Jemez Mountains Spotted Owl Survey and Habitat Evaluation

Johnson, Jennifer

Surveys of a known spotted owl location in an area of extensive unmanaged forest scheduled for timber sale in 1990 revealed a pair of spotted owls that fledged two young in 1988. This provides the first year of baseline data to assess the effects of management activities on spotted owls there. Surveys of another owl location near a current fuelwood harvest area revealed one owl in a canyon farther from the fuelwood area, adjacent to the canyon where an adult and young owl had been found in 1984. Surveys were suspended when this owl exhibited possible habituation to being called. Surveys at two other owl locations suggested that owl responsiveness is very low where human activity (especially nighttime activity) is high, which makes monitoring of such locations difficult. Spotted owls tend to roost and nest in unmanaged forest, where there are cliffs. So far, all known nests in the Jemez Mountains are on cliffs. Characteristics of the forest in roost stands and near cliffs known to have been used by owls were measured. Roost stands were usually in mixed conifer habitats, uneven aged, with large trees and a well-developed understory. Average total live basal area in forested roosting habitat was about 170 ft.2/acre (N=6), but it averaged only 101 ft.2/acre (N=4) adjacent to roosting or nesting cliffs. Cliffs may provide a moderate microclimate that would otherwise be provided by a denser forest. Roosting and nesting stands had a relatively high proportion of snags, averaging 6% of the total cubic volume.