash;4.31 feet [ft]) and summer 2012 (0.05&ndash;3.4 ft), as well as the largest range of velocities (0.0&ndash;4.31 feet per second [ft/s]) during winter 2011&ndash;12 among the four minnow species of interest. Rio Grande silvery minnow occurred in the narrowest range of depths (0.30&ndash;2.1 ft) during summer 2012, as well as the narrowest range of velocities in both winter 2011&ndash;12 (0.0&ndash;3.18 ft/s) and summer 2012 (0.02&ndash;1.51 ft/s). Water-quality properties were only collected during summer 2012, when low-streamflow conditions existed and water-quality properties were thought to be potentially most limiting to aquatic life. Area-weighted mean water temperatures tended to be higher at the sites that were sampled in August 2012 (25.57 degrees Celsius [&deg;C]) compared to June 2012 (24.61 &deg;C). The highest area-weighted mean water temperature at a given site (29.03 &deg;C) was measured at the Lemitar site on August 7, 2012, coincident with the lowest measured discharge (4.13 cubic feet per second [ft 3 /s]). Area-weighted mean dissolved oxygen concentrations tended to be lower in August (7.46 milligrams per liter [mg/L]) compared to June (8.33 mg/L). The highest area-weighted mean dissolved oxygen concentration (9.13 mg/L) was measured at the Lemitar site on August 7, 2012, and the lowest area-weighted mean dissolved oxygen concentration (6.23 mg/L) was measured at the Los Padillas site on August 10, 2012. Area-weighted specific conductance in the sites upstream from La Joya did not exceed 400 microsiemens per centimeter (&mu;S/cm) at 25 &deg;C, whereas the area-weighted mean specific conductance at La Joya (837 &mu;s/cm at 25 &deg;C), Rio Salado (857 &mu;s/cm at 25 &deg;C), and Lemitar (1,300 &mu;s/cm at 25 &deg;C) were all well above the average of the area-weighted means for the 10 remaining sites (433 &mu;s/cm at 25 &deg;C). Lower area-weighted mean pH values were measured at the 3 sites in and near Albuquerque (La Orilla, Barelas, and Los Padillas&mdash;7.98, 8.08, and 7.81, respectively) compared to any of the 10 remaining sites, which had an overall mean pH of 8.44.

New Mexico↗
USGS1986

Wildlife in some areas of New Mexico and Texas accumulate elevated DDE residues, 1983

Over the last decade, data gathered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program have identified an area of elevated DDE contamination in portions of New Mexico and Texas. Extensive wildlife sampling in 1983 confirmed that DDE, the major metabolite of the insecticide DDT, was present at high concentrations in wildlife at selected sites in the Rio Grande and Pecos River drainages. DDE in carcasses ranged up to 47 ppm (wet weight) in western kingbirds ( Tyrannus verticalis ), 35 ppm in house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ), 46 ppm in Brazilian free-tailed bats ( Tadarida brasiliensis ), and 104 ppm in whiptail lizards ( Cnemidophorus spp.). DDE was also detected in gut contents from western kingbirds at some of the highest concentrations ever reported, ranging up to 21 ppm in proventricular samples. An average of 40% of the eggs of black-crowned night-herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) from two sites along the Pecos River in New Mexico had DDE levels (≥8 ppm) that have been associated in other studies with impaired reproduction. In contrast, wintering mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) and American coots ( Fulica americana ) from the study area did not accumulate elevated DDE levels. DDE in wildlife samples at control sites (nonagricultural areas) was either absent or averaged less than 0.35 ppm. Collectively, these data provide evidence that there is major DDE contamination of several vertebrate species in portions of the Rio Grande and Pecos River drainages, but whether the contamination is recent or residual was not determined. Apparently, the source was not DDE contamination present in dicofol (4-chloro- a -(4-chlorophenyl)- a -(trichloromethyl) benzenemethanol); neither dicofol nor its metabolite, p,p' -dichlorobenzophenone, were detected in wildlife carcasses (0.1 ppm detection limit) or proventricular contents (0.01 ppm detection limit) of western kingbirds.

New Mexico, Texas↗
USGS2016

Estimating black bear density in New Mexico using noninvasive genetic sampling coupled with spatially explicit capture-recapture methods

During the 2004–2005 to 2015–2016 hunting seasons, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) estimated black bear abundance (Ursus americanus) across the state by coupling density estimates with the distribution of primary habitat generated by Costello et al. (2001). These estimates have been used to set harvest limits. For example, a density of 17 bears/100 km2 for the Sangre de Cristo and Sacramento Mountains and 13.2 bears/100 km2 for the Sandia Mountains were used to set harvest levels. The advancement and widespread acceptance of non-invasive sampling and mark-recapture methods, prompted the NMDGF to collaborate with the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and New Mexico State University to update their density estimates for black bear populations in select mountain ranges across the state. We established 5 study areas in 3 mountain ranges: the northern (NSC; sampled in 2012) and southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains (SSC; sampled in 2013), the Sandia Mountains (Sandias; sampled in 2014), and the northern (NSacs) and southern Sacramento Mountains (SSacs; both sampled in 2014). We collected hair samples from black bears using two concurrent non-invasive sampling methods, hair traps and bear rubs. We used a gender marker and a suite of microsatellite loci to determine the individual identification of hair samples that were suitable for genetic analysis. We used these data to generate mark-recapture encounter histories for each bear and estimated density in a spatially explicit capture-recapture framework (SECR). We constructed a suite of SECR candidate models using sex, elevation, land cover type, and time to model heterogeneity in detection probability and the spatial scale over which detection probability declines. We used Akaike’s Information Criterion corrected for small sample size (AICc) to rank and select the most supported model from which we estimated density. We set 554 hair traps, 117 bear rubs and collected 4,083 hair samples. We identified 725 (367 M, 358 F) individuals; the sex ratio for each study area was approximately equal. Our density estimates varied within and among mountain ranges with an estimated density of 21.86 bears/100 km2 (95% CI: 17.83 – 26.80) for the NSC, 19.74 bears/100 km2 (95% CI: 13.77 – 28.30) in the SSC, 25.75 bears/100 km2 (95% CI: 13.22 – 50.14) in the Sandias, 21.86 bears/100 km2 (95% CI: 17.83 – 26.80) in the NSacs, and 16.55 bears/100 km2 (95% CI: 11.64 – 23.53) in the SSacs. Overall detection probability for hair traps and bear rubs, combined, was low across all study areas and ranged from 0.00001 to 0.02. We speculate that detection probabilities were affected by failure of some hair samples to produce a complete genotype due to UV degradation of DNA, and our inability to set and check some sampling devices due to wildfires in the SSC. Ultraviolet radiation levels are particularly high in New Mexico compared to other states where NGS methods have been used because New Mexico receives substantial amounts of sunshine, is relatively high in elevation (1,200 m – 4,000 m), and is at a lower latitude. Despite these sampling difficulties, we were able to produce density estimates for New Mexico black bear populations with levels of precision comparable to estimated black bear densities made elsewhere in the U.S. Our ability to generate reliable black bear density estimates for 3 New Mexico mountain ranges is attributable to our use of a statistically robust study design and analytical method. There are multiple factors that need to be considered when developing future SECR-based density estimation projects. First, the spatial extent of the population of interest and the smallest average home range size must be determined; these will dictate size of the trapping array and spacing necessary between hair traps. The number of technicians needed and access to the study areas will also influence configuration of the trapping array. We believe shorter sampling occasions could be implemented to reduce degradation of DNA due to UV radiation; this might help increase amplification rates and thereby increase both the number of unique individuals identified and the number of recaptures, improving the precision of the density estimates. A pilot study may be useful to determine the length of time hair samples can remain in the field prior to collection. In addition, researchers may consider setting hair traps and bear rubs in more shaded areas (e.g., north facing slopes) to help reduce exposure to UV radiation. To reduce the sampling interval it will be necessary to either hire more field personnel or decrease the number of hair traps per sampling session. Both of these will enhance detection of long-range movement events by individual bears, increase initial capture and recapture rates, and improve precision of the parameter estimates. We recognize that all studies are constrained by limited resources, however, increasing field personnel would also allow a larger study area to be sampled or enable higher trap density. In conclusion, we estimated the density of black bears in 5 study areas within 3 mountains ranges of New Mexico. Our estimates will aid the NMDGF in setting sustainable harvest limits. Along with estimates of density, information on additional demographic rates (e.g., survival rates and reproduction) and the potential effects that climate change and future land use may have on the demography of black bears may also help inform management of black bears in New Mexico, and may be considered as future areas for research.

New Mexico↗
USGS1996

Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the Vermejo Project area and the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge, Colfax County, northeastern New Mexico, 1993

Based on findings of limited studies during 1989-92, a reconnaissance investigation was conducted in 1993 to assess the effects of the Vermejo Irrigation Project on water quality in the area of the project, including the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge. This project was part of a U.S. Department of the Interior National Irrigation Water-Quality Program to determine whether irrigation drainage has caused or has the potential to cause significant harmful effects on human health, fish, and wildlife and whether irrigation drainage may adversely affect the suitability of water for other beneficial uses. For this study, samples of water, sediment, and biota were collected from 16 sites in and around the Vermejo Irrigation Project prior to, during the latter part of, and after the 1993 irrigation season (April, August-September, and November, respectively). No inorganic constituents exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards. The State of New Mexico standard of 750 micrograms per liter for boron in irrigation water was exceeded at three sites (five samples), though none exceeded the livestock water standard of 5,000 micrograms per liter. Selenium concentrations exceeded the State of New Mexico chronic standard of 2 micrograms per liter for wildlife and fisheries water in at least eight samples from five sites. Bottom-sediment samples were collected and analyzed for trace elements and compared to concentrations of trace elements in soils of the Western United States. Concentrations of three trace elements at eight sites exceeded the upper values of the expected 95-percent ranges for Western U.S. soils. These included molybdenum at one site, selenium at seven sites, and uranium at four sites. Cadmium and copper concentrations exceeded the National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program 85th percentile in fish from six sites. Average concentrations of selenium in adult brine flies (33.7 μ g/g dry weight) were elevated above concentrations in other invertebrates. Concentrations of other elements were below their respective toxicity levels. Plants, invertebrates, fish, and fish fillets were collected and analyzed. These analyses were compared to diagnostic criteria and to each other to determine the extent of bioaccumulation of trace elements. Plants contained larger dry weight concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, boron, chromium, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, and vanadium than invertebrates and fish. Adult brine flies, gathered from playas, contained larger geometric mean dry weight concentrations of boron, magnesium, and selenium than other invertebrates. Of all samples collected, the largest mercury concentrations were found in fish fillets, although these concentrations were below levels of concern. Mercury and selenium bioaccumulation was evident in various habitats of the study area. Biological samples from Natural playa, an endemic wetland, and Half playa, a playa that receives additional water through seepage and irrigation delivery canals, generally had elevated concentrations of boron, iron, magnesium, and selenium than samples from reservoir and river sites. Selenium concentrations were lowest in biota from the two reservoir sites, although a wetland immediately downstream from the dam impounding Lake No. 13 (created by seepage from the reservoir) had elevated concentrations of selenium in biota. The geometric mean selenium concentration of whole-fish samples, except those from Lakes No. 13 and No. 14, exceeded the 5- μ g/g dry weight selenium concentration that demarcates the approximate lower limit of the threshold range of concentrations that have freen associated with adverse effects on piscine reproduction. Biota collected on and in the area around Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge contained concentrations of selenium that are in the lower range of threshold values that have been associated (dietarily) with risks of avian reproductive abnormalities. Bottom-sediment samples from two sites downstream from the irrigation project were collected and analyzed for 23 organic compounds (principally organochlorine pesticide residues). Three compounds were detected at the two sites: DDD was found at 0.2 microgram per kilogram, DDE was detected at 0.1 microgram per kilogram at both sites, and chlordane was detected at 1 microgram per kilogram. None of the 28 whole-fish and fillet samples analyzed for PCB and organochlorine pesticide residues contained any of the 23 organic compounds tested for at concentrations higher than the analytical reporting limit (less than 0.01 μ g/g wet weight). Concentrations of inorganic analytes were generally within established guidelines or expected concentrations for water, sediment, and biota. lirigation-return flows were found to be unrelated to adverse effects in biota.

New Mexico↗
USGS2025

Estimating abundance of desert bighorn sheep with double-observer sightability modeling with residual heterogeneity

Accurate abundance estimates are critical for informed management of wildlife populations. In New Mexico, USA, minimum counts from aerial surveys are the primary basis for management decisions regarding desert bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis mexicana ); therefore, there is a need to assess methods that account for imperfect detection. Common survey methods for large mammals (i.e., sightability, double-observer, and double-observer sightability models) are known to result in biased estimates, but the presence of radio-collared individuals within a population allows for estimation of residual heterogeneity. Consequently, we explored the use of hybrid double-observer sightability approaches that account for residual heterogeneity when estimating abundance of desert bighorn sheep in the Fra Cristobal Mountains of New Mexico. We collected double-observer sightability data for 167 desert bighorn groups across 3 surveys between December 2016 and November 2017 and compared abundance estimates under 5 modeling methods: a standard sightability model (M S ), a standard double-observer sightability model (M DS ), a hybrid double-observer sightability model incorporating a recapture-type heterogeneity parameter (M R ), a hybrid double-observer sightability model incorporating a mark-type heterogeneity parameter (M H ), and a Lincoln-Petersen estimator. Across all model types, group behavior (moving vs. stationary) and group size influenced detection the most, followed by vegetation class, terrain type, and proportion of obscuring vegetation cover. Standard sightability models produced higher and less precise abundance estimates than all double-observer sightability models. Of the double-observer sightability models, M R was better supported and estimated greater abundance than M H and accounted for more bias than M DS . Both M R and M H yielded greater precision than M S . The M R models produced an average detection probability of p = 0.72 (SE = 0.02) and abundance estimates of N⌃ = 302 (95% CI = 262−385), N⌃ = 290 (95% CI = 261−340), and N⌃ = 352 (95% CI = 264−548) for the December 2016, May 2017, and November 2017 surveys, respectively. Lincoln-Petersen estimates of abundance were greater than all double-observer sightability models and similarly precise, but their usefulness is reduced given the requirement to permanently maintain a subset of animals with radio-collars combined with the inability to incorporate information from factors influencing detection probability. Further, because residual heterogeneity models better estimate visibility bias, are flexible in their accommodation of radio-collar data, and can be adapted to unique survey occasions, they present a viable and robust option for estimating desert bighorn sheep abundance.

New Mexico↗
USGS2008

Spatial patterns of ecohydrologic properties on a hillslope-alluvial fan transect, central New Mexico

Spatial patterns of soil properties are linked to patchy vegetation in arid and semi-arid landscapes. The patterns of soil properties are generally assumed to be linked to the ecohydrological functioning of patchy dryland vegetation ecosystems. We studied the effects of vegetation canopy, its spatial pattern, and landforms on soil properties affecting overland flow and infiltration in shrublands at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge/LTER in central New Mexico, USA. We studied the patterns of microtopography and saturated conductivity (Ksat), and generally found it to be affected by vegetation canopy and pattern, as well as landform type. On gently sloping alluvial fans, both microtopography and Ksat are high under vegetation canopy and decay with distance from plant center. On steeper hillslope landforms, only microtopography was significantly higher under vegetation canopy, while there was no significant difference in Ksat between vegetation and interspaces. Using geostatistics, we found that the spatial pattern of soil properties was determined by the spatial pattern of vegetation. Most importantly, the effects of vegetation were present in the unvegetated interspaces 2-4 times the extent of vegetation canopy, on the order of 2-3??m. Our results have implications for the understanding the ecohydrologic function of semi-arid ecosystems as well as the parameterization of hydrologic models. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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USGS2007

Food habits of rodents inhabiting arid and semi-arid ecosystems of central New Mexico

In this study, we describe seasonal dietary composition for 15 species of rodents collected in all major habitats on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (Socorro County) in central New Mexico. A comprehensive literature review of food habits for these species from throughout their distribution also is provided. We collected rodents in the field during winter, spring and late summer in 1998 from six communities: riparian cottonwood forest; pi&ntilde;on-juniper woodland; juniper-oak savanna; mesquite savanna; short-grass steppe; and Chihuahuan Desert scrubland. Rodents included Spermophilus spilosoma (Spotted Ground Squirrel), Perognathus flavescens (Plains Pocket Mouse), Perognathus flavus (Silky Pocket Mouse), Dipodomys merriami (Merriam&rsquo;s Kangaroo Rat), Dipodomys ordii (Ord&rsquo;s Kangaroo Rat), Dipodomys spectabilis (Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat), Reithrodontomys megalotis (Western Harvest Mouse), Peromyscus boylii (Brush Mouse), Peromyscus eremicus (Cactus Mouse), Peromyscus leucopus (White-footed Mouse), Peromyscus truei (Pi&ntilde;on Mouse), Onychomys arenicola (Mearn&rsquo;s Grasshopper Mouse), Onychomys leucogaster (Northern Grasshopper Mouse), Neotoma albigula/leucodon (White-throated Woodrats), and Neotoma micropus (Southern Plains Woodrat). We collected stomach contents of all species, and cheek-pouch contents of heteromyids, and quantified them in the laboratory. We determined seasonal diets in each habitat by calculating mean percentage volumes of seeds, arthropods and green vegetation (plant leaves and stems) for each species of rodent. Seeds consumed by each rodent were identified to genus, and often species, and quantified by frequency counts. Comparisons of diets between and among species of rodents, seasons, and ecosystems were also examined. We provide an appendix of all plant taxa documented.

Special publication of the Museum of Southwestern ↗