Spruce-Fir (Subalpine)

There is relatively little of this type of forest in New Mexico, compared to other states. The largest areas of this type are in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with smaller areas in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. Outside of these ranges, there are small areas in the Chuska, Sacramento, Mogollon, San Mateo, Magdalena and San Francisco Mountains. The Black Range and Mt. Taylor also have this forest type. It occurs roughly from 9500 feet to treeline.

These are cold forests with short growing seasons. Dominant species are Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), and corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa). Other trees include the bristlecone (Pinus aristata) and limber pine (P. flexilis), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) white fir (A. concolor) and aspen (Populus tremuloides). Important shrubs include rocky mountain maple (Acer sp.), common juniper (Juniperus communis), forest willow (Salix scouleriana), myrtle huckleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis), bearberry honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata) and mountain lover (Pachistima myrsinites). Grasses can include thurber (Festuca thurberi) and forest fescue (F. sororia), fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus), mountain trisetum (Trisetum spicatum), bluegrasses (Poa spp.), forest ricegrass (Oryzopsis asperifolia) and foeny sedge (Carex foenea).

Disturbances include timber harvesting, especially in the early part of the twentieth century, and catastrophic fires. Early logging often removed only old-growth forest. Fire suppression began with the advent of logging. However, fire does not appear to have played as great a role in these habitats as in lower elevation forests. Dick-Peddie (1993) suggests that fires burned through these forests infrequently "on the order of decades". When they did occur, they were erratic, i.e. crown fires in some places and ground fires elsewhere. However, as fuel levels rise, the possibility of catastrophic fire increases. Other sources claim that stand-replacing fires burn through an area every 250-500 years but are essential to reinvigorate these high elevation forests and are especially important for maintaining an aspen component (M.Orr pers. comm.).

The impacts of elk grazing at higher elevations in this habitat may be a more significant issue than cattle grazing (NM PIF).

These lands are primarily managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Parcels located in the Chuska and Sacramentos are owned by the Navajo Nation and the Mescalero Apache tribal governments. Some small areas are privately owned.

Impacts on this habitat include: 1) grazing, 2) logging, 3) fire, 4) blowdown, and 5) recreation.

Physiographic Areas covered: Mogollon Rim, Colorado Plateau and Southern Rocky Mountains.

Bird Habitat Requirements, Population and/or Habitat Objectives:
(in taxonomic order)

Associated Species:Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Red-naped Sapsucker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Warbling Vireo, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak

• nests in virtually all montane forest communities with relatively open tree canopies out to 1.2+mi (2+km) from forest edge; prefer forests dominated by ponderosa pine or Douglas-fir
• nests almost always on ground with some overhead cover usually under shrubs, rock overhangs, logs or stumps; may nest at base of large trees with no immediate cover in older mature forests
• nest site may change from barren at time of laying to lush and well-concealed at hatch
• generally nests within 164-492ft (50-150m) of free water
• suggestion of a positive correlation between density of birds and age of dominant trees up to about 10yr post-logging and a negative correlation after that
• density of birds decreases as tree canopy increases
• limited by proximity of suitable breeding areas to montane forest acceptable for use in winter

Distribution: Present in the Southern Rocky Mountains and a few ranges of the Colorado Plateau. Extirpated from the Zuni mountains. Also present within the Mogollon Rim in larger mountain ranges

• in the West, T = -3.5, p = 0.01, N = 73, RA=0.67 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• determine inventory method to assess population
• maintain appropriate habitat in known areas of occurrence
• monitor for continued prescence in the Sacramentos and the Mogollon Rim
• reestablish population in the Zuni Mountains
• maintain open meadows and more open canopy within 1 mile zone surrounding meadows

Associated Species: Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Gray Jay, Brown Creeper, Pine Grosbeak, Pine Siskin

• subalpine forests with fir and Engelmann spruce
• most nesting locations exceed 10,004 ft in elevation
• obligate cavity nester, sites located in mature or older forests, sometimes in aspen cavities, sometimes in snags
• roost sites in conifers 4.6-45.9ft (1.4-14m) high averages 13in (33cm) dbh
• occupy cool microsites with higher canopy cover, higher basal coverage and greater tree density than random sites which produce uncrusted snow conditions in winter
• territories up to 22,747ft² (6935 m²), roosts 3280ft (1000m) from nest 85% of time
• Red-backed voles and other Microtus spp. are 79% of diet
• uses nest boxes only in younger forests
• aspen nest stands average 2-3ac (0.8-1.3ha) and in conifers 4-35ac (1.6-14ha) - stands should be in a forest matrix
• cavities average 41.7ft (12.7m) above ground

Distribution: Found in appropriate habitat from the southern Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains north to the Colorado border.

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• no BBS data available
• maintain current known populations in the Sangre de Cristo, and San Juan Mountains (Stahlecker and Duncan 1996)
• maintain 5-30ac stands of older forest with greater tree density than random and higher canopy cover
• maintain patches of 8372yd² with above stands interspersed with meadows and aspens

Associated Species: Steller's Jay, Common Raven, Brown Creeper, Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak

• open forest; varies with forest type
• can breed in pinyon-juniper but generally in the subalpine zone usually including limber pine or Douglas-fir
• in summer, often uses shrubby pine, mixed with other conifers on steep slopes or hills with adjacent meadows and streams
• a pine-seed specialist: highly mobile; dependent upon cone crops; birds remain at high elevations if seed cones produce well
• nesting may be delayed by heavy snowpack and/or poor cone production the previous fall
• nests placed on outer branches of the leeward side of trees (generally near seed stores from the previous fall) often in canyon bottoms or on south-facing slopes with some protection from the wind
• nests located from 7-16ft (2m-5m) in short trees and up to 79ft (24m) in taller trees

Distribution: Breeds throughout the Southern Rocky Mountains and most ranges in the Colorado Plateau and Mogollon Rim.

• in the Southern Rocky Mountains, T = 10.5%, p = 0.09, N = 30, RA=3.25 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• maintain shrubby conifer growth especially on south-facing slopes

Associated Species: Northern Goshawk, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Gray Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush

• avoids deciduous or nearly pure deciduous forests
• dependent on mature to old-growth spruce-fir forests and virtually absent from other stages, even a slight change from a USFS structural class 5 to structural class 4 forest results in a six-fold decrease in frequency of this species (Carter 1995)
• abundance is tied to percentage of old-growth and density of large, live trees; minimum old-growth is insufficient to maintain populations
• patches of old-growth, 99ac (40ha) or more are suitable for maintenance in Arizona but other researchers have found patch size to be closer to 247ac (100ha)
• considered a forest interior species; fragmented areas reduce foraging sites thereby reducing frequency
• a secondary cavity nester, often nests under loose bark
• prefers snags 20-30in (51-77cm) dbh, 26-79ft (8-24m) tall, with broken tops, over 40% (often closer to 70%) of bark still intact, and still retaining branches for nest sites; often in areas with a closed canopy and an open understory

Distribution: Found from the Sacramento Mountains and Mogollon Rim north in mountainous areas

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the West, T = 1.6%, p = 0.60, N = 212, RA=0.65 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• maintain 60 snags per 247ac (100ha) (Raphael and White 1984)
• maintain higher than minimum standards for old-growth in patches maintained for Brown Creeper
• remove less than 50% basal cover in shelterwood cuts

NOTE: Snag management recommendations for cavity-nesting birds that rely only on requirements for primary excavators will not meet brown creeper nest site requirements (Mariani 1987)

Associated Species: Hammond's Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend's Solitaire, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco

• remote boreal and subalpine spruce or fir forests; sometimes mixed coniferous-deciduous and deciduous forests
• sensitive to habitat fragmentation
• will nest in logged or burned areas but with reduced density
• nests are well protected by overhanging foliage from wind, rain, and sun; generally in closed canopy areas, edges of clearings, or near water
• height of nests can range from 7.9-64.3ft (2.4-19.6m) above ground; in n. Minnesota height ranged from 26.9-64.3ft (8.20-19.6m) averaging 50.2ft (15.3m)

Distribution: Found from the southern Sacramentos and Animas mountains north in appropriate habitat

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the West, T = -2.6%, p = 0.00, N = 295, RA=2.81 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• logging has a detrimental effect on populations (Franzeb and Ohmart 1978)
• maintain mature, dense, moist, older growth (>150yr) spruce/fir forests with >50% canopy cover
• single-tree selection and light thinning may be part of an overall management scheme but large snags and other components of old-growth forests should be maintained (Langelier 1983)

Associated species: Blue Grouse, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Gray Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin.

• generally found in spruce-fir forest often around clearing edges, near streams or wet areas
• stands of trees with low to moderate canopy closure are preferred
• large trees necessary for abundance of cone production
• nests located 7-3ft (2-10m) above ground; often in dense foliage
• diet ranges wider than most other cone associated species; may not wander as far from home range except during times of severe food shortage

Distribution: Breeds from the southern Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains north.

Population and/or Habitat Objectives:

• in the West, T = 10.3%, p = 0.58, N = 51, RA=0.61 (Sauer et al. 1997)
• maintain forests near water and edges with low to moderate canopy cover and high structural heterogeneity

Over time and a large landscape an optimal goal is:

Landscape, soil conditions and elevation will determine the mix at any particular site.

Special attention should be given to the percentages of white fir in this forest type. Because of its unique properties, this species presents a greater fire hazard than other species, where it is numerous (M. Orr pers. comm.). Only 5 - 10% white fir should be in subalpine forests.

Logging - In general, retain large trees on every acre where they occur. Design sales so that the healthiest trees remain. Retain trees in natural spacing designs. Retain the same percentages of tree species as were present before logging. If land is in good condition leave the same percentages of all age classes on the landscape as before it was logged. Dead trees are important to the overall health of a forest. Limit cutting of snags. Some Spruce-Fir birds are sensitive to habitat fragmentation. Design sales to limit fragmentation.

Grazing - Short-term/rest-rotation grazing in these forests, especially aspen areas, should help to reinvigorate grasses. Allowing cattle to spend more than a week in one pasture may keep aspen recruitment down and delay aspen regeneration.

Fire - In general, fire sweeps through this habitat every 250 -500 years under non-interference conditions. Fires in this habitat type are generally stand-replacement or catastrophic. This is a rare occurrence, but a critical component for forest renewal. Education needs to occur about the importance of fire in this particular habitat. At the same time, managers should not plan regular or concurrent burns.

Additional species for which monitoring is recommended:

Education:

Table 2. Spruce-Fir Forest Priority Species: Habitat Factors