PETITION TO LIST THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS SALAMANDER ...

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WildEarth Guardians Petition to List Jemez Mountains Salamander Under the ESA 9 X X X Figure 2. Jemez Mountains salamander Habitat Management Zones and Priority Survey Areas on the Santa Fe National Forest. Source: 2000 Cooperative Management Plan. “X”s mark sites of permanent activity plots.
WildEarth Guardians Petition to List Jemez Mountains Salamander Under the ESA 10 Geographic Distribution: Historic and Current The Jemez Mountains salamander is a relict species, endemic to north-central New Mexico and has a limited distribution within the Jemez Mountains range. As noted above, this species exists in fragmented populations. The CMP delineated these fragmented populations into six major zones of distribution within an approximately 650-780 square kilometer area (NMDGF 1994b; NMEST 2000b) (Figure 2). These six populations are identified as Essential Zones (critical habitat) and consist of 30,510 acres of SFNF land. Additional Priority Survey (8,280 acres) and Survey (108,100 acres) areas are identified in the CMP as potential salamander habitat that required further survey to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the population status of the Jemez Mountains salamander. To date a complete assessment of the population within the Essential Zone, Priority Survey and Survey Zones has not been completed and the total population of the Jemez Mountains salamander remains unknown as does the total area of suitable habitat. It does not appear that the geographic distribution of this species has changed over the past century. Historic and current surveys have only found salamanders in Los Alamos, Sandoval, and Rio Arriba Counties (Reagan 1967; Degenhardt 1974; NMEST 2000b). Although the historic and current distribution of this species has not likely changed it is evident that some of the fragmented populations have declined or have been extirpated within the species’ limited range (NMEST 2000a; NMDGF 2000c; Cummer et al. 2004). Habitat requirements Life History A low-elevation, semiarid environment surrounds the Jemez Mountains, confining the Petitioned species to this mountain range. The Jemez Mountains are a volcanic field which covers an area approximately 19 by 22 miles (30 by 35 km) and contains the Valles Caldera. The Valles Caldera is generally characterized by large open meadows and resurgent, forested domes (Self et al. 1986). The slopes of the Valles Caldera provide the most contiguous habitat for the Jemez Mountains salamander (Cummer et al. 2002). This salamander’s preferred microhabitat is characterized by relatively highhumidity soils with specific rock structure that contain deep, igneous, subsurface rock (NMDGF 1994a; NMDGF 2000b). The Jemez Mountains salamander is locally common in areas where essential microhabitat exists (Degenhardt et al. 1996). The Jemez Mountains salamander is restricted to upper montane mixed coniferous forests at high elevations. The coniferous forest habitat is dominated by Douglas fir, blue spruce, Engelmann spruce, and white fir. Deciduous components include occasional quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, New Mexico locust, oceanspray, and various shrubby oaks. Ponderosa pine stands predominate at lower elevations, particularly on south-facing slopes. Within the sub-alpine forest association Engleman spruce, Douglas fir, and white fir are the most common trees. The salamander shows a significant
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PETITION TO LIST THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS SALAMANDER ...

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