Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New Mexico
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

New Mexico Project

Responses of large mammals to forest restoration treatments and wildfire in the southwest Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

September 2011 - April 2025

Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • UDSA Forest Service, Valles Caldera NM
  • T&E Inc
  • Dallas Safari Club
  • Valles Caldera National Preserve
  • T & E, Inc.
  • UDSA Forest Service, Valles Caldera Trust
  • SISNAR program
  • New Mexico Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Decades of fire suppression, overgrazing, and logging in the western U.S. have resulted in increased tree densities, altered habitat conditions for many wildlife species, and increased risk of stand-replacing wildfires. Land managers are currently implementing landscape-scale treatments in efforts to mitigate catastrophic wildfires and to restore historical forest conditions. The goals of this project are to monitor the responses of mule deer, elk, black bear, and mountain lion to forest restoration treatments and wildfires as part of the Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Restoration Project. Specifically, we are assessing changes in forage conditions, movements, and resource selection of mule deer, elk, black bear and mountain lion in relation to prescribed fires, restoration thinning, and previous wildfires. The results of this project will allow for more informed design and implementation of restoration treatments that simultaneously mitigate wildfire risk and enhance habitat conditions for mule deer, elk, black bears and mountain lions. This research is in collaboration between the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Jemez Pueblo, and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Research Publications Publication Date
Roberts, C.P., J.W. Cain III, and R.D. Cox. 2016. Application of Activity Sensors for Estimating Behavioral Patterns. Wildlife Society Bulletin 40:764-771 | Download December 2016
Kindschuh, S.R., J.W. Cain III, D. Daniel and M.A. Peyton. 2016. Efficacy of GPS cluster analysis for predicting carnivory sites of a wide-ranging omnivore: the American black bear. Ecosphere 7: art e01513. | Download October 2016
Roberts, C.P., J.W. Cain III, and R.D. Cox. 2017. Identifying ecologically-relevant scales of habitat selection: diel habitat selection in elk. Ecosphere 8: art e02013. | Download November 2017
Humagain, K., C. Portillo-Quintero, R. Cox, and J.W. Cain III. 2017. Mapping tree density in forests of the Southwestern USA using Landsat 8 data. Forests 8:287. | Download August 2017
Humagain, K., C. Portillo-Quintero, R.Cox, and J.W. Cain III. 2018. Estimating forest canopy cover dynamics in Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico, using LiDAR and Landsat data. Applied Geography 99:120-132. | Download August 2018
Bard, S.M., and J.W. Cain III. 2019. Pathogen prevalence in American black bears (Ursus americanus amblyceps) of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55:745-754. | Download October 2019
Bard, S.M., and J.W. Cain III. 2020. Investigation of bed and den site selection by American black bears (Ursus americanus) in a landscape impacted by forest restoration treatments and wildfires. Forest Ecology and Management 460 Article 117904. | Download March 2020
Roerick, T.M., J.W. Cain III, and J.V. Gedir. 2019. Forest restoration, wildfire and habitat selection by female mule deer. Forest Ecology and Management 447:169-179. | Download September 2019
Technical Publications Publication Date
Cain, J.W. III, T. Roerick, and C. Roberts. 2015. Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project: Summary of work 2012-2015 for the Large Mammal Monitoring Program. Progress report to the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. September 2015
Cain, J.W. III, S. Smythe, W. Conway and G. Roemer. 2017. Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project: Large Mammal Responses to Wildfire and Landscape-Scale Forest Restoration in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Annual Progress Report to the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. December 2017
Cain, J.W. III, S. Smythe, M. Peyton, W. Conway, J. Biggs, and G. Roemer. 2018. Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project: Large Mammal Responses to Wildfire and Landscape-Scale Forest Restoration in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Annual Progress Report to the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. December 2018
Presentations Presentation Date
Kindschuh, S.R., J.W. Cain III, and M.A. Peyton. 2013. Evaluating the use of GPS cluster analysis to locate black bear predation and scavenging sites. 46th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA February 2013
Kindschuh, S.R., J.W. Cain III, and M.A. Peyton. 2013. Evaluating the use of GPS cluster analysis to locate black bear predation and scavenging sites. 47th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Pinetop, Arizona, USA. February 2014
Cain, J.W., III, R. Parmenter, S.R. Kindschuh, and M.A. Peyton. 2013. Wildfire, Forest Restoration, and Mammal Monitoring in the Southwest Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. 46th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA February 2013
Kindschuh, S.R., and J.W. Cain III. 2015. Modeling black bear predation and scavenging using GPS cluster analysis. 48th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Las Cruces, New Mexico Mexico, USA. February 2015
Kindschuh, S.R., and J.W. Cain III. 2015. Black bear carnivory of ungulates: global positioning system cluster analysis as a tool for estimation. 12th Western Black Bear Workshop, Canmore, Alberta, Canada. May 2015
Humagain, K. C. Portillo, R. Cox, and J.W. Cain III. 2016. Mapping structural diversity of trees in the southwest Jemez Mountains of New Mexico using Landsat-8 data. 68th Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management, Sacramento, California. February 2016
Roberts, C., R. Cox, and J.W. Cain III. 2016. Fine-scale temporal modeling of elk (Cervus canadensis) habitat selection. 68th Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management, Sacramento, California. February 2016
Anaya, A.J., J.W. Cain III, J.R. Biggs, and M. Peyton. 2017. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) Kill Rates and Competition with Black Bears (Ursus americanus) in New Mexico. 24th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. (Poster) September 2017
Anaya, A.J., J.W. Cain III, J.R. Biggs, and M. Peyton. 2017. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) Resource Selection, Kill Rates and Competition with Black Bears (Ursus americanus) in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico . 50th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Farmington, New Mexico, USA February 2017
Bard, S.M., and J.W. Cain III. 2016. Influence of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on multi-scale black bear habitat selection. 49th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. February 2016
Bard. S.M. and J.W. Cain III. 2017. Influence of Natural and Anthropogenic Disturbances on Multi-Scale Black Bear Habitat Selection. 24th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. (POSTER) September 2017
Cain, J.W., III. 2018. Working towards more informed landscape-scale forest restoration in the Southwest: responses of mule deer, elk and black bears to treatments and wildfires. Keynote address: Annual Meeting of the Rio Grande Water Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico. April 2018
Menefee, A.R., S.E. Smythe, J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway. 2017. Stem densities of Populus tremuloides in aspen managed wildfire plots and not treated plots in northern New Mexico. Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management. San Angelo, Texas, USA. September 2017
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, M.A. Peyton, and L. Bernal. 2018. Factors influencing calf bed site selection in a landscape changed by wildfire and restoration. 51st Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. February 2018
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, M.A. Peyton, and L. Bernal. 2018. Factors influencing calf bed site selection in a landscape changed by wildfire and restoration. Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Dallas, Texas, USA. February 2018
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, M.A. Peyton, and R.R. Parmenter. 2017. Influence of movement and resource use on reproductive success of elk in a restored landscape. 24th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. (POSTER) September 2017
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, M.A. Peyton, and R.R. Parmenter. 2017. Movement, resource use, and reproductive success of elk in response to competition, predation risk, and landscape restoration. 50th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Farmington, New Mexico, USA. February 2017
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, M.A. Peyton, and R.R. Parmenter. 2017. Movement, resource use, and reproductive success of elk in response to competition, predation risk, and landscape restoration. Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, San Antonio, Texas, USA. February 2017
Cain, J.W., III. 2018. Working towards more informed landscape-scale forest restoration in the Southwest: responses of mule deer, elk and black bears to treatments and wildfires. Keynote address: Annual Meeting of the Rio Grande Water Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico. April 2018
Roerick, T.M., and J.W. Cain III. 2018. Forest restoration, wildfire and habitat selection by female mule deer. International Deer Biology Congress, Estes Park, Colorado, USA. August 2018
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, and M.A. Peyton. 2019. Changes in forage biomass for elk and mule deer following 6 years of landscape scale forest restoration and monitoring in the Jemez Mountains, NM. Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Montgomery, Texas, USA. February 2019
Smythe, S.E., J.W. Cain III, W.C. Conway, and M.A. Peyton. 2019. Changes in forage biomass for elk and mule deer following 6 years of landscape scale forest restoration and monitoring in the Jemez Mountains, NM. Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. February 2019
Roerick, T.M., and J.W. Cain III. 2020. Habitat selection by female mule deer in relation to prescribed fire, forest thinning and wildfires. 53rd Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Prescott, Arizona, USA. February 2020
White, L., J.W. Cain III, F. A. Gabreselassie, J.S. Lewis, and R. Parmenter. 2021. Effects of wildfire and forest management on large mammal distribution, habitat use, and co-occurrence in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. 54th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Virtual Online. February 2021
White, L.M., F. Abadi, R.R. Parmenter, J.S. Lewis, and J.W. Cain III. 2022. Influence of wildfire and forest management on large mammal distribution, habitat use, and co-occurrence in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. 29th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, Spokane, Washington. November 2022
Theses and Dissertations Publication Date
Anaya, A.J. 2019. Mountain lion (Puma concolor) kill rates and prey composition in north-central New Mexico. Department of Natural Resources Management, New Mexico Highlands University. May 2019