Dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) habitat ...

Michael T. Hill. Dunes sagebrush lizard habitat on NMDGF PCAs, Interim Report. 28 March 2012

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Dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) habitat delineation on New Mexico Game

Commission Prairie Chicken Areas

Michael T. Hill

2219 Sea Foam St. NW

Albuquerque, New Mexico

87120

[email protected]

505-859-1000

Professional Services Contract #12-516-0000-00023

The dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) is a small Sceloporus that occurs in

New Mexico (Chaves, Eddy, Lea and Roosevelt Counties; Degenhardt et al. 1996) and in

adjacent west Texas (Andrews, Crane, Gaines, Ward, and Winkler Counties; Dixon 2000).

Within that area, their distribution is limited to shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) sand dune

depressions called blowouts (Fitzgerald and Painter 2009). The dunes sagebrush lizard is listed

as endangered by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) and is currently

proposed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The NMDGF manages 31 Prairie Chicken Areas (PCA) in Chaves, De Baca, Lea, and

Roosevelt Counties (Figure 1). Seventeen of the PCAs were surveyed during the spring and

summer months, 2011 (Hill 2011). Dunes sagebrush lizards are known to occur on four of the 31

PCAs (Hill 2011). More surveys are planned for the spring and summer, 2012 on PCAs that were

identified as potential habitat during the 2011 survey efforts.


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SURVEYS

Pedestrian surveys for dunes sagebrush lizards will be initiated starting during the week

of 15 April 2012. I will be following a protocol very similar to the protocol described in

Fitzgerald et al. (1997). I will spend a maximum of six person hours at each site walking through

suitable habitat searching for dunes sagebrush lizards. Survey efforts will be terminated at a site

if all suitable habitat has been surveyed or I detect dunes sagebrush lizards. If I detect dunes

sagebrush lizards at a site I will survey for a minimum of two person hours to complement past

survey data. All lizard species observed will be counted and I will attempt to capture any dunes

sagebrush lizards using a noose pole. I will photograph any captured dunes sagebrush lizards for

verification of their identification and I will also collect a small tissue sample (e.g. tail tip) for

ongoing genetic studies with Lauren Chan (Duke University) and Lee Fitzgerald (Texas A&M

University). I will collect air and substrate temperatures at the beginning and end of the surveys

as well as UTM coordinates (NAD 83) for the approximate center of the survey area and for

dunes sagebrush lizard observation points. I will also estimate depth and dimensions of sand

dune blowouts where dunes sagebrush lizards are observed/captured.

My surveys will be, primarily, focused on five PCAs; Black Hills (west of NM 206),

Gallina Wells 1a, Marshall, Pitchfork, Sandhills (inclusive of Antelope Flats and Bledsoe), and

South Bluit. As time and conditions permit, I also want to visit Gallina Wells 3, Liberty, and

Pitchfork PCAs. I have not visited Gallina Wells 3 or Liberty PCAs and I only visited Pitchfork

PCA once during suboptimal conditions in 2011.


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GIS

I have produced two shapefiles for the PCAs (depicted on individual PCAs in Appendix

1) using Arc Map (version 9.3), digital ortho quarter quads (DOQQs) downloaded from the New

Mexico Resource Geographic Information System (http://rgis.unm.edu/), and a shapefile

depicting PCA boundaries provided by NMDGF.

One shapefile (NMDGF_PCAs_DSL_Blowouts) encompasses the suitable habitat on

PCAs where enough contiguous habitat exists to sustain viable populations of dunes sagebrush

lizards. I drew the blowout polygons around larger (>20 m largest dimension) blowouts and the

surrounding blowout habitat. The surrounding blowouts did not have to be of equal or greater

size, many were <20 m largest dimension. I considered blowout habitat to be a distinct blowout

complex (based on the DOQQs) surrounded by flatter shinnery oak habitat with limited open

sand.

I have taken adjacent, non NMDGF lands, into account while producing these two

shapefiles, when suitable blowout habitat is present off PCA. Although many of the PCAs may

not harbor suitable habitat for resident dunes sagebrush lizards, they may provide suitable

dispersal habitat for adjacent populations (as described in Hill 2011). That possibility is

accounted for with the second shapefile that I have provided, NMDGF_PCAs_DSL_Corridors.

The corridor shapefile has been the most difficult to produce and will require ground-

truthing, particularly on PCAs that I have not visited. At this point, it is my best guess about

where dunes sagebrush lizards may choose to move across the landscape. I generated the

corridor shapefile with the data view of ArcMap set between 1:3,000 and 1:3,500. As the scale of

the data view becomes smaller, more potential corridors become apparent so I chose to limit my


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work to that range. Without a great deal of dunes sagebrush lizard movement data it is very

difficult to determine appropriate corridor extents.

I am basing much of this aspect of the project on my previous experience summarized in

Hill and Fitzgerald (2007). I radiotracked female dunes sagebrush lizards during the nesting

season to determine nesting locations which were always located outside of her core home range.

The tracked females occasionally traversed small shinnery oak flats to lay their eggs in blowouts

outside of their core home range. Our understanding of the mechanisms limiting dunes sagebrush

lizard dispersal is currently based on anecdotal information with limited quantified research. I

attempted to be conservative while generating the corridor shapefile based on the current

limitations in our understanding of the fine scale ecology of dunes sagebrush lizards. They

percolate across the landscape at some level but I can only speculate about where they actually

choose to go at this point.

As I refine the two shapefiles, acreages provided (Table 1) will change, particularly those

generated from the corridors shapefile. I did not generate shapefiles for 13 of the PCAs due to

lack of suitable blowout or corridor habitat; or due to their isolation from known, occupied

habitat. This decision can be adjusted as deemed necessary by discussion with NMDGF

personnel or by positive survey results in 2012.

My decision to exclude certain PCAs from this project is based on the extent of known,

occupied habitat (Figure 2) and the extent of available, suitable habitat. Laurencio and Fitzgerald

(2010) presented a polygon that depicts the known range of the dunes sagebrush lizard in New

Mexico which is derived from past survey efforts (e.g. those summarized in Fitzgerald et al.

1997). Shinnery oak sand dune blowout habitat enters Roosevelt and northern Lea Counties from

the west via two bands of sand dune ridges. The northern band extends from west of the caprock


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in Chaves County, south of Kenna, eastward past NM 206 in Roosevelt County, north of

Milnesand. The southern band extends from west of the caprock in Chaves County, north of

Wayside PCA, eastward beyond NM 206 in Lea County, south of Crossroads. This sandy ridge

is evident when driving along NM 206 between Crossroads and Tatum.

The shinnery oak sand dune blowout habitat required by dunes sagebrush lizards is

patchy along these two bands of sandy habitat, owing to past management practices and

landscape variability. Dunes sagebrush lizards are found in the larger patches of habitat in both

of the bands (Black Hills, Crossroads 3, and Gallina Wells 2 PCAs). The easternmost known

localities of dunes sagebrush lizards (in this area) are located ~5 mi E of Black Hills PCA (in the

north) and ~8 mi ESE of Crossroads 3 PCA (in the south). The Gallina Wells PCAs are generally

located along the northern band of habitat although the extent of suitable habitat varies among

them. Marshall PCA is also located on the northern band of habitat although there is limited

suitable habitat on this PCA. While these PCAs may not harbor resident populations of dunes

sagebrush lizards, they may serve as important dispersal or nesting areas for adjacent populations

of dunes sagebrush lizard.

My survey efforts will mainly focus on areas that are positioned on or near the two bands

of habitat discussed above. Exceptions to that include Sandhills Prairie Conservation Area

(inclusive of Antelope Flats and Bledsoe PCAs) and Pitchfork PCA. I have not spent enough

time at those areas to exclude them from further investigation although they are well removed

from occupied habitat. In addition, the PCAs that I will survey appear to have relatively large

expanses of suitable dunes sagebrush lizard habitat, as seen from GIS. I have chosen to forgo

further survey efforts at Milnesand PCA due to the extremely patchy nature of the sand dune


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blowout habitat on that PCA. While it has sand dune blowouts present, it is not connected to any

large expanses of suitable dunes sagebrush lizard habitat.

The final report for this project will include the results of the upcoming surveys and will

incorporate feedback regarding the preliminary ArcGIS shapefiles that I have produced. At this

time, I have chosen to refrain from altering the preliminary blowout and corridor shapefiles

because I want to evaluate them on the ground prior to making changes.

MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

The goal of this report is to provide NMDGF personnel with information that will help

them in their day to day operations and management of PCAs with occupied or suitable dunes

sagebrush lizard habitat. Typical day to day operations could include fence and watering station

repair and construction, road maintenance, and other low impact activities. I suggest that these

activities would not have a detrimental impact on dunes sagebrush lizards and their habitat as

long as habitat disturbance was kept to a minimum. These activities must continue so the safest

option is to try to lessen the impact to dune structure by avoiding dunes if possible. Wholesale

leveling of shinnery oak sand dune habitat via road and well pad construction should be kept

outside of blowout complexes and also should be placed in a manner that maintains connectivity

between blowout complexes.

I have reported dunes sagebrush lizard occupancy PCA-wide rather than reporting

specific blowout complexes as occupied or unoccupied. I have chosen to present the information

in this manner because dunes sagebrush lizards utilize considerably more habitat than their core

home ranges. Unoccupied, suitable blowouts may serve an important function for reproduction

(i.e. nesting habitat) or population expansion and movement so it is best, from a conservative


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standpoint, to treat them as occupied and critical for the maintenance of dunes sagebrush lizard

populations.

LITERATURE CITED

Degenhardt, W.G., C.W. Painter, and A.H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New

Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 431 pp.

Dixon, J.R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas: with keys, taxonomic synopses,

bibliography, and distribution maps,2nd

edition. Texas A&M University Press,

College Station. 421 pp.

Fitzgerald, L.A. and C.W. Painter. 2009. Dunes sagebrush lizard, pp. 198-201 in Lizards of the

American southwest, L.L.C. Jones and R.E. Lovich (eds.). Rio Nuevo Publishers,

Tucson. 567 pp.

Fitzgerald, L.A., C.W. Painter, D.S. Sias, and H.L. Snell. 1997. The range, distribution and

habitat of Sceloporus arenicolus in New Mexico. Report to New Mexico Department of

Game and Fish. 30 pp.

Hill, M.T. 2011. Dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) surveys on New Mexico

Department of Game and Fish Lesser Prairie Chicken Conservation Areas. Report to

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. 17 pp.+4 appendices.

Hill, M.T. and L.A. Fitzgerald. 2007. Radiotelemetry and population monitoring of sand dune

lizards (Sceloporus arenicolus) during the nesting season. Report to New Mexico

Department of Game and Fish. 31 pp.

Laurencio, L.R. and L.A. Fitzgerald. 2010. Atlas of distribution and habitat of the dunes

sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) in New Mexico. Texas Cooperative Wildlife


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Collection, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University,

College Station, TX. ISBN: 978-0-615-40937-5.


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Figure 1. Map (1:450,000) of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Prairie Chicken Areas

(PCA, indicated by green) in southeastern New Mexico. Gallina Wells and Crossroads PCAs are

abbreviated as GW and CR, respectively. Populated areas are indicated by dots and are labeled,


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US Bureau of Land Management lands are indicated by yellow and NM State Land Office lands

are indicated by blue.


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Figure 2. Map (1:275,000) of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Prairie Chicken Areas

(PCA, indicated by green outlines and labeled with gray text) in; Chaves, Lea, and Roosevelt

Counties; New Mexico. Gallina Wells and Crossroads PCAs are abbreviated as GW and CR,

respectively. The distribution of the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus), from

Laurencio and Fitzgerald (2010), is represented by blue shading. Towns and highways are

indicated by black markers and text. Current (2011) digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles were

downloaded from http://rgis.unm.edu.


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Table 1. Acreage of suitable dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) habitat (blowout

complexes) and dispersal corridor habitat on 18 New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Prairie Chicken Areas (PCA) in southeastern New Mexico. Acreages were calculated for the two

habitat types using ArcMap (version 9.3) and digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangles. Known

occupancy of the PCA by dunes sagebrush lizards is also noted.

Prairie Chicken Area Blowouts (acres) Corridors (acres) Occupied

Antelope Flats 33.55 207.52 No

Black Hills 116.45 486.84 Yes

Bledsoe 2.81 40.71 No

Crossroads 2 85.39 96.41 No

Crossroads 3 32.85 39.53 Yes



Gallina Wells 1 15.33 89.75 No

Gallina Wells 1a 17.99 98.14 No

Gallina Wells 2 43.84 99.06 Yes



Marshall 16.75 64.21 No

North Bluit 43.02 368.88 No

Pitchfork 2.93 5.76 No

Sandhills 190.54 1100.65 No

South Bluit 86.64 106.09 No

Wayside 9.15 0 Yes

TOTAL 728.73 2967.59


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APPENDIX 1. Maps of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) Prairie Chicken

Areas (PCA) in Chaves, Lea, and Roosevelt Counties, New Mexico that depict estimated core

and corridor habitat for dunes sagebrush lizards (Sceloporus arenicolus). The PCA boundaries

are represented by the green polygons. Dunes sagebrush lizard core habitat is represented by the

red polygons and corridor habitat is represented by the blue polygons. Current (2011) digital

orthophoto quarter quadrangles were downloaded from http://rgis.unm.edu. The PCA boundary

shapefile was provided by NMDGF, and estimated dunes sagebrush lizard habitat polygons were

produced using ArcMap, version 9.3 (ESRI, Redlands, CA).


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Black Hills Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:16,000 scale.


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Crossroads 2 Prairie Chicken Area, Lea County, New Mexico. 1:12,000 scale.


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Crossroads 5 Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:4,000 scale.


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Gallina Wells 1 Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:10,000 scale.


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Gallina Wells 1a Prairie Chicken Area, Chaves and Roosevelt Counties, New Mexico. 1:4,000

scale.


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Gallina Wells 5 Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:12,000 scale. *2009

imagery used for this map to demonstrate the destructiveness of an early 2011 fire.


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Gallina Wells 5 Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:12,000 scale. *2011

imagery, post fire.


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Marshall Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:8,000 scale.


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North Bluit Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:12,000 scale.


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Pitchfork Prairie Chicken Area, Lea County, New Mexico. 1:3,000 scale.


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Sandhills Prairie Conservation Area and Antelope Flats Prairie Chicken Area, Lea and Roosevelt


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Counties, New Mexico. 1:9,000 scale.


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Sandhills Prairie Conservation Area and Bledsoe Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New


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Mexico. 1:18,000 scale.


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South Bluit Prairie Chicken Area, Roosevelt County, New Mexico. 1:8,000 scale.


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Wayside Prairie Chicken Area, Chaves County, New Mexico. 1:3,000 scale.

Dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) habitat ...

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