The Black Range Conservation Opportunity Area (COA) encompasses 181,729 ha (449,062 ac) in the Gila National Forest of western New Mexico. Almost all is managed by USFS (89%), but 10.4% is privately-owned. It contains one Important Bird Area (Ladder Ranch) and eight TNC conservation areas (Northern Black Range, Las Animas Creek, Gila River Complex, Hillsboro West, Ladder Ranch, Southern Black Range/Cooks Peak, Mineral Creek Mimbres River). Fifty-four percent of the COA is protected. Landcover includes 20 native vegetation habitats and a small amount of disturbed lands. Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Forest covers the largest portion of the COA (40%) with smaller amounts covered by Rocky Mountain Subalpine High Montane Conifer Forest (14%) and Intermountain Juniper Woodland (12%). Perennial aquatic habitats include 215 km (134 mi) of warm water and 271 km (168 mi) of cold water streams.
Habitats
Habitat Name | Habitat Size in Hectares |
---|---|
Arid West Interior Freshwater Emergent Marsh | 16.47 |
Chihuahuan Desert Scrub | 424.17 |
Chihuahuan Semi-Desert Grassland | 9793.98 |
Cliff, Scree & Rock Vegetation | 2771.73 |
Intermountain Dry Shrubland & Grassland | 1069.74 |
Intermountain Juniper Woodland | 21511.89 |
Intermountain Saltbush Shrubland | 84.51 |
Intermountain Tall Sagebrush Shrubland | 45.54 |
Madrean Lowland Evergreen Woodland | 1978.38 |
Madrean Montane Forest & Woodland | 234.99 |
Montane-Subalpine Wet Shrubland & Wet Meadow | 19.53 |
Recently Disturbed or Modified | 327.6 |
Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Forest | 114937.74 |
Rocky Mountain Montane Riparian Forest | 2.16 |
Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland | 334.53 |
Rocky Mountain Subalpine-High Montane Conifer Forest | 25552.26 |
Rocky Mountain Subalpine-High Montane Meadow | 445.05 |
Southwest Riparian Forest | 980.37 |
Desert Alkali-Saline Wetland | 3.15 |
Warm Interior Chaparral | 1038.42 |
Warm-Desert Arroyo Riparian Scrub | 0.72 |