Wildlife numbers on late and mid seral Chihuahuan Desert rangelands

Abstract

Seasonal wildlife observations were made along transects on 2 pastures in late seral and 2 pastures in mid seral condition in southcentral New Mexico in non-drought and drought years (1993, 1994). Remaining climax vegetation was about 64% and 57% on late seral pastures. About 37% and 32% of the climax vegetation remained on mid seral pastures. Total wildlife and total bird sightings/km2 during the study period were higher (P < 0.10) on the mid compared to late seral rangelands. The same number of wildlife species were seen on the late and mid seral pastures. Sightings of scaled quail (Callipepla squamata Vigors), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura Linnaeus), prong-horn (Antilocapra americana Ord), and desert cottontails (Sylvilagus auduboni Mearns) showed no differences (P> 0.10) between late and mid seral condition rangelands. Black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus J.A. Allen) numbers were higher (P