Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Sixteen elk ( males and females) were captured by aerial darting from a helicopter and fitted with a GPS tracking collars in the Pueblo of Acoma. Elk were relocated bimonthly by ground and aerial fixed wing telemetry. Collars were retrieved 17 months postdeployment by directing a line of sight remote detonation radiotelemetry signal specific to each collar. Movements and home range information is in the process of being analyzed. A new GIS model is being developed to quantify plant community composition. Data will be analyzed and the model developed within 6 months. The wild sheep habitat assessment is in progress of being completed.
Impacts
The benefits of this research are threefold: increased economic gains, improved land management practices, and development of strategies to coordinate livestock and wildlife enterprises. Seasonal habitat use of elk on AP and adjacent areas is unknown. This information is basic to developing an elk management strategy. A GIS study will further define elk habitat use and serve as a basis for developing integrated wildlife, livestock and forestry management
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Relative to oryx: 1) The oryx population has increased to over 4,000. Oryx population size was best estimated by a model including variables for social group size and group activity. 2) The proportion of females pregnant was 74.3% and no twins were observed. Calf recruitment is approximately 0.6-0.7 caves/adult female. Oryx reproduced year round but showed a distinct peak in conception coinciding with the summer monsoons (June-July) resulting in a birth peak early the following spring (March-April). 3) Few oryx (95% CI=5-18%) dispersed off WSMR despite long daily (≤12 km) movements and displacement distances between consecutive locations (
Impacts
The oryx population study has already yielded necessary information in formulating a management plan. The jaguar research project will provide essential information in formulating a jaguar conservation and recovery program in the United States. In March 1997, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the Arizona Game and Fish Department entered into a Conservation Agreement with other state, local and federal cooperators to conserve the jaguar along borderlands of Arizona and New Mexico and to stimulate parallel efforts in Mexico. The activities to be undertaken by interested parties include collection of biological information; consideration of relevant cultural, economic, and political factor; and monitoring. These activities are included in the jaguar research project in Mexico and the results will be invaluable to American and Mexican biologists in devising a jaguar conservation strategy.
Publications
- Krueger, B. D. 2005. Gemsbok movement patterns, demographics and population estimation in southcentral New Mexico. M. S. Thesis, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The sightability model estimated population size of oryx as 3,917 (3,534-4,297) and 3,312 (2,999-3,593) for summer 2001 and 2003, respectively. Seasonal herd demographic surveys resulted in 1,676 oryx observed and classified by age categories. The proportion of juveniles/100 adult females was highest during the warm-dry (March-June) season and lowest during the warm-wet (July-October) season, indicating that birth rate is not constant across seasons. Reproductive tracts of 195 females indicated that pregnancies occured in all seasons, with a February-April birth peak. Based on scat analysis, cattle were the major food item of jaguars in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, followed by white-tailed deer, collared peccaries, lagomorphs and coatis. Pumas consumed primarily white-tailed deer followed by collared peccary, cattle, coati, lagomorphs, and rodents. Analysis of habitat use is in progress.
Impacts
One of the results of this study will be to develop management strategies to obviate any detrimental impacts oryx may be having on native fauna and flora The ecological status of jaguars is practically unknown in northern Mexico, especially in the region of the study area. Despite its endangered status, jaguars in northeastern Sonora are often killed by landowners due to predation on livestock. Many landowners are also concerned that jaguars prey on white-tailed deer, which is viewed as an economically important game species. The jaguar population of northeastern Sonora is in urgent need of a conservation strategy. To develop a long-term conservation plan, we need information on factors which limit jaguar populations and limit their range expansion in northern Mexico. This information is also needed to identify and apply effective management strategies to insure the viability of jaguar populations and habitats in peripheral jaguar ranges.
Publications
- Desmond, M.J., K.E. Young, B.C. Thompson, R. Valdez, and A.L. Lafon. 2005. Habitat Associations and Conservation of Grassland Birds in the Chihuahuan Desert Region. Two Case Studies in Chihuahua. pp. 439-451. IN: Cartron, J.-L., G. Ceballos, and R.S. Felger (eds.) Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Conservation in Northern Mexico. Oxford University Press, New York.
- Sandoval, L., J. Holechek, J. Briggs, R. Valdez, and D. VanLeeuwen. 2005. Elk and Mule Deer Diets in Northcentral New Mexico. Rangeland Ecology 58:396-372.
- Tellez, M.H., G. Martinez, C. Hernandez, L. Tarango, and R. Valdez. 2005. Estimation of Nutritional Carrying Capacity of Cyrtonyx montezume. Revista Scientifica de Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias 15:27-32.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Seasonal herd demographic surveys (2001-2003) observed and classified 1,676 oryx by age categories. The proportion of juveniles/100 adult females was highest during the war-dray (Mar-Jun) season and lowest during the warm-wet (Jul-Oct) season, indicating that birth rate is not constant across seasons. Reproductive tracts of 195 females indicated that pregnancies occurred in all seasons, with a birth peak in Feb-Apr. Logistic modeling of group size, activity, and vegetation type indicated that oryx population size was best estimated by a model including variables for group size and group activity. Oryx surveys should be conducted during summer months as oryx groups are larger than during winder, thus maximizing numbers of oryx seen and minimizing variation in population estimates due to sighting error. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are protected in Mexico and the U.S. A breeding population of jaguars inhabits northeastern Sonora, Mexico, about 120 miles for the U.S.-Mexico
border. According to track and camera trap surveys, there is 1 jaguar/100 km-2. According to fecal and prey kill analyses, jaguar primarily use cattle, whitetail deer, and collard peccaries as a prey base. Main threats for jaguars in northeastern Sonora are predator control due to jaguar predation on livestock, insufficient prey base, subsistence hunting of their prey, and lack of knowledge of sustainable conservation. A wildlife management unit was created in 2003 specifically to conserve jaguars in northeastern Sonora, encompassing approximately 500 km-2. In addition, a non-profit non-government organization comprised of cattle ranchers was created in early 2004 to generate funds for jaguar conservation. Funds generated with whitetail deer hunting will be used to enhance cattle operations to mitigate and minimize jaguar predation on livestock.
Impacts
One of the results of this study will be to develop management strategies to obviate any detrimental impacts oryx may be having on native fauna and flora The ecological status of jaguars is practically unknown in northern Mexico, especially in the region of the study area. Despite its endangered status, jaguars in northeastern Sonora are often killed by landowners due to predation on livestock. Many landowners are also concerned that jaguars prey on white-tailed deer, which is viewed as an economically important game species. The jaguar population of northeastern Sonora is in urgent need of a conservation strategy. To develop a long-term conservation plan, we need information on factors which limit jaguar populations and limit their range expansion in northern Mexico. This information is also needed to identify and apply effective management strategies to insure the viability of jaguar populations and habitats in peripheral jaguar ranges.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Aerial telemetry of radio-collared oryx continued throughout the year. As of late 2003, five oryx had died from capture-related complications, 14 oryx were harvestd;and nine died from other causes. Four seasonal herd demographic surveys were conducted between the warm/wet season of 2001 and the warm/wt season of 2003. The reproductive tracts of 195 harvested female oryx were examined to determine whether oryx in southcentral New Mexico exhibited a peak breeding season. Of the females examined, 145 (74.3%) were pregnant and none had twins. The in utero sex ration was 113 males:100 females; the ratio did not vary significantly by season. Significantly fewer mature oryx were pregnant in the warm/dry (March-June) season than either the cool/dry (November-February) or warm/wet (July/October) seasons. Based on estimated conception and parturition dates for each fetus, a birth peak occurred in Marach and April of 2001, and February and March 2003. No apparent birth peak
occurred in 2002, possibly due to unusually high levels of early season precipitation during the previous year. Analysis of herd composition also indicated a seasonal peak in the number of young animals. The ratio of young:100 females was lowest during the warm/wet and hightest during the warm/dry seson than during other seasons. The early spring peak in oryx births in 2002 and 2003 showed a reversal of 6 monbths from that of the most commonly observed peaks in South African populations which occur in August and September. This indicates that oryx have undergone a hemispheric breeding shift. In southern New Mexico, oryx bred year-round but with a distinct peak in conception coinciding with the summer monsoons (June-July) resulting in a birth peak early in the following spring. The existence of a seasonal birth peak has important implication to management of oryx in southcentral New Mexico. Annual productivity may be slightly less than previously believed because not all oryx appear to
breed on a 9-10 month cycle. Scheduling of hunting seasons should be timed to avoid or coincide with peak pregnancy periods in accordance with management goals. However, their high reproductive rate and ability to readily disperse poses certain managment problems such as the potential for competition with native ungulates and potential deleterious impacts on plant communities. They also pose potential competition with domestic livestock. Introductions of oryx should coincide with management strategies to control population growth and dispersal. Relative to the jaguar study, efforts were continued to trap and mark jaguars, pumas, and other felids and to conduct wild ungulate (deer, peccaries) abundance studies. We captured and radiocollared two pumas of approximate 2 and 4 years of age. We collected 22 fecal samples of which 7 were from jaguars and 61 from pumas. Based on tracks, there were probably a minimum of 5 jaguars and 8 pumas. Analysis of fecal samples revealed jaguar diets
consisted principally of cattle and those of pumas principally of white-tailed deer
Impacts
One of the results of this study will be to develop management strategies to obviate any detrimental impacts oryx may be having on native fauna and flora The ecological status of jaguars is practically unknown in northern Mexico, especially in the region of the study area. Despite its endangered status, jaguars in northeastern Sonora are often killed by landowners due to predation on livestock. Many landowners are also concerned that jaguars prey on white-tailed deer, which is viewed as an economically important game species. The jaguar population of northeastern Sonora is in urgent need of a conservation strategy. To develop a long-term conservation plan, we need information on factors which limit jaguar populations and limit their range expansion in northern Mexico. This information is also needed to identify and apply effective management strategies to insure the viability of jaguar populations and habitats in peripheral jaguar ranges.
Publications
- Roeder, B. 2003. Reproductive studies of gemsbok in southcentral New Mexico. M.S. Thesis, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Of 100 oryx fitted with radio-collars and monitored during 2002, 5 oryx died from capture-related complications, 5 oryx were harvested, and 4 died from other causes. Demographic surveys revealed young of the year were presented in all seasons. The proportion of young animals per 100 adult females was highest during the Warm/Dry (Mar-Jun) season and lowest during the Warm/Wet (Jul-Oct) season, suggesting that birth rate is not constant across seasons. The reproductive tracts of 159 female oryx killed by hunters on White Sands Missile Range were examined through June 2002. Tracts were examined for evidence of pregnancy in the form of a visible fetus or Corpora Lutea scarring on the ovaries. Oryx pregnancies occurred in all seasons, but at significantly higher rate in the Warm/Wet season. The overall sex ratio for the period of September 2000 to June 2002 was 50:50 male to female. Initial analysis revealed a higher incidence of predicted births in the spring than during
other times of the year. No jaguars were fitted with the radio-collars. However, a female jaguar was captured in a foothold snare but died during processing. Sixteen jaguar, 35 cougar, and 7 unknown large feline scats were collected during surveys. Seventy-one tracks were recorded with plaster casts, tracings, and digital photos. A minimum of five adult jaguars and five adult puma were recorded within the study site. Jaguar tracks, scats, and scratch sites were found in washes, trails, and dirt roads in areas with dense vegetation, especially riparian areas and in precipitous terrain. Jaguars were recorded in the proximity of the main perennial rivers during the dry season. Pumas were detected less frequently in areas were jaguars were recorded. Two different male jaguars, two different cougars, an ocelot, and two bobcats were photographed in the camera trapping sites. Coyotes, gray foxes, birds, and cattle were also photographed. White-tailed deer were the most common prey found on
track transacts during the dry season. However, collared peccaries were rarely recorded on transects. Jackrabbits, cottontails, and meso-predators were also found commonly on transects. All incidental observations of prey were recorded with UTM units including white-tailed deer, coaties, collared peccaries, and one puma.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Joseph, J., F. Molinar, D. Galt, R. Valdez and J. Holechek. 2002. Short duration grazing research in Africa. Rangelands 24:9-12.
- Valdez, R., A. Martinez-Mendoza and O.C. Rosas-Rosas. 2002. Historical and present jaguar habitat components in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Pp. 367-378 In R.A. Medellin, et al., compilers. Jaguars in the New Millennium. Wildlife Conservation Society, Fondo de Cultura Economica, Mexico, D.F. (Peer-reviewed chapter)
- Burkett, D., R. Valdez, B. Thompson and K. Boykin. 2002. Gemsbok: management challenge of an exotic African ungulate in the American Southwest. Pp. 166-171 in H. Ebedes, et al., eds. Sustainable utilization conservation in practice. South African Game Ranchers Organization, Pretoria, South Africa. (peer-reviewed chapter)
- Holechek, J., R. Cole, J. Fisher and R. Valdez. 2002. Natural resources: ecology, economics and policy. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J.
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