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New Mexico 2000-2011

Methods


General Methods
Sampling & coverage of blocks

Based on the UTM grid, New Mexico is divided into 146 50km x 50km atlas squares. Each atlas square contains 100 5km x 5km blocks. The blocks are further divided into 1km x 1km 'kilos' used for determining relative abundance of species sampled. At least one priority block has been randomly assigned per square. Habitat priority and supplementary blocks are also included.

Coordination of coverage
This project is being managed with the help of regional organizers.

Breeding Evidence Codes
Code Code description  (see handbook for full description & use suggestions)
OB Category - Observed: not breeding evidence
O Species (male or female) observed between June 1 and July 31, but not believed to be breeding in the block.
PO Category - possible breeding evidence
X Species (male or female) observed in suitable nesting habitat during its safe dates.
S Singing male detected once in possible suitable nesting habitat.
PR Category - probable breeding evidence
M 7 or more singing or territorial birds of a species detected within a block on one day.
P Pair observed in suitable nesting habitat during its breeding season.
T Permanent territory presumed through song at same location on at least 2 occasions 7 days or more apart.
C Courtship behavior or copulation.
N Visiting probable nest site.
A Agitated behavior or anxiety calls from adult.
B Nest building by wrens, verdins, or excavation of holes by woodpeckers.
CO Category - confirmed evidence of breeding
NM Bird carrying nesting material, except for some species of wrens and verdins.
NB Nest building by any species except wrens, verdins, and woodpeckers.
PE Physiological evidence of breeding, e.g. highly vascularized, edematous brood patch or egg in oviduct based on bird in hand. (For banders.)
DD Distraction display or injury feigning.
UN Used nest found. Must be carefully identified if it is to be accepted.
FL Recently fledged young (either precocial or altricial) incapable of sustained flight, restricted to natal area by dependence on adults or limited mobility.
ON Adults entering or leaving a nest site in circumstances indicating occupied nest. To be used for nests which are too high (e.g. the tops of trees) or enclosed (e.g. chimneys) for the contents to be seen.
FS Adult carrying fecal sac.
FY Adult(s) with food for young, either carrying food or feeding young.
NE Nest with egg(s), undisturbed nest with a bird in incubation posture, or eggshells found below nest.
NY Nest with young seen or heard.
Habitat Codes
Habitat code Description (53 habitats defined)
FORE Forest (group)
 LMCF  Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Conifer Forest
 MMCF  Madrean Lower Montane Conifer Forest
 SABF  Subalpine Broadleaf Forest
 SACF  Subalpine Conifer Forest
 UMCF  Rocky Mountain Upper Montane Conifer Forest
GRAS Grassland (group)
 CDFG  Chihuahuan Foothill-Piedmont Desert Grassland
 CDLG  Chihuahuan Lowland/Swale Desert Grassland
 GBFG  Great Basin Foothill-Piedmont Grassland
 GBLG  Great Basin Lowland/Swale Grassland
 MGPG  Mid-Grass Prairie
 RMMG  Rocky Mountain Montane Grassland
 RMSG  Rocky Mountain Subalpine Grassland
 SGSG  Short Grass Steppe
 TGPG  Tall Grass Prairie
OTHE Other Land Types (group)
 DRAG  Dryland Agriculture
 IRAG  Irrigated Agriculture
 MINE  Mine/ Quarries
 PLAY  Basin/Playa
 RIVE  Riverine/Lacustrine
 ROCK  Rock Outcrop
 URBA  Urban Barren
 URPA  Urban Park
 URVE  Urban Vegetated
SHRU Shrubland (group)
 BDDS  Great Basin Broadleaf Deciduous Desert Scrub
 BEIS  Broadleaf Evergreen Interior Chaparral
 BLSS  Plains-Mesa Broadleaf Sand-Scrub
 CBDS  Chihuahuan Broadleaf Deciduous Desert Scrub
 CBES  Chihuahuan Broadleaf Evergreen Desert Scrub
 MPDS  Great Basin Microphyllous Desert Scrub
 MPSS  Plains-Mesa Microphyllous Sand-Scrub
 RMDS  Rocky Mountain Montane Deciduous Scrub
TUND Tundra (group)
 RMFT  Rocky Mountain Alpine Forb Tundra
 RMGT  Rocky Mountain Alpine Graminoid Tundra
WETL Palustrine Forested, Shrub & Emergent Wetlands (group)
 DSAR  Southwestern Deciduous Shrub Arroyo Riparian
 PEGW  Graminoid Wetlands
 RMFW  Rocky Mountain Forested Wetlands
 RMSW  Rocky Mountain Montane Broadleaf Shrub Wetlands
 WPFW  Southwest & Plains Forested Wetland
 WPSW  Southwest & Plains Shrub Wetland
WOOD Woodland (group)
 GCCW  Rocky Mountain/Great Basin Closed Conifer Woodland
 GOCW  Rocky Mountain/Great Basin Open Conifer Woodland (Savanna)
 MCCW  Madrean Closed Conifer Woodland
 MCOW  Madrean Closed Oak Woodland
 MDCW  Madrean Open Conifer Woodland
 MOCW  Upper Montane Open Conifer Woodland
 MOOW  Madrean Open Oak Woodland (Encinal)

Where this information came from
Most of the information on this page is from the project's publication or Handbook (guide for field work). For this project, the Handbook is also available online here (pdf).
U.S. Department of the Interior || U.S. Geological Survey || Patuxent Wildlife Research Center  Laurel, MD, USA 20708-4038
This site is: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bba
Information contained in this application does not necessarily have the endorsement of USGS.
Contact: mwimer@usgs.gov

Last updated: Site - May 2014; Content - various, depending on atlas.
Page generated on: 19-Mar-2024