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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. MM U^S^D^A2 UDneiptaerdtmSetnattesof Conservation Assessment of the Agriculture Forest Service Sacramento l\/)oi%t^n Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station Sala^aitd0r Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 General Technical Report RM-GTR-293 OjS^ Kec.ivadbir. Cynthia A. Ramotnik IndexingBraacb Abstract Ramotnik, Cynthia A. 1997. Conservation assessment of the Sacramento Mountain salamander. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-293. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Expenment Station. 19 p. This document synthesizes existing information on the Sacramento Mountain salamander, a terrestrial amphibian endemic to three mountain ranges in southern New Mexico. The salamander is found in mixed-conifer forests primarily on USDA Forest Service lands, within and under decayed logs, and beneath rocks and litter. Because thesalamanderdependsona moistmicrohabitat, itisvulnerabletoactionsthatdirectly or indirectly reduce the amount of moisture available to it. This assessment will assist land managers in making informed evaluations regarding consequences of management decisions and guide them toward a coordinated approach in the context of ecosystem management. Keywords:Amphibia, Plethodontidae, Aneides hardii, mixed-coniferforest, logging. New Mexico The Author Cynthia A. Ramotnik is a museum specialistwith the U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division (formerly the National Biological Service), and is stationed at the UniversityofNewMexicoinAlbuquerque. SheobtainedaB.S. in biologyfromtheState University of New York at Oneonta and an M.S. in zoology from Colorado State University. Ramotnik hasconducted research on New Mexico's endemic salamanders since 1984. Her research interests include museum collection management and taxonomy and distribution of vertebrates, particularly amphibians, reptiles, and mam- mals, in the Southwest. Publisher Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station Fort Collins, Colorado July 1997 You may order additional copies ofthis publication by sending your mailing information in label form through oneofthefollowing media. Pleasesendthepublicationtitle and number. Telephone (970) 498-1719 DG message R.Schneider:S28A FAX (970) 498-1660 E-mail /s=r.schneider/[email protected] Mailing Address Publications Distribution Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station 3825 E. Mulberry Street Fort Collins, CO 80524 Coverphoto ofSacramento Mountain Salamanderby Taro Narahashi. Conservation Assessment of the Sacramento Mountain Salamander Cynthia A. Ramotnik Contents Introduction 1 AdministrativeStatus 1 ReviewofTechnical Knowledge 3 Systematics 3 Description 3 GeographicDescription 3 Habitat Description 5 General Ecology 6 ReproductiveBiology 9 Threats to Survival 10 Conservation Status 13 Research Needs 16 Acknowledgments 17 LiteratureCited 17 Conservation Assessment of the Sacramento Mountain Salamander salamander was placed under review as a potentially threatened orendangered species (Category2Candidate Introduction Species) undertheFederal Endangered Species Act (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1985). Recently, the Fish and The three salamander species known to inhabit New Wildlife Service discontinued the Category 2 (C2) status Mexicoincludethetigersalamander,Ambystomatigrinum; and currently refers to former C2 species as "species of theSacramentoMountainsalamander,Aneideshardii;and concern" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1996). Current theJemezMountainssalamander,Plethodonneomexicanus. management efforts for the salamander are coordinated Ofthethree,A. tigrinum isthesinglerepresentativeofthe between stateand federal managers and are guided by a family Ambystomidae. While populations in Arizona, combinationofcooperativeagreements,managementrec- Colorado,andUtahhaveexperiencedrecentunexplained ommendations, and monitoring protocols. Several ofthe die-offs (C. Carey, pers. comm.), A. tigrinum appears to agreements and protocols have notbeen finalized or for- remainstableinNewMexico,whereitoccursthroughout mally adopted in writing. The chronology and details of the state. The other two species, both in the family these efforts are described below and summarized in Plethodontidae,areendemictodistinctNewMexicomoun- table 1. tain ranges, primarily on federal lands within the north- central (P. neomexicanus) and south-central (A. hardii) re- gions of the state. The close association of these two Table 1. Summaryoflisting andmanagementactions salamanderswithmixed-coniferforestsmakesthempar- (directandindirect) forthe Sacramento Mountain ticularlyvulnerabletoforest-managementpracticessuch salamander Abbreviations foragencies are: NMDGF(NewMexico DepartmentofGame and jaesctloogfgbiontgh.aPf.onremoamleDxriacfatnuMsanhaasgeprmeevnitouPsllaynbaenednatMheemsuob-- FUiSshF),SU(SUSFDWASF(oUr.eSs.tFSiesnh/iacen)d.Wildlife Service), and randum ofAgreementbetween stateand federal managers. In contrast, many of the management strategies forA. Date Action Agency hardii have never been formally adopted by state and 1975 Listed as Endangered (Group II) NMDGF federalmanagers.Thisconservationassessmentisthefirst 1985 Listed as C2 Candidate Species USFWS step in a process to facilitate coordinationbetween coop- Interagency Comnnittee established USFS, USFWS, eratingfederalandstateagencies.Itsummarizesthescien- NMDGF tificknowledgeoftheSacramentoMountainsalamander toassistlandmanagersinmakinginformedevaluationsof 1986 10-year Lincoln National Forest Plan USFS theconsequencesofmanagementdecisions.Thetechnical 1988 Draft Interagency Agreement USFS, USFWS, knowledge reviewed here was obtained from published (specifies formation of New Mexico NMDGF Salamander Working Group) and unpublished sources (research reports, agency files) and from discussions with individuals knowledge- Listed as Sensitive USFS able about various aspects of the biology of the sala- Amendment to Lincoln National USFS mander. Forest Plan 1989 First meeting of New Mexico USFS, USFWS, Salamander Working Group NMDGF 1990 Draft protocol to monitor status of USFS, USFWS salamander (lists several NMDGF Administrative Status management recommendations) 1993 Federal Listing of Mex. spotted owl USFWS The Sacramento Mountain salamander is listed as 1995 Discontinuation of C2 Candidate USFWS "threatened" by the State of New Mexico (New Mexico Species List DepartmentofGameandFish1996)and"sensitive"bythe 1996 Record of Decision for Amendment USFS of Forest Plan Forest Service (U.S. Forest Service 1988a). In 1985, the USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-293. 1997 1 Following state listing of the Sacramento Mountain agencies to determine the habitat requirements for the salamander in 1975, no formal management action was Sacramento Mountain salamander (U.S. Forest Service undertaken by state or federal managers for the next 10 1986:206). Untilhabitatrequirementsaredetermined, in- years.In1985,anInteragencyCommitteewasestablished, terim guidelines are provided to address slash disposal consistingofrepresentativesfromtheForestService,Fish and winterlogging. Interimguidelinesaredeletedinthe and Wildlife Service, and New Mexico Department of PlanAmendment(U.S.ForestService1988a)andreplaced GameandFish.Thegoalofthiscommitteewastoidentify withastatementthatoccupiedsalamanderhabitatwillbe data and management needs for both of New Mexico's evaluatedona"site-specificbasis"andaddressedthrough endemic salamanders, A. hardii and P. neomexicanus. In theintegrated resourcemanagementprocess (IRM) (U.S. 1988, the committee drafted an Interagency Agreement ForestService 1988b: replacementpage206). recognizingmanagementresponsibilitiesofthethreeagen- TheLincolnNational Foresthas an activesurveypro- cies, which aimed to eliminate the need for protective gramforSacramentoMountainsalamandersontheSacra- status of both salamanders. Once the Agreement was mento District and maintains a Geographic Information signed by all parties, the Forest Service would suspend System database that tracks the amount of acreage sur- "lumbering and associated activities ... in all areas ... veyed, the amount occupied by salamanders, and the occupied by [Amides], in 85% of ... potential occupancy, subset ofoccupied habitat which has been logged. From andin50%of... possibleoccupancy" (DraftMasterInter- 1986 to 1992, almost 95,000 acres have been surveyed, agencyAgreement 1988). Afinalversionhasbeensigned revealing that 27% (25,855 acres) is occupied by sala- onlyforPlethodon(MemorandumofAgreementsigned30 manders.Duringthecurrent10-yearplanningperiod,the May 1991). No Interagency Agreement for Amides has Group'srecommendationwasmetinregardtoharvesting beendeveloped orsigned. "no more than 25% of the total known occupied sala- The Draft Interagency Agreement also specified the mander habitat" (the actual number was 20%, D. Salas, creationofa "formalsalamandertaskforce"toserveinan pers.comm.),andnomorethan40%washarvestedwithin advisory capacity forthe managementofA. hardiiand P. individual planning units (except in 1987). The Lincoln momexicanus. Although the Interagency Agreement has NationalForestis mapping the habitatoccupiedbysala- never been signed to "formalize" the task force (now called the New Mexico Salamander Working Group manderswithin theSacramento District. The Federal listing of the Mexican spotted owl (Strix [Group]),theGrouphas metregularlysinceitsinception occidentalis lucida) as threatened in 1993 (U.S. Fish and in March 1989. In 1990, members ofthe Group drafted a Wildlife Service 1993) has had recent indirect manage- documentincluding a protocol formonitoringthe status ment implications for the Sacramento Mountain sala- of Sacramento Mountain salamander populations and mander, due to the closeassociation ofboth species with listedseveralmanagementrecommendations.Therecom- mixed-conifer forest. Restrictions and modifications in mendations specified that, withina 10-yearplanningperiod, no more than 25% of the total known occupied resourcemanagementactivities,suchasloggingandgraz- salamander habitat can be harvested (logged), and no ingindesignatedcriticalhabitatfortheowl,havebeenin morethan40% canbeharvestedwithinasingleplanning effect since the late 1980s. However, the impact of these area. Additional recommendations include leaving all new restrictions on the salamander has been minimal, unmerchantablelogsover12inchesdiameterinallstand since the majority of mixed-conifer forest had been har- prescriptions,andallowingprescribedburnsforsiteprepa- vested within the Lincoln National Forest by 1986 (D. ration in up to 5% ofthe occupied habitat. These recom- Salas, pers. comm.). Specific management guidelines for mendations have been complied with by the Forest Ser- theowlwentintoeffect 15June 1996inanamendmentto vicesincetheywereproposed,eventhoughthedocument the Forest Plan (U.S. Forest Service 1996). Some of the has neverbeen finalized. modificationshavingpotentiallybeneficialimpactsonthe Long-term managementgoals oftheLincolnNational SacramentoMountainsalamanderincludetheForest-wide Forest are specified in the Lincoln National Forest Plan emphasis on uneven-aged silviculture methods versus (Plan) and are applicable for a 10-15 year period (U.S. even-aged methods, the extension of rotation ages for Forest Service 1986). The Plan provides some manage- even-agedstandstogreaterthan200years,andthereten- mentrecommendationsspecifictoA. hardii,mostorallof tionoflargesnagsandwoodydebriswithinmixed-conifer whicharefoundwithinAppendixC ("Forest-WideStan- forest. Revision of the Lincoln National Forest 10-year dards and Guidelines for Federal and State Threatened Plan is scheduled to begin in 1999 (U.S. Forest Service andEndangeredSpecies")andwithinPlanAmendments 1996:13) and will provide an opportunity to review the (U.S. Forest Service 1988b). Appendix C discourages contentsofthelatestamendment.Whatimpacttherevised fuelwood gathering activities within salamander habitat Plan will have on the Sacramento Mountain salamander andstatesthattheForestServicewillcooperatewithother remains tobeseen. 2 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-293. 1997 Description Review ofTechnical Knowledge TheSacramento Mountain salamander is the smallest member of the genus, yet is typical with respect to masseter muscle development, sulci of the head and neck Systematics region,body proportions, and prominently overhanging teeth (Lowe 1950). Although habits of the genus range TheSacramentoMountainsalamanderwasdiscovered in New Mexico in 1940,when the presence of only one ftyrpoimcatlerorfestthreiatletroreasrtbroiarleamle,mAb.ehrasrd:iicyslhianrdersicbaoldtyrfuenaktuarneds otherplethodontid salamander,Plethodon idahoensis, was tailandrelativelyshortlimbsanddigits(Wake1966).The confirmedfromthe"entireRockyMountainsystem"(Lowe tail is slightly shorter than the snout-vent length (SVL), 1950:92). The salamander was described from a single, mm which ranges from 43 to 63 in adults of both sexes poorlypreservedjuvenilespecimen,andwasplacedinthe (Staub 1989). Although males have a shorter trunk than genusPlethodon(Taylor1941).Lowe(1950)transferredthe females,theytendtobelargerduetothegreaterheadand species to the genus Amides based on comparison of taillength(Staub1989).Costalgroovesnumber14-15and skeletal features of Plethodon and Aneides. Sessions and thereare2 to4-1/2 costal foldsbetweenadpressed limbs gKeezneurs(A1n9e8i7d)esexaanmdicnoendcclhurdeodmotshaotmAanleivdareisahtaisonuwnidtehrignotnhee (Wake1965).Thismonotypicspeciesislighttodarkbrown on thedorsum with varyingamountsofgreenishgray to pronounced karyological divergence from a Plethodon- bronze mottling. The venter is light brown, the throat likeancestor. RelativetoPlethodon,Aneides demonstrates cream-colored.Adultmalesareeasilydistinguishedfrom anincreased rateofchromosomal rearrangement. females by the prominent masseter muscles (which give The genus Aneides consists of five species: A. aeneus thehead atriangularshape)andthepresenceofa mental Sotcactuerss;Ai.nhtahrediAipipsaelnadcehmiiacntroesgoiuotnh-ocfentthreaelaNsteewrnMUenxiitceod; gland onthechin.Juvenilesmayhaveabrownorbronze dorsal stripe. Staub (1989) provides additional informa- and A. ferreus, A. lugubris, and A. flavipunctatus extend tion on skull ossification andbodyproportions ofadults along theWestCoastfromVancouverIsland, Canada, to andjuveniles. northernBaja California,Mexico. Therangesofthelatter threespeciesoverlapinnorthernCalifornia.Comparedto othermembersofthegenus,A.hardiiisthemostgeneral- Geographic Distribution ized morphologically (Wake 1966)andthemostsexually dimorphic (Staub 1989). TheSacramento Mountain salamander is restricted to ProteincomparisonsrevealthatAneidesismostclosely threedisjunctareaswithintheCapitan,White,andSacra- related to the western group of Plethodon, from which it mentomountainsofsouth-centralNewMexicoinLincoln aroseapproximately24-38millionyearsago(Larsonetal. and Otero counties (figure 1). Within these areas, sala- 1981). Lowe (1950) argues that the distribution of the mandershavebeenfoundatelevationsaslowas2438m(4 genus Aneides was associated with the transcontinental mi NE Cloudcroft, Staub 1986; Scott Able Canyon, D. Arcto-Tertiary Flora until the late Miocene. Subsequent Salas, pers. comm.), and as high as 3600 m, near the climaticandphysiographicchangescreatedlargeareasof summit of Sierra Blanca Peak (Moir and Smith 1970). savannahand grassland, isolatingmembersofthegenus Weigmann et al. (1980:33) state that salamanders were tothecooler,moremesic(e.g.,coastalandmontane)areas. collected "fromelevationsof7800-7900ft" (2377-2408m) Electrophoretic and immunological data suggest that A. butdonot providelocalities. hardii diverged from other Aneides during the mid-Mi- Findley (1959) obtained the first specimens from the ocene, approximately 20 million years ago (Larson et al. CapitanMountains(LincolnCounty)inJuly1958.Meents 1981).Usingelectrophoretictechniques.PopeandHighton (1987) surveyed 42 locations in the Capitan Mountains (1980)suggestthatA.hardiiseparatedintothethreeexist- andfoundsalamandersat27ofthesesites,allabove2682 ingpopulations (Capitan,White,and Sacramentomoun- m.SomeoftheselocalitieshavebeensurveyedbytheNew tains) during the latterhalfofthe Pleistocene. Mexico Department of Game and Fish each year for a Schadetal.(1959)examinedgeographicvariationamong number of years (C. Painter, pers. comm.). All known thethreepopulationsofA.hardii.Whereastheynotedthat localities within theCapitan Mountains occurwithin the the Capitan population was morphologically the most Capitan Mountains Wilderness, Lincoln National Forest distinct,differencesbetweenthispopulationandtheother (SmokeyBearDistrict). two were not significant enough to warrant subspecific The population in the White Mountains (Lincoln and designation. Popeand Highton (1980) found thatgenetic Otero counties) is centered on Sierra Blanca Peak. Sala- divergencewassmallamong thethreepopulations. mandersareknownfromlocalitiestothenorthandnorth- USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-293. 1997 3 1050 45' 1050 15' • Aneideshardiilocality Lincoln National Forest 0 -45 - 10 15mi 1000 ft contours above 8000 ft h- Roads — _ — Mescalero Apache 0 10 20km Indian Reservation Figure 1. Distribution oftine Sacramerito Mountain salamander, Aneides hardii, within Lincoln and Otero counties, New Mexico. 4 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-293. 1997